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Colorado front range tomatoes?
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Posted by meteor04 5-Northglenn (My Page) on Tue, Apr 22, 08 at 22:28
| I am having no good luck with my seedlings this year (first year I've tried). So, I'll likely end up buying plants this year. Anyone with opinions on what does well North metro Denver area? I've really only had good luck with Early Girls, Celebritys, and Sweet 100s.
Big Beef, Husky Cherry, failures. Really no luck with beefsteaks of any kind.
Advise anyone? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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Hi Meteor,
I've had great luck 3 years running now w/ Celebrity and a great yellow variety, Lemon Boy. San Marzano is a great paste variety. Last year we tried a number of heirloom varieties & ended up harvesting over 200# from 8 plants, and it was a lousy year for tomatoes! So I saved seeds from some, and the seedlings are coming along nicely & will be for sale mid-May. Heirlooms include Boxcar Wille, Mortgage Lifter, Rose de Berne; others are a yellow stuffer, a cherry called 'Sprite' and a huge tasty paste variety similar to Oxheart. Let me know if you want me to hold some for you. |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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| What's going wrong with your seedlings, Meteor? Maybe we can help figure it out now for future reference. Skybird |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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meteor04 - why don't you just wait for the swap and pick some up there. From the looks of my laundry room/greenhouse, I will have a few at the swap and I am sure some other people will too.
I'm with Skybird, what happened to your tomoato seedlings? Maybe you can try again. It might be a little late, but at least you would know how to fix the problem and maybe get some fruits for your labor. Billie |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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| As far as my seedlings, long story short, I burned up the first batch (dont ask). I have some going now that are doing great, but all of a sudden, they are trying to commit suicide. When I got home from work yesterday, I checked on them, and one had it's actual leaves pressed against the light bulbs! one of the leaves was scorched and likely to fall off. I have a crappy improvised set up for this year. Gonna have to set up something better next year. And as far as the swap, I cant make it. |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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Hey improvise it the way of the gardner.
So you have plants that keep growing into your lights. I'm glad you clarified it had its actual leaves against the light cuz if it had its roots in the air, we would be to the root of the problem (sorry could not resist). It was the cleanest one that came to mind (roots, clean). Is there any way you can rig the lights so you can move them up. I have mine on chains that hang from the shelves. Improvised but works. When the plants get too tall, I move the lights up or move the plants somewhere else. I married an electrician, you would think he could come up with something better, but...
Too bad you can't make the swap. You would have fun and get an ed...edumon...edumoncation :) Everyone has such neat ideas...
Sorry you can't make it. Hope this batch of 'maters survives. Billie |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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| Actually, some of these seedlings should be ok...Early Girl... 
Better Boy... 
Is that leaf curling normal? All the Better Boys are doing that. BTW, in the backround is the suicide I mentioned in the earlier post. |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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- Posted by skybird z5, Denver, CO (My Page) on
Wed, Apr 23, 08 at 23:28
| What kind of lites are you using, Meteor? If you use cool white florescent bulbs, nothing will be damaged by the lites—ever. When I lived down in Parker one of my bedrooms was the "plant room," and I had six 4' shop lites hanging from the ceiling on chains, like Billie’s. I usually kept them just a couple inches away from things, especially seedlings, but with the established plants I kept them higher up, and some of the viney things would grow right up into and around the bulbs and fixtures, and nothing was ever damaged by them. So if it’s possible for you to switch to florescent, I definitely suggest it. I’d give your suicide a couple weeks to see if it’s able to recover. Sometimes it’s amazing what plants can recover from. And I think your seedlings look fine. Different varieties will look different, and I sure don’t see anything in your picture that indicates a problem. AND, since you’re in my neck of the woods—would you like me to bring some tomato seedlings home from the swap with me, and you can come over to my house (128th & Colorado Blvd.) to pick them up? No guarantee on what varieties, or how many you might get! Skybird |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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| I've been starting tomatos from seed for years,and I agree with skybird. Two of the easiest things to do to get healthy seedlings are 1- get some cheap 4' shop lights and keep them an inch or so above the leaves and 2- keep a fan blowing gently on them to keep them from getting leggy. Check out the FAQ on the Tomato forum. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Growing tomato's from seed
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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| Meteor04 - If you want to take Skybird up on her wonderful offer, I will make sure I bring a few tomatoes with your name on them. I have extra Yellow Pear, Yellow Plum, Sioux, Cherokee Purple, Siberia, Spanish Sun, Sausage and Margeretta. I started them a little late, but they are all doing great. Billie |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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| Skybird and Billie, Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. If I cant make it to the swap, I refuse to benefit from it. Maybe next year. |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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- Posted by skybird z5, Denver, CO (My Page) on
Thu, Apr 24, 08 at 21:40
| It’s up to you, Meteor, but I just want to let you know that last year we saved plants for a couple people who couldn’t come too. It wouldn’t be an imposition at all. And there’s always people who come to the swap who don’t have anything to bring, but they go home with things anyway. It’s just the way we do it! And there’s always so much stuff that we tend to have trouble getting rid of everything. At the Fall Swap Alice took a whole bunch of stuff home with her for Habitat for Humanity houses/residents. So if you change your mind, just let us know. Let us know how your tomatoes are doing in a week or so! :-)
Skybird |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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| Meteor, I always grow some for a friend of mine, but since she is losing her house, she cannot take them. I know I have way, way too many. She is even giving me some that another friend gave her that she cannot plant. SO, if you want it is no problem. You would actually be doing ME a favor. Ok now I feel like I am "dealing" tomatoes. Come on you know you want some... Just a little... No one will ever know... Smile Billie |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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| OK Billie, you convinced me. I'll shoot you and skybird an e-mail...If I can figure out how. P.S.Meteor=Robert |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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- Posted by skybird z5, Denver, CO (My Page) on
Fri, Apr 25, 08 at 22:50
| OMG!!! I was just writing a post to let you know PM’s don’t work for me on GW—when I got the email from you! That’s the first time a PM has gotten thru to me in over a year! Guess I can delete that part of the post—and I’ll reply to it after I post this so you have my email address! I’m glad you decided to go ahead and take them! I didn’t think of it till after I finished my last post, but for the Fall Swap we not only saved plants for a couple people, but I hand delivered some of them—to Silt—that’s Silt as in, on the western slope—think Glenwood Springs! That’s where Bonnie/Highalt lives and I went by that way when I left on my vacation, so I was able to drop off a few things she wanted. So as you can see, saving a few tomatoes for you is no biggie! AND, if Billie is dealing again—well—we need to keep it in the family so she doesn’t get arrested or something! ;-) Watch for an email from me,
Skybird |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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| Thanks, I know I can count on ya'll to have my back. Billie |
RE: Colorado front range tomatoes?
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- Posted by sanj Rocky Mtn Z5 (My Page) on
Fri, May 23, 08 at 20:38
Hi Billie Ladybug and Skybird...
If you have more seedling left shoot me a PM. I am interested in heirloom varieties. Also, please tell me how tall they are :).
I tried to grow some cool heirloom varieties, they did not work too well. Somehow they did not germinate, only few did.
I have a limited space, so I probably need 4-6 plants. If you do not have them..it is cool too. I will try to fill the space with the common, commercially grown varieties..thanks for reading. |
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