16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

I have grew one years ago, just for the heck of it. I made my own pot by drilling a hole at the bottom of a 5g bucket. I planted a cheery type in it. There are many technical problems: I did get no more than a handful of tomatoes off of it.
The fact is NO PLANT will grow upside down in the nature. Cascading is not the same as upside down. Actually planting some cherry tomatoes in a good size hanging basket can be more decorative than upside down. Pick a small indeterminant cherry.

i've done it a couple of times, some success but yes there are problems as alluded to above. Wouldn't do i again unless there was a space issue.

One problem is when watering the water runs out the bottom and all over the plant making it all yuk.....so if you are going to do it, i would suggest growing it out the side of the container rather than the bottom.

This is really an interesting subject fort me since I have these cutting too. I didn't see ddsack's post when I wrote mine, so I just wanted to say that's the sort of thing I was talking about with chartreuse color, thin leaves, and leggy plants. I admire his plants for fun inside and think it really depends on what you want to do, but I wouldn't use (3? of 4?) of his plants in my garden any more than the 15 leggy ones here, and probably all would go take well up there like he says. Plus, I don't have a nice sliding sunlight bay window or door higher than ground level, facing sun any part of the year where I could even dream of putting big pots in cold weather, let alone 18 plants which is what I need for planting.

If you are dealing with a short season, a thick stemmed plant will always out produce a leggy plant IMO. The key is just to time it right, which is sort of seysonn's point. By putting a bulb with a reflector above a plant, it stays stout and develops heavy, robust "fronds". But again it depends on priorities. I would pinch off inside flowers, too, if the goal was an early plant for the garden, so they plant used all of it's energy to get stout huge solar collectors and my hope would be this would return big time tomatoes. It is not a fair comparison to start seeds or even cuttings late and compare that with a leggy transplant much its senior.

Though conditions vary. If I try to harden off a chartreuse leggy transplant, it will not take off here, but rather be attacked by leaf miners and other bad stuff on its tender thin leaves and never amount to much after that. I would have to pinch off the main growing stem which ddsack could also do; Then the plant would have no choice but to stop getting long looking for limited light and to grow thicker and lusher and maybe be a good transplant so everyone who experiments a little can work out what best suits their climate, soil, and pests for their goals. The hard part is identifying goals, because once I see a flower bud it is very hard to remove it, so goals change along the way ;-)

There are indoor varieties bred for that, so if I planned now, I would want it all and plant appropriate indoor varieties for that and start my seeds earlier using light (since I don't have a good window;-)

Is your variety something special that you don't have seeds for or maybe not know what variety it is? That was my reason for taking most of these cuttings - I got a private heirloom plant in spring and wanted to get it in time for the fall season. I planted seeds when they became available. Initially the cuttings massacred the seeds for speed, but the limitations on light and size inside ... and fall came and I used only the ones I raised from seed. The best clone barely was as good as the average seed due to my specific growing conditions (lack of light), and there is always the possibility that the cuttings will more quickly fall to disease than plants grown from seeds, on the back end of the season, so bigger isn't always better and I think ddsack addressed that in his post too and agree with him.

PC

On the surface of it, six months of biding time before spring is a really long time, but you'll never know unless you try. Maybe if they get too leggy you could take cuttings from the cuttings! Sounds like a 'speriment to me. Dopers do this all the time...

I must admit that I do blow leaves onto the garden after I clean it out. With that leaf covering it still breezes pretty deep.\
John A

Carolyn, it is interesting thought about soil being frozen to kill pathogens... but OTOH, the ever nasty C diff lives in the gut peacefully until opportunity arises...
so if there is some small nasties that do overwinter in the soil but good guys prevail I will still come ahead?

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Being a retired infectious disease/immune response person, I don't think I'd go as far as saying that Clostridium difficile lives peacefully in the gut since not everyone has that bacterium as local flora. But as you know, certain antibiotics can cause it to multiply if it is there, and that's not a good situation.See the link at the bottom.

What I'm thinking of as to critters and letting the soil freeze deeply are cutworms, which mainly pupate in the soil, and any imported Fusarium, etc.diseases that are killed where the soil freezes deeply.

Has Fusarium and other fungal systemic diseases appeared here in my zone 5 area? Yes, but mainly from plants bought in southern areas. But once here, also are the moths that lay the eggs.

Yes, you'll come out ahead if you know which critters are in your soil that are potential problems and know which ones are killed by freezing and which are not. ( smile)

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: C.diff

I found 3 of these plant in my garden today I was wondering if theses are wild ground cherries

This is an old thread (2006).
I also posted a comment in 2011, mentioning that my SINGLE tomatillo plant did fine previous year but my 3 plant are not fruiting, as of the end of June.

Once again, there are posts written by the gardeners who mention their sole tomatillo plant is doing fine. This puts the "self incompatibility theory" in doubt.
I have experimented single plant , 3 times in the past plus this season. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE PLANT unless you want more fruits.
Read my thread titled "Tomatillo, Facts and Myth" if you like.

Hi dbarron ... what an interesting time to be there and growing!

Here's a 1976 excerpted part of an article written about the Arkansas Traveler tomato cultivar in your University's town's newspaper. It illustrated just how remarkable the variety was at the time you had front center seats. Despite a degree from Cornell, Dr. McFerran was still had some hillbilly in his Arkansan heart. He also was involved in the breeding of Ozark Pink, continuing with the Arkansas Traveler theme, which he apparently liked … Did he play the fiddle or banjo?

Music Video of the Arkansas Traveler which the tomato honored

I'd take that bet he did :-)

Northwest Arkansas Times of Fayetteville, AR
Thursday, June 24, 1976
Page 4

"...the Arkansas Traveler tomato developed by the Horticulture Department is now grown on 2,200 acres in Bradley County. It constitutes an $8 million dollar industry. Those people almost lost their tomato industry from disease, and this remarkable plant was developed to replace the failing one. They know the value of research done by trained scientists ... McFerran and Company, This silent war (mostly plant breeding) goes on to prevent the wiping out of our great agricultural crops.

(Note, the tomato was referred to interchangeably as Traveler (Traveller) and Arkansas Traveler, since the beginning,and that’s an Arkansas thing, not an addition by outsiders specifying that it was from Arkansaw, but a real part of its unique history. The Arkansas Traveler fiddle tune to residents of the State, like the student newspaper, were called "Traveler" with the understanding they referred to the "Arkansas Traveler" which was not necessary to say in common parlance. Similar to a US resident calling Dr. Clinton a former President, when in the United States, but former “President of the United States” by those abroad.)

PC

I'm afraid I didn't know Joe's personal life that well. I was only a lowly undergraduate who watered his tomatoes for a year or so (lol). I do remember the Ozark Pink, but never liked it as well, I always felt my tomatoes should be bright red.

Too late to segregate, Seysonn. The seeds are saved mixed from multiple fruits.

I saw bumble bees going from flower to flower in the garden, so that's why I felt there would be cross pollination. I could grow maybe 2 or three trial plants, but I want different varieties and don't have much room. Your suggestion on preventing cross-pollination sounds like just the thing if one of the trial plants shows the desired characteristics. Although I have been growing backyard tomatoes for decades, I am really new at seed saving and have no experience whatsoever in developing a variety.

I have easily 100 surplus seeds, so I could farm them out if people here feel they would like a few to help the endeavor.

an easy solution: keep your current seeds. try one seed next year. if not successful, try another one the following year. if you have 10% seeds from cross pollination, you chance of having one bad seed is 10% and two bad seeds is 1% and three 0.1%... let math do the job. lol

Tom, if you go to the top of this page, just under and to the right of where it says Messages, you'll see a link to Exchanges, and that's where folks post their wants and haves.

Bulgarian Old Sort caught my eye since first, I've never met a variety from Bulgaria that I didn't like, and second the same person who sent seeds for it to Tania sent the same to me, and I linked to Tania's page for it below and there are no sources currently listing it.

No, I no longer have seeds for it, Frederick sent just a few seeds and both Tania and I had problems with germination and she got luckyl Actually Frederick sent seed for a few other Bulgarian ones as well, but right now I can't remember their names.

But there are many other varieties from Bulgaria that are better known and one of my seed producers is growing out another one or did this past summer, but I don't know how successful he was with it.

Carolyn

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Bulgarian Old Sort

Tom, I have never come even close to growing any of those in your list and even most of the names are not familiar to me.

But may I ask, what specifics about those that are of interest to you ?

I usually plant Matina in Louisiana (Zone 9) and they turn out like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b4LktURbMQ

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Tomatoes!

REPORT CARD:

my 2014 EARLY ones, were as follows:

--- Bloody Butcher: Wont repeat. It produced the very first ripe tomato. BUT the fruit size was too small, not that prolific, aggressive vine, PL prone to diseases (mildew ? mold ?).

--- Matina: Not as early BUT, good size juicy tomatoes, prolific. Will grow it again

--- Siletz: My favorite early. Has good size fruits (5 oz +). It was the earliest along with Bloody Butcher.

--- Siberia(N): Not really early. Maybe MID. Nice compact det plant. Still has fruits. Will grow it again

--- Early Treat: ( a Burpee hyb): Zapping it. Not as early, not prolific , small fuits...

--- Legend: I'll Keep it

--- Silvery Fir Tree : Zapping. Though I like the foliage but fruit set/size/ were inconsistent and only produced one flush.

--- Stupice: also zapping it. Reasons: not early AND small inconsistent fruits shape/size

OK, folks, time to report back. Let us share experiences and evaluations.
Hope your season was a great one. Mine was.

PC, as they say: IT'S COMPLICATED !

Well, good luck !

seysonn, nice weather.

Regarding how long this warm weather will last, I would say in ANY moment, things can change. Only one night of cold air from Canada - even 30s - and everything will be gone. No matter what blue sky we will have after that, it will be (very) cold.

Meantime everything looks good here:

The cherries LOOOOVE being in the small hoop house...

TO PRUNE OR NOT TO PRUNE ?

Jury is divided on this issue. There has been many discussion on this, in this forum over the years. Just search "Pruning tomato plant" in this forum. Having said that, it won't hurt to get a fresh discussion.

There are basically 2 schools of thought on this :(1) Never prune ! OR it is not necessary(2) Prune.
In the end of the day, the buck stops with you.

Pruning may depend on several growing conditions and factors:

Growing By:
-- SPRAWLING
-- CAGING:
-- TRELLISING
-- STAKING
-- WEAVING
--- STRINGING

Other Considerations:
-- SQUARE FOOT GARDENING.
-- IN GROUND, FIELD
-- IN CONTAINER
--- SPACING,
---GROWTH HABIT: Determinant or in determinant ?
--- GROWING SEASON LENGTH
---- YIELD AND FRUIT SIZE
--- CONVENIENCE FACTOR

Depending on one or combinations of the above cases, pruning can be done differently.

Well then, I think next year we'll get two or three plants. We'll let one grow normally and prune the other two in two separate ways. That'll let me see how it works. These tiny tomatoes don't appear to have a main stem like the others we've grown, they've got seven or eight that are of relatively equal size.
I'm far less concerned with the space they take as I am with better ease of harvesting.

They're indeterminate. We just don't keep the greenhouse heated in the winter as it's just too expensive and the plants will die out anyhow from the cold.

Thanks!
Best,
Judy

Pappabell, now that I've shown you the link about Valentia, which is the one you liked so much years ago and is the same today with several seed sources, why don't you go back and grow Valentia as well?

True, orange Minsk is not a beautiful looking tomato, most of the time, but speaking for myself, Igrow tomatoes primarily for taste, yield comes next and where I live there are almost no soilborne systemic diseases, just the foliage diseases which ANY variety, OP or hybrid can get depending on the geographic location and any particular season.

Carolyn

Taste is first for me too,I have boughten Valencia seeds from many many sources,everybody that sells it in the entire country,trying to find that dark gold colored Valencia tomato that I grew back in the 80s.But to no avail.All have been a lighter orange color.And the flavor not near as good.Guess its possible they had crossed with another tomato,but highly unlikely,since all of the fruits on the plant were the same.Still think it had something to do with kelp meal and clover between the rows that year.Might have been a miss labeled pkg of seeds too,but really don't think soo.Ive grown many many many orange tomatoes,and none to date have been like that one was.I wish soo bad that I was saving seeds back then,because I guarantee you,id still be growing it to this day if I did.

Gleckler's has gone out of business. I had several e-mail exchanges between Ellie, Adam's wife and myself.

Too much work to grow all the varieties and process the seed to result in enough money to support the family. so

(Adam and I are doing well and our children are growing like weeds!! It was a decision that was not easy, nor intended, but we did in-fact close up the online sales. Adam is no longer in concrete, but has taken on and Excavating Business that is doing very well and requires 15-16 hour days of him. It is )

The above should explain the situation.

Carolyn

Thanks Carolyn, I am glad I got some great seeds from them while I could.

PC,

Thanks for including the results of the study. Most interesting!

Linda

Can anyone recommend the best low acid tomatoes for next year's planting? (Reflux issues). Want to grow both cherries/grapes and globe or beefsteak. Zone 6b. Thanks.

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But when Jet Star F1 was mentioned, you said you needed more disease tolerances.

Which specific disease tolerances are you referring to, as in the foliage diseases or the soilborne systemic diseases or those transmitted by insect vectors?

I've seen other lists of the pH of various tomato varieties and usually at seed vendors you'll see a lot of yellow and gold/red bicolors being referred to as low acid. But other lists note that their acidity is about the same as those with normal acidity and it's the increased sugar content of them that masks the acidity thus resulting in a more mild taste.

Finally and most importantly acid refulx can be caused by a number of things, acid foods not near the top of that list, so I've linked below to a website with a pretty good description of same, what other things can cause it and how one can just by changing lifestyle and diet can control it before moving to some medicine which can also control it.

I do know about it since my brother was diagnosed with it, some know it as heartburn as well, his wife is a retired nurse, and well I remember the time he was in such pain that they called the ambulance.

Nothing was wrong with his heart, he had acid reflux, and cut out eating so soon before going to bed, sleeping with his head elevated and several of the other suggestions made on the link below, And they worked. And he grows and eats tomatoes of many different varieties and has for a long time, maybe some are low acid, some not, but that was not the cause of his acid reflux,

Please read all three pages of the link below and I know it will help you.

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Acid Reflux