16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

Thanks to all.

I don't need a 7 pounder Dickiefickle but it does sound intriguing! LOL I might try them next year. I googled and bookmarked!

Try Red Penna if you like that old time acidy taste, it's about 14-20oz.

This is one weel later

varocketry wroteI started late this year for my first attempt at tomato growing. My brother (former Bonnie Growing Station Mgr) suggested I try the inverted 5gal pail method.

Is does not appear inverted at all?

My wild guess is that you have a better mix in the containers than your garden soil. I went to raised beds this year and am getting way better plants with the better soil.
I don't have much luck with container.
Every year seems different and no body ever knows why.

Hey, whatever works! Agree the mix is probably good. I have to grow in containers due to my high water table. Larger pots are better, but I use only 5 gal buckets and my Brandywine Suddeth's was in a 10 gallon container this year. I'm buried in tomatoes and my brandywine has produced over 20 1 pound+ tomatoes, and like you, is working on a second flush with the cooler temps. I'm doing whatever I can to get the second crop to ripen.....have trimmed the plant back to focus the energy.

I didn't think I'd see this!

Progression

"Pinching out suckers" IS pruning. It is also a source of stress for the plant and costs you production as well as exposing the fruit to sun scald. Not to mention that San Marzano is a semi-determinate so should not be pinched or pruned at all.

As for liquid fertilizers, there are 100's of brands available. Seaweed is just one component in several them and a good additive but you want something that is well-balanced and also contains the many micro-nutrients. To do that you first need to understand exactly what and how much of each nutrient the brand you choose contains.

There are many discussions here about fertilizers, both organic and synthetic full of recommendations for or against the various brands. Just type 'fertilizer' in the forum search bar at the bottom of the page.

Synthetics range from Miracle Grow (of course) to plain old 10-10-10 dissolved in water. Again unlimited brands available. Your choice.

Dave

Thanks Dave and naturemitch. Didn't know that about San Marzano's. Obviously I missed that one. So sun scald must be the problem. I like your hybrid system. And it's definitely another thing to consider for next year. Dave I will look into fertilizers. I have used Miracle gro in the past, and it's true, there are pros and cons for all of them. In any event, I'm removing them at first blush and we'll see. I'm assuming gold medal will be my best one this year! Thanks. To be continued....

Green Tomato Salsa
Yield: 5 pints

5 cups chopped green tomatoes
1 1/2 cups seeded, chopped long green chiles
1/2 cup seeded finely chopped jalapeños
4 cups chopped onions
1 cup bottled lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp ground cumin*
3 Tbsp oregano leaves *
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and stir frequently over high heat until mixture begins to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot salsa into pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner 15 minutes

Three tomatoes, a cucumber, a green pepper, an onion.
Slice the vegetables, mix with 2 tablespoons oil and cheese cut into cubes.
bon appetit

Did some one frighten them ?

They don't look bad at all. Homegrowns aren't always as pretty as store bought, but most of us don't grow them to look picture perfect.

Let them finish ripening and enjoy.

Thanks CH, that makes a lot of sense. My husband starting coming up with crazy contraptions for steaming the entire garden (52'X26'). After sleeping on it a few nights, I think what we are going to do this year is move the entire garden. I know this seems extreme and will not work in the future if this happens again so your torch idea may come in handy so I will keep it in mind if this happens again.

Part of what I think my problem may be is when I placed the garden in this location 6 years ago, the trees on the edge of the woods were not as tall as they are now. I am getting far less light these last two years in the back 2/3's of my garden (where the tomatoes were rotated this year). Not only are they getting the bare minimum of sun needed, but I think they are not drying out in a soaking rain as they should. I had been toying with they idea of moving the garden last year as we were planing on building a more permanent and sturdier fence system (and one that looks better) as our current system has been added on to after each new creature has found their way in and decimated on or another vegetable.

Also, when we originally tilled for the garden I suggested we cut up the top layer of grass (or should I say field of weeds). My husband insisted that you simply just tilled it all under that was what the tiller was for, so we just tilled. So I have a HUGE weed problem in my garden. 6 years later, I still have huge clumps of grass growing their way back up that you have to dig up with a hand trowel. For the sake of our marriage it may be better if we start a nice fresh garden where every time I have to pull weeds for hours at a time I don't secretly blame him and his bad advice.

I guess you learn as you go though. Besides, I now know I am not too pleased with the shape and size of my garden either and can correct these. Maybe I will have a little extra room for that corn I always want to grow, but never have room for. Lucky for us we have plenty of room on the other side of the house in full sun. I have been planing on putting a small greenhouse over there. It makes sense to have the garden near the greenhouse anyway.

Thanks again.
Kalindi

I also have early blight and have had it for the last three years and can seem to kick it. After reading these posts, I know I have not been turning over the soil nor mulching. I will do that now. I planted 20 plants, all affected and have been cutting down plants one by one and collecting all affect foiliage, placing in a black plastic bag, leaving that in the sun for a few days before disposing. I am hoping for an improved crop next year.

My question is, can I replant the tomatoes in the same beds next year or should I move them to a new bed. I have 8 x 4 raised beds. Thanks

Meh is the sound you make when you were expecting to be impressed but you weren't. It's not a bad tomato, it's not a spitter, but it's not on the same level as the sungolds, and I thought it would at least be close.

CH

CH, I keep checking my SSW and a few are really good, the others so so, and there are still a lot to ripen, but it just looks weak!

There are quite a few long red paste tomatoes and ones that come to mind ASAP are Howard German, Opalka, Sarnowski Polish Plum, and all of them are more susceptible to BER as well as Early Blight ( A. solani) As are other paste tomatoes with different shapes/

Different varieties have slightly different physiologies in terms of water and nutrient transport and that plays into one of the many variables that can induce BER and clearly the paste tomatoes have a physiology that makes them more susceptible.

I'd say you were very lucky in seeing so few varieties that had fruits that had BER b'c if you look at the threads and questions here, from folks from all over the country it's a very common problem. It's one of the reasons that an article was written for the FAQ's, link at the top of the page, to explain some of the variables associated with BER.

A variety may have BER one season and not the next season as many have found.

Carolyn, who has you beat since she's been up close and personal with tomatoes from the time she was raised on a farm, and she started working in the fields when she was about 10 and is 73 now and to date, after moving back East in 1982 has grown about 3,000 varieties, obsessed person that she is. LOL

I was raised on a farm & started working in the fields & flower nursery at age 8, but no, I am not 73.
I am hopeful that I will be working with plants at 73.
My mentor had to stop working with plants when he was 90, because his feet hurt from standing. He past just before his 95 birthday.