16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
A brief follow-up:
After reading the Burpee catalog description that said the shorter PRO cages were made of powder coated, galvanized steel, I wondered why the XL cages would not be the same. So I contacted Burpee's customer service and they replied that the taller ones are made of the same material, then powder coated.
-WC2K8
Here's a link to a past post on PVC cages (with photos and diagram) that I bookmarked last summer and am planning to build for this year. Note that the diagram only provides for cages that are 3-4' tall, but you could quite easily continue the same pattern to make them taller.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/con0722035623819.html
Here is a link that might be useful: PVC tomato cages
Have you checked over on the California Gardening forum? It is a very active forum and they would be the best source of info on such a specific area.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: CA Gardening
I seeded a few toms first week of January and a few more mid January. I will add that some of my tom seeds are quite old and don't pop right up the way newer ones might. I will be planting a lot more in the next week or so. My last frost date is March 15. I am in Riverside County in Menifee, just North of Murrieta. I think the best plant out time for me is first part of April. LInda
I'm also in Massachusetts - central. I would suggest Opalka for sauces. I might have a few seeds to share if Baker's Creek doesn't offer them.
Any of the Cherokees - Cherokee Purple, Green Cherokee, Golden Cherokee are good...
Omars Leb is a good gigantic tomato...
just a few off the top of my head.
Hi Tom8olvr, thank you for the suggestions! I would like to try the Opalka, and Baker's Creek doesn't have those seeds, if you could spare a few, that would be wonderful! I could send you a stamped envelope. I'm happy to share seeds I have, although I don't have any saved seeds, only purchased seeds :)
Hi Amanda,
If it ever happens again, stretching is tomatoes is pretty easy to fix. Tomatoes will sprout roots all along stem that touches soil. Therefore it you replant legging seedlings in a deeper container and bury them so that just the upper leaves are showing, all that step underground becomes part of the root system and you have stretch no more.
One of the ways to help fight stretching is to get them in natural light as soon as possible. I start mine inside under lights because I need inside temps to get them started, but as soon as they get their first real leaves, they are transplanted deep and moved outside into a coldframe. Sometimes I have to bring them in at night if temps get to cold but it is worth it for stocky, hardened off seedlings.
Stacy
The Fullerton Arboretum has a famous annual tomato and pepper seedling sale in March with over 250 varieties.
Carla in Sac
Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.fullertonarboretum.org/ps_MonsterTomato.php
Don, Can't help you on seedlings which as you found out is a crap shoot but the seed suppliers that Carolyn listed are some of the best. I have personally bought and grown seeds from Victory, Glecklers and Tatianas and have had nothing but excellent results as far as germination and variety trueness.If you want to take a walk on the wild side check out the selections of Wild Boar Farms which is located in Napa.
I have heard of and have gotten seeds that were not true to the stated variety from Tomatofest and Baker Creek.
As far as KBX sources are concerned I know Glecklers has the true variety because I was their source and my source was Martha Hufford which I first grew out in 2007.
If there is anything in particular your looking for maybe I can help. Ami, born and raised in Whittier.
Here is a link that might be useful: Wild Boar Farms
If you have a recycling center near you, one that includes plastics, they are often a wealth of inexpensive container possibilities.
You might also want to look in "Grow Pots", a brand of heavy fabric containers. They are just one type of inexpensive large containers for gardening.
Dave
As a tomato grower in Oklahoma, I want to punctuate Dave's suggestion for MUCH larger pots. Remembering that we had more than 60 consecutive days of 100 degree plus temps last year, you are fighting an uphill battle with such small containers. While that size is sufficient in other parts of the country, and CAN be used here, it is really tough to keep them not only adequately, but also evenly watered.
I'd also encourage you to think about DTM (Days to Maturity) in your choice of variety. My average last frost date is April 15, emphasis on average. For the last several years, we've gone well below freezing around the 5th of May. Then, we've gone from 80's in the third week of June to 100s in the fourth week. We just skipped right over the nineties. Since production of many tomatoes drops significantly once temps are in the nineties, DTM is an important consideration. From the 5th of May to the fourth week of June is less than 50 days, which excludes many of my favorite tomatoes. One way to beat that is to plant out earlier, then be prepared to protect your plants from freezing if needed. Secondly, consider varieties with shorter DTMs. That's the one that's hard for me, because so many of my favorites are in the 85-90 day range.
Now that I've given you things to ponder, I'll share the varieties that did well for me in last year's heat. Notice, that despite what I just said above, several of them have long DTMS.
Bar none, my top producer last year was Dana's Dusky Rose. The other producers in the heat were Indian Stripe, Sioux, Big Beef, Black Cherry, Sun Gold, Tumbling Tom (Red and Yellow), Mountain Magic and Ananas Noire.
Lastly, I want to invite you to stop by the Oklahoma Gardening forum here at GW. We talk a lot about tomatoes, and the challenges specific to our climate. Hope you'll drop in.
Seedmama
Jebeld17, we really need more information. For instance, how is the plant "obviously ... related to the tomato"? Leaf shape? Fruit? Something else?
It would help if we could see a photo. Here's how to post one on GW:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/hosta/msg0513322013993.html?14
Then if you don't get an answer here, try GW's Name That Plant forum.
Some nightshades have white or whitish flowers; they tend to have dark, not-furry leaves.
I've never grown eggplants or peppers, but I believe at least some have white flowers.
Tomatillos and ground cherries have cream-colored flowers, mostly with wine-brown in the interior.
You didn't say anything about spines, so I won't mention the nasty ones.... Horse nettle's the only one I remember having small white flowers.
You could search Google Images for the above; you might want to add "flowers" to the search terms.
You might try Googling the genus Solanum. There are many species in that genus, only one species are tomatoes, which wouldn't have white blossoms, potatoes and eggplant are also in the genus Solanum but there are many many other species that are in that genus as well.
Trying to track down exactly what you have will not be easy, it could help if you saw some fruits and what color they turned out to be.
Carolyn
Thanks again...
basically my "garden" is a small brick courtyard, brick facing on both sides, hours of direct sun exposure. I call it the "brick oven" in the summer. The tomatillos love the blistering heat. The 'maters, not so much...
I figure this year I'm just going to go with mostly tomatillos and experiment with some heatset varieties for mid June to late August.
IF, we see a repeat of La Nina I need to cover my bases and have at least one tomato able to product some fruit in the heat. Last year was my worse year ever! Please tell me if you had any lucky with Solar Fire/Flare/Set?
PS, I'll take blah tomatoes over no tomatoes like last year. My standby Jet Star have lack luster last year with the La Nina heat. Supersonic was just a bit better. And all the others, Money Maker, Bloody Butcher, were swiped out from the heat. Only Sun Gold and Supersonic bounce back from the heat at least.
'Organic' and 'untreated' are 2 different things. Many places sell untreated seeds. In fact the vast majority of seeds sold are untreated and even when treated are offered (they do have advantages and many of us wish more were available) they are labeled as such and untreated seed of the same variety is usually also offered.
So if you are looking untreated seeds then you can order from most any vendor and just check the listing for the "Treated Seed" tag before ordering it. If in doubt the vendor will always tell you if it is or not.
If you want organic seed then there are not as many vendors since the demand for it is low. Even certified organic growers are not required to use organic seed. Baker Creek is one source, Johnny's Seeds is another. Seeds of Change is one of the biggest.
The link below lists several organic seed vendors.
Hope this helps.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: organic seed vendors
RLydia, I think those are mealy bugs. I have no personal experience with them on tomatoes (that I remember, anyway), but found this info:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tompests/msg0622481625115.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5506159_kill-mealy-mites-tomatoes.html
Hopefully someone else will respond. In the meantime, consider using some horticultural soap.
I have realized that underwatering and leaving the fruit on the vine as long as possible is the way to go for the best tasting tomatoes. I grow in containers in the dry season here so I have to water more than those of you who plant in the ground. I have to watch out for BER since we get no rain at all this time of year.
Momo, Avail is Heritage Tomato Seed (San Diego)
McClintock�s Big Pink � $1.75
approx. 15 seeds � indeterminate � potato leaf � mid season � McClintock�s Big Pink is a very good pink beefsteak made popular by Amy Goldman�s book. We have a small amount of seed so are offering smaller quantity packets at a reduced price.
(Mine just arrived last week)- Randy
Here is a link that might be useful: Heritage Tomato Seed
We have squirrels, raccoons, and possums that come through our yard every day. My guess is that depositing some known and trusted cat and or dog poo on in your compost pile or garden bed pretty much assures that those wild beasties won't leave any of theirs there. I would have no problem digging that cat or dog stuff well in under top-side edibles. As for root vegetables, I probably would.
For wilder dogs and cats, I'd have to say that the risk is not from the food growing out of those beds, but from the ungloved hands that handle the soil in those beds. But then again, there are those squirrels, 'coons and possums. Wash your hands.
Perfect to the point. Those varmits eat moreless more natural than most of us do. The circular model of life.
Take care,
Travis