16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
Uscjusto, what variety of tomato did you grow last year? Hybrid varieties won't come true from seed, so you might not get anything you recognize. I've had the same thing happen with seeds in the garden and ended up not getting much, but it was certainly fun to grow them out and see what I got. It's too close to your chosen plant, so put it in a pot and see what you get. :)
Best guess - mis-labeled plant. Don't know how they could claim heirloom and F1 combo- Better Boy unless it is a grafted stock plant. Maybe they used BB root stock with some heirloom cherry graft? Never heard of it being done but with all this "organic" and "grafted" hype floating around lately it could be anything. Call the vendor.
But yeah, those aren't BB tomatoes.
Dave
See link below to the FAQ here on how to prevent cross-pollination. If you don't know the names then they could easily be hybrid varieties. That means the seeds you save won't breed true anyway. Only the seeds from open-pollinated (aka heirloom) varieties will breed true.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Faq - Preventing cross pollination
Yes, Helen I do, but not Break O'Day.
Ones perhaps likeSilvery Fir Tree, Purple Calabash, Noire des Cosebeauf, yes, I do call the taste assertive and not acidic b'c the actual pH of MANY varieties has been tested and there's very little difference of pH inside the fruits.
A few low acid ones are known, Jet Star F1 is the best known one and some call some of the pastel ones low acid but they aren't, it's just that the higher sugar in them masks the normal internal pH.
The primary determinates of taste of any variety are determined by the specific genes that they have.
Carolyn
I thought this was an interesting thread about acid tomatoes:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/msg1220161811535.html
Relatively new raised beds often lack the active soil micro herd required to sufficiently convert solid form organic materials to the nutrients needed by the plants. It takes time for the herd to develop.
Weekly does of compost teas as a root drench, assuming good quality, highly diverse components, compost can definitely help but IMO aren't enough. Additional organic liquid supplements are usually a great benefit to the plants. Especially so when it comes to micro-nutrients.
There are many high quality liquid organic supplements available. The choice is yours. They can be mixed with compost teas or used alone on alternate schedules.
As for a "schedule" of fertilization using only organics, the Organic Gardening forum here would be your best source of that info. I fertilize with organics but I use fertigation so have no "schedule". Those who use synthetic fertilizers usually recommend a 4-6 week schedule but that doesn't work with organics.
Dave
Shouldn't be a huge problem. It might set you back a few weeks depending on how much of it broke. But, the plant should regrow. Once it gets warm and they go into growth mode, you may not even notice.
I just posted in another thread how my brother literally broke one of my beefmaster plants 1 or 2 inches above the soil as he was moving it out to harden off. It has already started growing a new stem. I won't use it because I already had extras...but the point is that it should regrow.
So, as long as your covering was successful in protecting from the frost, it should be okay.
Again, depending on the severity of the break, it could set you back a few weeks...but should recover.
Hi all,
Let me see if I can answer the additional questions....
The soil was not old (at least I don't think so) - bought it this year and it wasn't really early in the season.
Yes - the baskets are wire, then have a liner, then the soil.
We are talking about rain at least twice a week for a few weeks. When it has been raining, it's been raining almost all day. Not downpours all day, but good, drenching rain. It looks like it's been about 6 inches over the last four weeks.
I bought these plants as seedlings from a friend who grew them for me. Actually, I bought her the seeds and she grew the plants. She was going to keep any extras and sell them herself. Out of a packet of 10, only 4 came up. They never did well from the beginning and were stressed when I got them.
I got almost 50 other tomato plants from her, and all the others are doing very well. Maybe we just had a bad packet of seeds.
I was thinking about trying again from seed, but the reason I had her grow them for me is that I have horrible success with tomatoes from seed. I can do peppers just fine, but tomatoes get very leggy very quick, no matter what I do. I do have a grow light, I just can't seem to tomatoes. Could I direct seed them in my zone (8)? I also hate paying for the packet and shipping when there are so many varieties available locally. But, not any cascading (or small patio) ones. I guess that's what we all deal with, huh? Just part of doing what we do.
If I do get seeds, I probably will get something like Patio Princess - they are more seeds per pack for a lower price...
Thanks for all the thoughts so far!
Jennie:
Why don't you do this, start with giving them some liquid fertilizer (Miracle Grow would work). I would suggest you do this every week until you start to see them green up more.
6 inches in 4 weeks would really wash the nutrients out of the soil.
You could have got some bad seeds maybe, but they did grow to this point.
MTO: I know you weren't the original poster, I forgot to write in the OP name when I started the questions for her.
I do prune some of my determinates, just the bottom few suckers to get them up off the ground.
Good Luck!
Jay
Jay
Agree with edweather, that said:
" Some people "bag blossoms" to ensure no cross-pollination"
You can bag (cover with fine netted french tulle) a cluster before flowering untill fruits are set. Then tag that cluster and remove the bag. Let the fruits ripen to perfection an then collect the seeds from it .
Just like when I was looking for pickling salt - looked in the big chain stores, Walmart, a small mom & pop grocery 7 miles away. Finally found some on the bottom shelf of a family-owned grocery "chain" (2 locations LOL) that's been in business 90 years, 11 miles miles away in the other direction. Lots of pectin (and Gulf wax) but people in CT apparently don't can anything but jam (or grow anything but flowers) LOL.
I have noticed over the past 5 years or so, local retail businesses, even the large chains, have scaled way back in the brand variety they offer. This is a pervasive change extending from home and gardening items to groceries and it is not a happy one for the consumer. I am ordering more and more online. But so far I have not starting getting soil online. Most places now only stock one "name brand" and maybe a store brand. They used to carry mulitple formulaitons of Miracle Grow, Hyponex, Pro and generic versions. Now Miracle Gro with moisture control and sometimes a generic is all I have found.
Can't wait, should be able to plant out everything this week. Was hoping to jump in whole hog with OP varieties but didn't get it done this year. I had a lot of seed so I decided to just use up what I had.
Roma
Rutgers
Big Boy
Better Boy
Delicious
Early Girl
Black Krim
Porterhouse
Super Steak
Super Beefsteak
Yellow Brandywine
Unknown German Red
Unknown German Pink
Although it depends on the specific varieties you want to grow, whether early, midseason or late season varieties I would definitely NOT direct seed in the growing zone you indicate.
IN warmer growing zones, as some folks above have indicated, possibly yes, but not in a 6b area. From mid-May onwards to the middle of June, or so, the weather can change quickly, and does, so IMO not the way to go in your growintg zone in terms of growth, fruit set and fruit maturation. Besides, the soil temps in 6b at this time of the year are still on the cool side which will affect seed germination.
Hope that helps,
Carolyn
At a soli temperature of 50 degrees F, tomatoes take about 43 days to germinate. At a soil temperature of 77 degrees they germinate in about 6 days. So, soil temperature can account for much of the difference in time required for growing them directly seeded in the ground compared to starting inside. Use a kitchen thermometer to check your soil temperature. Soil temperature can be quite different from air temperature when the sun strikes the soil.
Cool temperatures can slow the growth of established plants too, of course. They don't make much progress until it gets warm.
But, based on experience with volunteers, tomatoes definitely can be direct seeded.
Jim
Here is a link that might be useful: Germination Temperatures