16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
You will be VERY happy with the Brandywine's flavor. They can get big too. Slices so large, that you can't see any part of a normal slice of bread under it, when making a BLT.
You are right about the size dropping after the 1st few really big ones. The flavor sure doesn't drop though.
Looking forward to seeing your pictures and updates.
Lil black bugs...lil pin\head size...can fly...biting lots of lil holes
The tiny holes are flea beetles. No intervention required.
The big damaged areas aren't from them. That looks like it might be gray leaf mold from what I can tell in the pic. That needs fungicides.
Dave
Don't get me started on squirrels! I have a plant given to me by my husbands coworker. It is from her 90 year old neighbor who has been developing this tomato for years. So excited to try it and bagged blossoms in case it fantastic. Squirrels got the green tomatoes I had marked as bagged. So I filled the bird feeders up to keep them busy on the other side of the yard.
Don't know about Green Giant, but Aunt Ruby's German Green is one of my favorite tomatoes. Really excellent flavor and beautiful, large green fruit with pink blush at blossom end. It is always a bit late, and I would be hesitant to grow it if I was only growing a half dozen, for that reason, but if you have room for a few extra plants, you should try growing it.
Ripe when green tomatoes are just that, RIPE, but with green color instead of red. I happen to like the flavor of a lot of them, but if you do a blind taste test with people, as I have many many times, no one can tell they green ones by the flavor. They just say they are good tomatoes. Then are surprised to see that they are green.
Why use it? Regardless of the brand. The effectiveness is marginal at best.
From the Blossom Drop FAQ here:
Hormone sprays, such as "Blossom Set", may prevent some blossom drop due to LOW temperatures. However, the resulting fruit are often misshapen. But studies prove that hormone sprays do not prevent blossom drop due to HIGH temperatures.
Dave
"The branches are slim and long between the nodes. This might indicate that they are SMALL FRUITED PLANTS."
Seysonn do you have any links to reputable sources (websites, books, scientific papers, etc.) to back up that statement?
I ask because I am truly curious. I was under the (possibly mistaken) impression that internode length was related to a tomato plant being either determinate or indeterminate.
Carolyn137's comment in a recent thread on indeterminate behavior : "Specific genesdetermine plant habit of a variety, as in det, indet, Dwarf, etc. by controlling the internode distances, that is, the spaces between on the stem/lateral branches, etc., where blossoms appear." seems to support my impression, but is by no means definitive.
Betsy
I don't see any spots or specks that would indicate a disease (either fungal or bacterial). If it's just the lower leaves, they do that with age. If more than a few (hard to tell from 1st photo - is that sun glare or are the upper leaves on the half of the plant near the fence yellow?), could be insufficient nitrogen. The leaves at the top of the plant (left of photo) in 2nd photo/post look healthy. Can't say why fruit tasted bad, could just be the variety.
What's in the new mix besides peat? Have you tested it? Have you fertilized? How big is the bed and how many plants do you have in it?
Looks like a lot of suckers/foliage crammed into a 3-ring tomato cage. While it doesn't look like disease from what I can see of the leaves, you could prune a little for better air circulation, esp. given the rain we've had lately.
This post was edited by ajsmama on Fri, Jul 5, 13 at 11:42
No signs of any disease in the photos.
The yellow leaves are caused by a) over-watering or b) salt build-up in your soil from excess use of high salt fertilizers, or c) nutrient deficiency (usually magnesium and/or nitrogen), or d) skewed soil pH that prevents nutrient uptake.
Dave
Carolyn, what is the name of the tomato pictured opposite the green page in the very front of your book? It is fuzzy (the tomato, not the pic). I note that you talk about angora foliage in the book, but I don't see the name of that one pictured. It must be there, but I am missing it and I'm getting cranky. (too hot, too humid = too cranky).
Thanks.
Donna
Here I am, within the reach of harvest(hopefully). And I admit that have perhaps over fertilized mine. I got dark green lower leaves. NO yellowing of any kind. So I GUESS I will stop fertilizing for good long time to come. Also, my peppers are have nice green shiny leaves.
Just got my soil tests back from samples taken after all the rain - no surprise low in N, high in P (though they had been showing signs of P deficiency it was b/c of poor root growth due to rain). But surprised low in K (didn't think that was as mobile as N). So now that all the plants are in the ground, would it do any good to side dress with some composted manure that tested Medium in N (it washed out too) and Very High in P,K, Ca, Mg? Would the K in the compost get down to the roots if sidedressed or does it need to be dug in at planting time (which I did throw a shovelfull in each hole then but maybe that's not enough, samples were taken from surface though)? Beds are still Very High in Ca and Mg due to amending with this compost, not sure why K is Low in beds but still Very High in the manure pile (have to check the one that was covered with landscape fabric, sample was from pile that had been covered with construction plastic that broke into pieces after a year in the sun).
May have to buy some greensand for next year. I plan on watering with fish emulsion next time I water (I did a foliar spray 1 day when soil was still wet from recent rains but it wasn't going to rain for another day or so). Plants are looking pretty good now, some flower buds, it hasn't rained (except for a sprinkle yesterday) since 1/2" on Monday and it's been 90 so I may even have to water tomorrow (esp. the peppers I just put out).
"Those 'Zapotek Pleated' tomatoes are some of the most beautiful tomatoes I've ever seen!"
I agree! I've heard they're not the best tasting - don't know if that's true - but it's almost worth planting them just for their looks!
Beautiful pics!
Are you sure you are growing Chocolate Cherry? I thought it was similar to Black Cherry, which I have grown, and it was more of a rounded shape.