16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
Thanks for all the insight MTO. I'm excited now about the healthy marglobe, it was not in the most ideal part of the bed as far as sunlight goes, it would have actually been in the second least desirable spot (house side and second from the north end of the bed), so that it is doing better and producing bigger healthier looking fruit than the rest is a good sign I think.
So for the Roma, any fruit I get off that plant with the big fruits will give me a good chance at having similar offspring, the actual fruit it comes from doesn't matter. I am still harvesting a seed collection from my other "normal looking romas as well, just in case next year I get some weird frankenfruit off the larger roma type plants, I can then go back to square 1 the following year with reular romas.
Ok here are some pictures I took this morning. I had some breakers and it was raining so I ran out and grabbed them. First, one of the larger romas in between two of the normal sized ones.
And the next picture is two of the Marglobes on the top, which are from the big plant, notice they have more heavy fluting as well, please disregard the bug hole on the big guy, I almost cried when I saw it but i'm still going to use it and save the seeds anyway.
I tried it 2 years in a row 4 or 5 years back and was very disappointed in size and production. It does have a bite to it flavor-wise, at least mine did, but that varies depending on your soil.
But the low production and the small size isn't worth the garden space IMO.
Dave
I am just seeding it (among scores of others). The tomatofest description indicates "The tall, indeterminate, plant produces lots of 2-inch (6-10 oz.), deep-red, round fruits with a subtle point on it's end."
So low production and small isn't what I had in kind...
I would get the soil tested for calcium content as well as pH by your local extension office. At mine it costs $9 for the test.
Cherry tomatoes are less susceptible to BER than other types of tomatoes, so the fact that the cherries were unaffected doesn't mean the problem wasn't inconsistent moisture level in the soil.
I was also curious about burning the ground with a torch to kill fungal spores. They make relatively cheap propane torches that you could just pass back and forth over the top layer of dirt to kill any spores that would have fallen from the infected plants. I would have to re-think wooden raised beds and probably move to block beds, but do you think it would be effective? (Carolyn) Propane is pretty cheap so it would not be an expensive solution, plus, who doesn't like to use a flame thrower.
It looks like this year I can expect around 1900 heat units. Growing degree days, 5C minimum, are around 1200. It would be nice to have some information to interpret the growing degree days. As to your estimates, my small early determinates have been providing eating tomatoes for a while, the sweet 100's are just starting to be productive, and I have loads of green tomatoes that will be picked that way. I think this matches your estimates. My tomatoes are usually smaller than reported by others or on seed packets.
I've included a couple of charts to illustrate the growing conditions this year. They don't say anything about a month of rain in July. Where are you located?
I put tomatoes stem-side down because the bottoms (blossom-ends) ripen first. That means the bottoms are softer and would bruise more easily (particularly larger and heavier tomatoes).
I haven't done a scientific study, but that's my thinking.
scotty - yes, some HOA's are more lenient than others. Mine is actually pretty lenient compared to some others in that they allow citrus trees to be planted. Personally, I hate that they allow the citrus trees to be planted since it is always the snowbirds who plant them. Then they are gone 6 months+ out of the year and no one is around to pick up the rotting fruit that is all over the ground.
The problem with tomato plants is that they look good initially, but as all of you are aware, many develop foliar diseases and then the plants look shabby.
The timing is a problem. Have anyone who can do it for you?
Green tomato seeds, assuming they aren't green-when-ripe varieties, won't be mature. So skip the green tomatoes. It has to at least start to break color for the seeds to be worth saving.
The others, if you simply can't find the time to squeeze them, gel and all onto a paper towel, now and let them dry (clean and ferment them when you get back) will have to go in the fridge I guess. The risk there is that the seeds will sprout inside the tomato and be of no use to you.
Dave
Rane,
It seems odd, but here the only thing which survived well are the scarlet runner beans which I have growing on the two halves of an old wood extension ladder that are leaning against the garage. I thought they would blow down but they stayed up and the vines looked great the next day, I don't think they lost a single leaf.
Sorry to hear about your garden. Winter Sowing will restore a lot this coming year, I'm looking forward to it.
T--still cutting off tree branches from the willows which are now finally detached from the uprooted stumps.
I pulled any tomatoes with color, left the rest outside. But I have only 2 plants left-4 have died, all leaves and stems shrivvelled. So I tied the remaining two with extra supports and hoped for the best. Next morning (Sunday) after Irene had gone, I found one tomato on the ground and it was okay,not rotted. Rest still green and still on the stems. I have since harvested about a dozen. All the water from Irene has actually been good for my lawn, it's very green and lush for the first time in 20 years. But the main thing, tomatoes are okay!
I was always envious of Florida weather, till I read how much you guys have to spray for diseases due to humidity.
Sorry, I don't know enough about commercial strength remedies to help out.
I get by with compost tea and neem oil, and aside from that late blight year, by the time my tomatoes start showing widespread symptoms of common diseases, there are only a few weeks left before killer frost shows up anyway.
Hopefully someone more knowledgeable replies soon >.>