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Winter Kotlas
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Posted by bigdaddyj Zone7 (My Page) on Sun, Feb 7, 10 at 15:30
| 27.5 inches of snow outside. 10F last night. 2/7/10. Think I'll go grab a few ripe homegrown Kotlas tomatoes from my dining room window to enjoy during tonight's Super Bowl...GO COLTS!!!
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Winter Kotlas
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| OK, football season is over. Go Phillies! Pass the salt. |
RE: Winter Kotlas
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- Posted by sunnyk Z6 SW Coastal CT (My Page) on
Mon, Feb 8, 10 at 11:54
| I have definitely got to try that...I have the perfect window in my dining room, and adopting out one of my seed grown tangerine bushes wouldnt hurt too much if I could have even a few homegrown ripe cherry tomatoes in the dead of winter. Do you start it in the Fall or is it a plant brought in at the end of the Summer? |
Sunny
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| I started this years ago. Back then I started tiny Red Robin plants from seed in early August. They worked great in my sunny bay window! (East, South and West direct sun) After my summer garden tomatoes were history I started getting the indoor ones. Gotta remember to shake the plants! No disease, no bugs. Then I graduated to bigger plants/fruits. I grew New Big Dwarf, Momotaro and others. I needed to replenish Kotlas seed so I chose Kotlas this winter. Here's a pic of NBD in that spot a couple years ago: 
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RE: Winter Kotlas
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Yum!
I need more details. Do you supplement the light? What temp is your room? How big is your pot? Any other hints?
I've grown lettuce indoors during the winter for several years. It really is easier than outdoors. I would love to try a tomato.
Thanks.
sam |
RE: Winter Kotlas
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| Sam, no lights at all. Once the seed sprouts in the window it goes! There is plenty sun even in winter. For a full sized plant I use a 12" container. I suspect a 14" would be better but 12 works. For tiny dwarf Red Robin plants an 8" is plenty. This Kotlas is in a 12. Kotlas is a smallish indeterminant. The temp in that room is 68 to 70F. It gets hotter of course when the sun is blasting in there. Hints? Once the plant gets this size it needs about a quart of water per day, especially sunny days. I use a fish/kelp combo for fertilizer every third or fourth watering. Potting soil is Pro-Mix without fertilizer. Shake the plant at least daily to help fruit set! A half inch of builder's or course sand on top discourages those little gnats. Show it off at Christmas to guests all decorated with little red eddible ornaments...:) |
RE: Winter Kotlas
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Thanks!
I am so going to do this in August. I think I will add a light - I have big south facing windows but we have lots of overcast days here. I usually have the light up for seedlings anyway. I'll just put it up a bit sooner.
sam |
RE: Winter Kotlas
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| Have fun with it Sam! It's pretty nice when it's so cold and snowy outdoors to be able to go to your tomato plant and smell that nice summertime aroma! Not to mention having a REAL tomato to munch on...:) |
RE: Winter Kotlas
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| IIRC (from many years ago), before this variety was KOTLAS, it was Johnny's Sprint, and before that it was Johnny's 2nnn (some numerical designation). And also IIRC, Johnny's originally listed this variety as having some resistance to Early Blight. (?) Does anyone else recall this? How has it done for folks growing it? Has anyone seen any E.B. resistance? I grew it years ago (probably more than 20 yrs.) but for me it was a shy producer, and did not compare favorably with Early Girl. But after last year, I'm much more interested in foliage disease resistance, so I'm trying it again this year. (Seeds from the "Seeds Trust.") Incidently, that's a really nice picture of a healthy indoors plant -- good job! -WC |
RE: Winter Kotlas
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| Thanx WC. I have only grown it a few times and yes I do recall the Sprint days in the Johnny catalog. It was renamed Kotlas to honor Johnny's sister city in the USSR. I prefer the taste well ahead of Early Girl and slightly better than Stupice. It's a smallish (3 to 4' tall) indeterminant with wispy PL foliage. It has been healthy the times I grew it. I have not read or recall anything mentioned about E.B. I don't go much for the early varieties anymore. I wait an extra 2 weeks for the really good ones! But I needed fresh seed and I am one of but a few people I suspect that is keeping the variety going... |
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