16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

Getting freezing temps now. Everything that was sprouting and budding, except the clover and wild onions is brown now.

I hope the fruit trees recover!

I was afraid that if I mentioned your fruit trees and freezing, I would jinx them! I hope they recover too. Suppose it depends on how far along they were whether you'll see any blossoms later, but I think it would probably take more than this to kill them unless they aren't yet established.

I don't consider Italian Heirloom a paste because it's wetter than the true pastes. I really like it as an all purpose tomato. It does make a good sauce but it also is good fresh eating/slicing and is also a good canner. But I would say that it's not the best sauce, slicer, and canner, but it does good at all of those things. Kind of an all around tomato. San Marzano for me was a heavy producer of oblonged shaped tomatoes that were dryer, skinned and processed well and were somewhat bland. I used them as components of sauce, where I mixed in several varieties.

I like San Marzano Redorta. I get them from Seeds from Italy.

I made 24 half gallon containers of Sauce this year! Yeah I'm nuts.

Crazyoldgoose in Md

Here is a link that might be useful: Seeds from Italy - san Marzano Redorta

That would be what we'd call an 8" pot (8" diameter) which is way too small for a tomato plant, even a "young" one. Minimum recommended is a 20" (55cm) diameter pot and that is only for small varieties. Bigger is better and your plants are big ones.

From your description of the symptoms it is possible they were rootbound in the pot. But that is just a guess without a great deal more information or better yet a photo.

Dave

I'll try and take a photo later on.. It's almost 2:00 am here!

Kevinitis,

The rules to the swap are in the Round Robin forums. Also, you can email me.

Gary

Here is a helpful link to join the totally tomatoes swap.

Here is a link that might be useful: Incredible Edibles Totally Tomatoes Swap seed exchange

This post was edited by Kevinitis on Fri, Jan 18, 13 at 14:24

Ohiofem is right on the money. Purposely incorporating pet feces into a vegetable garden space is nuts.. Please stop debating this and just do not do it.. Ever

delphi216, some additional news for you:

durable_now (the OP) went off to re-post at the Soil, Compost and Mulch forum, where he added the info that the cat died eight years ago.

lazygardens said:

according to a Canadian public health site oocysts shed by cats become infective (sporulate) on average 1-5 days later, but varies with temperature; remain infectious for up to 1 year in water or moist soil.

Note that the cats must be infected, and do not remain infected for long. Cats excrete the pathogen in their feces for a number of weeks after contracting the disease, generally by eating an infected rodent.

And then toxcrusader pointed out:

I empty my cat's litter box regularly, and I would think my (and that of anyone else who has cats) potential exposure over time would be much higher from that activity than from handling an 8-year-old pile of weathered litter. And yet, emptying the litter box is not considered risky unless you're pregnant or immunocompromised.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/soil/msg0106591214486.html?17

Thank you Dave, I'll go get some from a store after I get out of class. I wrote everything you said down so that I wouldn't forget. I do hope that you and your plants are doing well.

TieMint

I'd agree with the comment to use compost ahead of time, but not other products.

One neighbor had great plant growth last year, but very poor fruit. He said he used Miracle Gro (red grains, water-soluble?) as directed. I suggested he used the slow release stuff.

I believe there are a large number of Miracle-Gro products.

If you have access to a recycling center browse around. You'd be amazed at what you can find there to convert to large containers for just a couple of bucks. You just have to use your imagination.

40-55 gallon drums cut in half work well but be sure to ask what was in them and clean them out well.

Dave

Microphobik, here's an examination of all sorts of tomato support methods:
http://www.mastergardeners.org/picks/tomato_staking.html

Many people here are fond of the Post and Twine method for in-ground tomatoes -- better known on GW as "Florida weave."

For supporting container plants, try a search in this forum for container support

My favorite tactic to try and have a good tomato crop in the same area of the back yard -- planting five to ten different types of tomatoes. Usually about three cherry types, and four types of full size fruit. Some hybrid, some not. Always find one variety that does better than the rest.

Other things are turning the topsoil over twice in the freezing weather, and moving holes a foot from the holes last year.

I always mulch the plants with compost, but recently have become more picky about where my outside grass and leaves come from.

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for all the great tips! I feel much more comfortable knowing that I can keep using the same boxes as long as I ammend the soil each year.

Below is a link to my veggie garden during the 2011 season.

Thanks again for all the tips and advice!

Here is a link that might be useful: Brian's Garden

Fusion I am going to clip that also. Do those Russian tomatoes that can stand the cold taste good? They would be fun under walls of water.

You don't need seed starter mix for those tomatoes you need potting mix. I have better luck starting seeds in potting mix. I bought some organic jiffy mix once that held too much water. Unless you are an expert like fusion, I think it is better to go with a good commercial mix and don't try mixing things yourself. I plant too early every year too but not that early.

I have been sick for a few days, so I haven't done anything with the seedlings yet, except let them dry out. That seems to be helping. They have some new growth which is dark green and they look a little better. I also added a fan. I am going to print a lot of this information and use it. I will switch to a soilless potting mix to begin with, and get some new fertilizer.

Everyone has offered such great advice! I appreciate you all taking the time to help me out. I will keep you posted on my progress when I start my plants for production.

Lynn

And when you have both RL and PL plants of the same variety you can't conclude that they are identical except for leaf form since there's more than one way that such changes can occur that can involve MORE than one gene, in this instance a gene for leaf form.

Carolyn

Its January and I have a little over 200 Amazon Chocolate seedlings from Trade Winds. I seem to remember from last year that I got (had 24 Amazon Chocolate last year) 3 different kinds of tomatoes from these plants. I think the potato leaf ones produced the smaller 6-8oz size, the regular leaf I think had the bigger 1lb size. I did notice that I had the kinda lumpy tomatoes and some real nice beef stake looking tomatoes. These tomatoes look like and are compared to the black krim, Cherokee purple, and black brandy wine. I know they're supposedly from the Ukraine, but I wonder if someone came up with a hybrid. If they did its an awesome tomato. The disease resistance was the best of 14 other tomato plants and the most prolific.

If my plans work to sell to upscale restaurants then I will put in a summer crop. My garden is designer for 180 plants. I was wondering if I choose the tomatoes that are the large beef stake looking ones and use those seeds, weather on not its potato leaf, wouldn't I be more likely to get more of those type of tomatoes from my summer crop? I realize there will be some cross pollination, so I will hopefully pick plants that are surrounded by the same type of tomato?

That is a picture of classic "SUNSCALD". It is caused by too much hot sun on one area of the fruit. Basically, it cooks that area. Let it go and when the fruit matures and is ready for harvest, simply cut that littl section out and eat the rest.

Ted

Thanks Ted, that makes me feel a lot better.