16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

I thought it was interesting that they noted more success breeding for commercial qualities, then taste...

I think the reality was that commercial qualities just got priority. When most people are in a store, they are looking for ripe, blemish free fruit, as that is all they can see. You can't taste it until you get home. Because of that, I don't think taste has been a priority as is obvious from the tasteless tomatoes you get at the store. I don't think the genome will really change that for store bought produce, unfortunately. Often variety names are not listed for standard tomatoes. That would be one way to list potential improved taste.

There is a scientist in Florida analyzing the chemical components of great tasting tomatoes. I heard the Science Friday broadcast on NPR, which was very interesting. I think knowing the genome might help the scientists understand their breeding a little better, but it will be a while before there are great tasting tomatoes in the grocery store. Picking anything unripe is just difficult to capture a good flavor. (Except pears, but they are different.)

Some heirlooms could stand to be more disease resistant, higher producers, better keepers, etc. Not everyone can grow their own tomatoes. And not all hybrids are bad, Sungold is my favorite cherry tomato with a wonderful flavor. And so productive!

Here is a link that might be useful: Science Friday, NPR: Secret to great tomato flavor.

I agree Hankjr. I wish I had access to horse manure because I've seen other reports such as yours. I'd like to give it a try and it's just the right price.

i dont grow tomatos in pots but i do grew basil in them and i bought a $10 bag of MG mix and it was terrible mostly chunks of wood and some fluffy brown stuff not sure what it was/ went thru 2 packs of seed trying to get it to grow with no luck / finally dumped it along the back fence row and got a diff brand and got basil growing like mad / so yeah you can get bad potting mix

Thanks for the response Dave. The worms I have are causing significant damage to the leaves. They burrow into the leaf cavity and cause a leaf section to curl - almost making a protective area. At first, the area becomes translucent and eventually the section of the leaf becomes brown. They also leave a black substance in the pouch that they feed in. Does this sound like a fruitworm?

I sprayed BT 48 hours ago but found about 6 worms today burrowed into separate leaves. I will get some photos tomorrow.

Here is a picture of some leaves I cut this morning. You can't see it, but there is a small grey worm in one of the leaves.

I've had BER a few time and have been told everything from not enough calcium (bought calcium carbonate from the oyster store nearby) to uneven watering (have since controlled the watering with a soaker hose) I also use my own compost and organic manures from local farms.
Usually my BER only lasts a couple of weeks. I just dump a bunch more compost on everything and hope for the best! LOL
I have since read that you want to incorporate your calcium carbonate (oyster shells)in the fall in order for it to be absorbed by planting time in the spring.
I tend to just sprinkle it around though the year and hope I'm doing the right thing! Nancy

Sorry Nancy, adding calcium usually doesn't resolve BER. Better control of moisture conditions usually resolves it. See the FAQ.

Yes Linda, she has talked to the makers of the product and they specified that NOTHING should be mixed with Daconil or the coverage of the product on the leaves will not be 100%.

Thanks Mudman, now I remember the thread!

I live in region 9. I live in Houston, TX. When the first set of flowers started to grow on the plant a couple of months ago the temperature was in the 80s. It's usually always humid here. The flowers die or fall off but more always grow back but then do the same. The last week of June was very hot (in the 100s) to the point were all my plants were wilting. This past week it has rained every single day to were it I know it has been way too much rain for my Roma tomatoes because they are starting to crack. The weather will probably go back to the 100's soon after this rain stops.

I had zippo luck with Amish Paste last year. I got 10 tomatoes at the most.

pix

It looks as though my toms are coming back to life,lost a few leafs and stems, but I feel they are on the road to recovery.They have the worst case of blossom drop you have ever seen though.I have shoulder high, 2 month old plant with one green tomato and three without any. My celebrity plants are the only ones that are putting on tomatoes.Don't know if the rotten blossoms will stop and they will come back and grow new ones that produce or not.

Dang it. I went out last night looking for them but didn't see any around the plants. I don't have any fruit turning red though so could that be it?

Stinkbugs like green tomatoes too and they hide.

I agree with junktrunck. That looks like tree rats, or "squirrels" as novice gardeners commonly call them.

Tree rats or woodchucks, and my guess is woodchucks. I suppose it could also be deer. The bites look too big for a squirrel or rabbit, were the tomatoes the only thing eaten?

Here's a shot of the chaotic garden. Beans, squash and cukes are at the far end of the trelli. The low fence and the electric strand I have going around it has been successful so far. Right after I put the fence up a curious deer came and leaned against it and put a perfect imprint of his face and knees into the wire.

I have raised rows that are 10 feet long and about 2.5 feet wide with paths covered in straw. I did some early fertilizing but haven't done anything in a couple months. I'll probably side-fertilize again in a couple weeks when it's not so hot.

Thats a plate full of beauty! I am an hour east of you and planted out maybe a week later, but so far I have picked one Early Girl which is finishing ripening on my counter right now. I have been eating plenty of other things from the garden, but still waiting on that first bite of fresh tomato.

Please do post an end season re-cap. I am interested to hear what types do well for you. I have Prudens Purple, Purple Russian, Stump of the World, Sabre, Rinaldo, Genovese Roma, and the Early Girls. Its my second year with tomatoes from seed too, third year with a garden. That learning curve is pretty steep - but fun to climb.

Not a disease. Short of water. Perhaps a sudden brief hot spell?

Thanks for the reply. We did in fact have a hot spell here in Sacramento, CA. a couple of weeks of 100+ degree weather.

I use about 1.5 GPH worth of emitters per plant, and currently water every other day for 25 minutes. prior to the hot spell I was watering every 3 days for 30 minutes.

I have clay soil that I have amended with mushroom compost, and I have placed mulch around the plants.

should increase the watering? I have lost a lot of lower leaves from most of the tomatoes.

My parents' neighborhood has a rabbit problem. The next-door neighbor puts a 12" ring of hardware cloth around her tomatoes. I don't know how she fastens it or how easy it is to open.

A great low tech way to discourage rabbits is to tie a Jewel or Dominick's plastic bag to a stake, fence, or tomato cage near your plants. The slightest breeze makes it rustle and scares them away. It works for me every year! (Saw it in Italy and copied them:)