16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
It doesn't look that bad to me either, nor does it look like pests or disease. I always grow at least twice as many seedlings as I intend to plant because some will be less vigorous or show signs of genetic problems. From what you say, it sounds as if your other plants are not showing any problems. This one might straighten up and be fine, or it might continue to twist and lag behind the others. If it does, I would not choose it for my garden.
I think i know what your talking about. a few of mine got really twisted and the leaf branches curled up. I think its a form of stress, either too much water, too much light(i had mine under t5 18 hours) not enough air flow. or leaving them crowded in small pots for too long. hope that helps, mine didnt recover and stunted their growth so i yanked them and started over
macmater, I'm not an expert but I can't resist chiming in here.
The KBX entry at Tatiana's TOMATObase discusses this issue. Apparently something less than 2-3% of KBXs revert to RL (proving that the issue of leaf type is much more complex than we usually think).
At this stage, you don't know if you have a stray seed (mixed in at the grower or packager's -- could be any RL), a KBX cross (with who-knows-what!) which occurred at the grower's, or an actual RL KBX.
You'd need to grow out your plant and compare everything to a normal KBX to see if you have an actual RL KBX or something else.
In any case, the chance that your RL plant is a Kellogg's Breakfast is almost nil (only if a stray Kellogg's Breakfast seed somehow made its way into your packet). Leaf type is not the only difference between the two varieties.
Yeah it depends on the location of the market and how adventuresome the buyers may or may not be. Some will only buy round, red, and medium sized. Some will buy a few yellows and only a few will go for any of the other colors or shapes or sizes.
You can get a wide range of what works where over on the Market Gardeners forum here.
Dave
Incorporating it with ground soil is a great way to improve the ground soil and poses no problems in my opinion.
Reusing it gets mixed opinions. Some swear never! So do it all the time. So all I can tell you is that I do. I dump all the containers out onto a big tarp, spread it out in the sun with a rake to dry well, then I mix in about 1/3 new mix and some fresh pelleted fertilizers with it. After cleaning all the containers well I refill the containers and go from there. After the 3rd year the old goes into the garden and I start with new in the containers. Never had any problems with this method.
Dave
Here is a link to several previous discussions on the question if you want to get more opinions.
Here is a link that might be useful: Reuse potting soil discussions
Nothing wrong with mixing alfalfa and compost together, I think its a good mix. I use a little alfalfa meal in my aerated compost tea on my maters once every week or two. The tea I use is alfalfa+compost+molasses brewed for two or three days.
Damon
IT DEPENDS ON YOUR SOIL. If you test your soil..send a sample into a lab for $7 at your local ag extension, then it will tell you what you need. Then you can make your own fertilizing regimen.
Alfalfa meal seems iffy to me cuz maybe it may attract rabbits...even rabbit manure???
Corn meal MAY attract a crap load of ants or other insects. You can back off the corn meal for a season to get rid of them...or make a corn meal mix with coffee grounds...with a little lime if it is to acidic for you.
Just buy welded wire galvanized fencing, make your cages, and then scatter cut some of the wire to a 4x4 opening. Easy and no rust, which isn't an issue anyway IMO. I have several I made years ago from some left over fencing. Posted pics of them here many times.
It comes in all sorts of heights and wire weights.
Dave
I do something similar to Dave, although I don't make them into cages. I just have the 1" X 4" mesh galvanized in a straight fence. I plant the tomatoes right next to the fence. As they grow, I weave the plants through the mesh. Although the 1X4 mesh is smaller than I would like, it works and is inexpensive.
John A
What is the color most would describe for the outside of the tomato?
Variable measures of green, pink and yellow. Inside: pink, red, yellow, green... a fantastic bi-colored tom. Typically on the sweet side from my experience. Some folks whose experience with the tom berry defines it as a red round thing may initially question whether it is really a tomato berry at all. Berkeley-Tie-Dye's berries also demonstrate an elaborate and wild interior flesh color scheme... as do many others. I would not be without growing a few of these types... not only for the gratification of looks of incredulity that they may provoke but also for the outrageously good taste.
Reggie
Bump as I have a seed packet of 25, likely only to germinate 3-4 with the intention of transplanting 2 to the garden and wondering if anyone has further info, specifically with respect to height and size. Figure they are rather large so placing them on the north side, but kinda stuck as to whether they are larger than Ruby's German Green (which would go in front vs back on the row). Went with Dester this year over Lifter for the larger types, but I know Ruby's can get really large come late summer and was wondering which in terms of size is bigger. Thanks
Are you sure that mid-May is a reasonable last frost date to use?
I live in zone 5, and and I use April 15 as my last freeze date. (I think it's actually supposed to be April 21, but the part of my yard where I plant first is somewhat sheltered by the house and woods, plus the frost rolls downhill, away from me.)
I entered my zip in an online lookup, and got:
"Each winter, on average, your risk of frost is from October 12 through April 21."
So for the output above, the average last frost date is April 21. I've actually been using April 15 for years.
So I put my tomatoes out around that week, or often earlier under a water clotch called a wall o' water. For early tomatoes I'd rather get them outside sooner than keep them inside longer.
One year we had a really mild winter and I had my first ripe early girl tomato by the end of May!
Yes I have grew tomatoes in my yard for 40 yrs. Twice in the last 5 yrs it has frosted on the 20th of May. One of those times my car was parked twenty ft from the garden. I went out in the dark and drug my fingers arcross a wet winshield at 5:00. When I went out 90 minutes later there was ice that my winshield wipers wouldnt dislodge. I cussed all the way to work. But my tomatoes were not bothered...go figure. I have grown maybe? lol at my grammar
angmnelson, I'm wondering why you had to pick San Marzano and Costoluto Genovese green and bring them inside.
How long is the growing season? (If you're not sure, ask your county's Cooperative Extension office: WA Extension offices.) Did you set the plants out too late for fruit to mature on the vine? Did it take too long for the plant to set fruit? Was the weather unusually uncooperative?
Check into the new releases (within the past 2 years) from the Dwarf Tomato Project (see link below). So far, there are a total of 13 new releases from this project, and all are dwarf indeterminates. I'll be growing them for the first time this year, so I can't give first-hand experience with ptoduction, etc. However, from what I've read, taste is outstanding. Descriptions, availability, etc. can be found at Tatiana's tomato database. If you go to: http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/w/index.php?search=Dwarf+Tomato+Project&ns0=1&title=Special%3ASearch&fulltext=Search&fulltext=Search
the last 13 entries on page 1 of that search are the 13 new releases.
Here is a link that might be useful: Dwarf Tomato Project
For anyone who's looking for dwarf plants, at Tatiana's
main page, halfway down the page, under "Tomato Database -- Most Popular Links," you can select the third choice "view tomatoes by categories," then under "Tomatoes by Growth Habit," choose "Dwarf Tomatoes," which will take you to this list of 93 dwarf varieties.