Thanks, Tomato Gurus!!

Susan

I remember the 1960's so the name Berkeley scares me a little. LOL

My interpretation of his use of this phrase is that he believes Pink BTD will produce well in areas where it is hard for tomatoes to set a good crop, whether we're talking about a foggy, cool, cloudy coastal area like San Francisco where it can take forever to get good fruit set and ripening or a warmer, hotter, drier part of the state in a more desert-like area where you're in a hurry to get good fruit set before the heat shuts down fertilization. In either case, you're more likely to get a good crop from a variety that sets fruit early, and when I've grown BTD it has set fruit very early in the season. So, I'm inclined to think that's what he means--it sets early thereby increasing your chance of getting fruit in a 'marginal' tomato growing area.

I remember the 1960s too, and Pink BDT is exactly the sort of psychedelic tomato some people would have seen when they were....well, tripping.

It is a beautiful tomato!

Dawn

Lol! I remember the 60's, too, having grown up in those years. I think I'd be more concerned about a "Haight Ashbury" or a "Kent State" than a "Berkeley", but all have negative implications due to the political and social unrest during that period of time.

Susan

Susan

If anyone has a marginal tomato climate, you do, I don't know what's worse for you there...the lack of rainfall or the never-ceasing winds.

I think if last year had been a better weather year, I would have gotten better production from the Wild Boar Farms varieties because they started out really flowering and setting fruit well in April and May, but then the heat shut them down. As it was Black and Brown Boar and Michael Pollan both set fruit well at least until June arrived and the rain stopped falling. Red Boar produced into August and with very little care or attention. Still, none of his varieties produce heavily here at our house either.

Pink BTD reminds me a lot of Chocolate Stripes, but CS gives me 10 tomatoes for every 1 that Pink BTD produces, so if I am going to grow one or the other, it will be Chocolate Stripes every time.

Dawn

Another thing I'm going to try this year is grafting. I have hopes for it. I received an update on some trials here in KS last summer just this last week. In the east most of the trial sites saw an production increase of 40-120% over non grafted plants. Even in Western KS north of me where they have less disease stress than I do and also had the drought we had they saw enough of an increase to create optimism. For growers just south of me with nematode problems I would be trialing grafted plants for sure. I recently watched a webinar by a man from K-State and one from NC State. They did research in area of NC where the growers had quit growing tomatoes due to the nematodes. The grafted plants had 100% survivability rates and the non grafted had 100% death rates. Grafting offers other advantages besides disease resistance. One reason some feel you see less death loss and an increase in production in area where there isn't much if any soil borne disease problems is the increased vigor which helps prevent stress on the plants. I've seen where some have had success grafting with varieties such as Celebrity but trials have shown it along with several other varieties don't offer the benefits/potential that several of the varieties developed solely for rootstock.

Dawn I have had some of his varieties survive all summer while several just gave up due to stress. Even those that survived either didn't set or set very few fruit. Jay

I'll be interested to see how your grafted tomatos do, and I do hope they perform above and beyond for you.

Susan

Now that I've mentioned them, I'll link the Territorial page for anyone who wants to see them. The double-grafted plants are at the bottom of the page.

Grafted plants may be the answer for Jo and others who have severe nematode infestations in their gardens.

Dawn