16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
And "long run" is what you just did in your above post Keith.LOL
Excellent post.
I'll save this thread just for your post, or maybe I'll just cut and paste it to elsewhere.
Considering so much that you've included at your superb website, I wish that you'd consider writing a book, for the home grower mainly , because you write well, explaining many of the issues that have been dealt within this thread, as well as many more.
And yes, it was Keith who first clued me into the minor mutations that could occur such as differences in internode distances, as well as ways in which mutations could lead to, for instance, going from an RL leaf form, homozygous dominant, to heterozygous, still dominant
to homozygous recessive, then PL.
I knew of all the DNA mutations that could occur by looping out, repeats, inversions, etc, and knew them with viruses which I'd worked with, as well as some bacteria, but just never made the connection, never even thought about it when it came to tomato genes, Sigh,
Carolyn
Thank you! What great responses and what a wonderful education I am getting! My genetics classes in college came flooding back. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions so thoroughly. I have been known to "over think" things as Carolyn pointed out early on. But clearly I have been shown to be an amateur in this regard.Turned out to be one of my favorite threads. Thank you all for taking the time to educate me. :)
I like tomatoes canned whole. And I like them on the smallish side: this way, they fit better in the jars leaving less empty space between them and I also like when they fit whole into my mouth. :)
Last year, I had success with canning Juliet (red) and Joe Lauerer's Pink German Eggs (light pink) as whole-canners, they are small, keep their shape well in jars and stay firm, not mushy when canned. Somehow, I didn't like San Marzano Nano as whole-canners, maybe, they are better for sauces.
This year, I will also try for the first time these as my whole canners:
-Heidi
-Legenda Tarasenko
-Mountain Magic
-Principe Borghese
I am trying to locate the seeds for Kada tomato - someone on the forum recommended them as âÂÂsmall and hard as rockâ - just what you need for canning whole. :)
By the way, Green Zebra is not good for canned whole: I added a few GZ into jars to diversify the colors, but Zebras turn mushyâ¦.
This post was edited by green_go on Fri, Feb 21, 14 at 14:14
I think you are right, Smithmal. I am going by 6 weeks (roughly speaking. Then I also have a small Cold Frame that I can shelter my seedlings overnight, while hardening them off. I am also going to build a portable hoop for early spring use.. Planting too early even when there is no danger of frost won't do any good if the temps are on the cool side.
My other plan is to cover the beds with CLEAR PLASTIC to warm up the soil a few degrees (Just leaving openings for the matoes.)
Thanks for the advice. I will probably wait until about March 1 to the 7th. I wanted to start early as my plants tend to grow kinda slow in a cooler part of the house. ...and then there's the darn "polar vortex" again! next week when we go back into the 30's during the day and the teens at night. uhhhhhh........ Thanks Brian
Carolyn,
Leave it to you to inject humor! Which all gardeners need! I confess, I did use a few clear plastic containers last year as a last resort, and they did germinate very fast, but were not the healthiest seedlings. Correct me if I`m wrong here but germination does not require direct sunlight as much as warmth?
I worried alot about temperatures as the seedlings grew, but apparently tomato seedlings do not need an overly warm environment, just lots of good light.
BTW, I don't understand how do they qualify to be called "SMART" !!!
I dont have a clue, why they are called smart, this is my first year to try them so I need education, I guess when I said raised bed I was speaking of the affect that the earth below the grow bag has on the substrate inside of them, since these are made of a permeable material what affect does the ground have on them as far as the hydrology affect is concerned? I kind of new the garden soil would not be correct dogdirt thanks for the info roots cannot go into the ground agreed, soiless mix definitely, maybe a little more water retentive then standard 511 if it is setting directly on the ground?
Thanks bmoser and mule,
As you pointed out, most variety name are just confusing.
I suspect that they have given many different names for the same thing. Just as you said, Aunt Ruby, Aunt Judy, Aunt Dorothy, ..GERMAN GREEN, Cherokee green,, plus a whole lot more are almost identical and what I have in my first picture is one of them.
Well, we will have to wait til DNA becomes affordable.
Thanks. Like I said the website called the EVP a unique or different flavor... got me a little nervous
I bought 2 CP's at Lowes last season. It may be the best tomato I have ever eaten.
I am growing from see for the first time. Getting excited and eager to taste results. I will report back the 5 varieties I am trying this season.
Cherokee Purple
Vinson Watts
Eva Purple Ball
Matts Wild Cherry
Chocolate Pear
Matts Wild Cherry is very very tiny and will reseed next year. I think it is kind of pretty for a tomato. The little tomatoes are really red. I cut the sprays of fruit because it is tedious to pick and the skin pulls off when you pull on it. I would plant it closer to your door or in a special place. Eva is a nice pink medium sized tomato. It has a good taste but not unique in my opinion. Cherokee Purple is a good one. It is a more fragile tomato. They rot for me in rainy weather which is rare here in summer but it tastes great.
I posted a link that may help from Rutgers talking about the Ramapo and Rutgers ect.... I grew the about 10 Ramapo plants last season for myself and family/friends it did great and tasted great and very prolific. But I am no expert but have been eating Jersey tomatoes my whole life same with others that have tasted them and I and the people who had the Ramapo aggreed it was great.
This year I am ordering Ramapo again (even though I kept last years pack), KC 146 and a Moreton just to compare. As stated above, I read from Rutgers site that they are trying to revive the original Rutgers or close to it.within a year or so. I also hope to make it up to the Rutgers event this year.
Also on that site the order form is for them, it says 2013 but it is updated.
I hope this helps,
Mr. Beno
Here is a link that might be useful: Rutgers U
I've now received my Victory Seeds order and sent off my Rutgers order form, so I'm well on my way to a Joisey tomato-off in my garden this summer!
I did rummage around in old threads and found some of the Rutgers discussions I'd been thinking of - it seems that there are determinate, semideterminate, and indeterminate versions out there all just labeled as 'Rutgers.' I presume this is due to the continuing segregation the Rutgers NJAES referenced. Victory indicated determinate, so hopefully I'm getting something close to the iconic Rutgers tomato, but for my purposes I don't know that I care about the determinancy overly much. I will be slightly disappointed if it survives the toxic maelstrom of foliage disease that is my garden only to abruptly quit making tomatoes, but I doubt that will be the case.
I will be very excited to see what Rutgers NJAES comes up with for their Rutgers re-intro.
Thanks everyone for your input! Now please make it stop snowing so I can plant tomatoes!
~emmers
Early, cold (rather cool) tolerance.
Check out these:
Glacier, Siletz, Legend, Stupice, Oregon Spring, Siberia, ...
I am going to grow 3 of those named above this season, as we have very COOL spring and late summer/early fall weather.
Hope it helps.
It's not unheard of to get frosts right into the first week of June here in Saskatchewan. If I've put the tomatoes in the ground in late May and a subsequent frost is in the forecast, we cover them with blankets for the night, exactly like we would in the fall. The plants always reach the same size as they do every year. We don't notice any stunting or drop in production with any of the early determinates. The mid and late indeterminates take lower temperatures much harder.
@ OP: You mentioned that you LOVE strawberries. How do they taste to you ? To me they taste more acid w/very little sweetness. If this is the case with you then you should look for acidic tomatoes with slight sweetness, sometimes called tangy.
Another thing is that we don't eat every vegetable and fruits as it comes from the bush ; we prepare them a certain way. Most people will add SALT, PEPPER, VINEGAR and OIL to raw tomatoes and then eat them: That is also called SALAD !
I recommend a good sweet, small tomato like lldi for someone who doesn't like tomatoes. It even looks more like a fruit than a tomato..
I heard you mention you give most of the fruits of your labor away. I wouldnt be so quick on handing it over, save some of it and try to get accustomed to the taste. Very very healthy stuff your giving away, do yourself a favor, embrace your health. Keep growing, nothing is healthier than your own fresh produce.
If I wanted to plant tomatoes in hanging basket, that had to be some small fruited cherry, with trusses of flowers/fruits, with ability to cascade/hang down. Indeterminants are better for this purpose. I can always trim the tips of new growth if needed. I did that once with a upside down basket. It could have been better with just a hanging basket.
JMO
I am hoping to try growing my red currant tomatoes in a hanging basket this year, just for fun. I found it kind of cumbersome in the garden with my big tomatoes last year but the foliage is so feathery and pretty, and with it hanging right by the door it will be easy to grab a handful and throw it on a salad. First hanging tomato attempt, so we will see how it goes.
It is an interesting question and it is partly the nitrogen balance. Tomatoes don't need much of it. You are right about restricting water which essentially concentrates the flavor. Certain salts also increase the brix level. Test for brix with a refractometer, then cut back on water and test the difference.
Lee
Others have addressed your questions very well, so I'm going tomake just one comment.
In general, the more foliage a plant has leads to increased photosynthesis which results in more production of the energy compounds ATP and GTP.
ATP and GTP are what drives development of everything associated with the plant, from root structure growth, to above ground growth, to blossom formation, fruit growth, and most importantly for some, synthesis of all the compounds that determine taste , of which the primary determinates are the specific genes in the DNA of a specific variety.
Yes, for sure there are lots ofother variables involved in taste, some that can be controlled by the gardener and some that cannot be controlled, such as weather.
Just noting that for many years I grew tomatoes in Denver, not many, and they did just fine in a small strip of just dirt at the side of my home that was shaded a good part of the day.
Carolyn
I'm going out on a limb here, which in my case, is covered in snow! It kills me to read people are experiencing 100 degree weather!
Anyways, I noticed that your plants are close to your wall which is white. I'm wondering if it's due to excessive heat reflected from the house onto the plants. I also have a section of garden that borders my house, also white stucco, and have witness some burning from the heat when the plants are touching the walls.
It's just one variable amongst many possibilities.
You have not said anything about fertilizing !!
How often you water it ? 200w for a single plant, under LED?
Probably it has been OVER fertilized, OR over watered. OR both.
The color of the foliage (if it is true, at correct camera light) tells me the plant has got a high dose of Nitrogen.
Thanks for the input. The plant has received no fertilizer yet except for the ferts in the Roots Organic Original soil. I've been watering up to 75 percent of field capacity and then letting it dry out to 30 percent before watering again. I do this by weight on a very accurate scale.
As for the light, I have grown a 4 foot "Red Cherry" plant with great results. (Got 92 golf ball sized tomatoes and another 80 or so on the plant when I switched to tap water and that killed the plant. Later found the pH of my tap was 8.31)