What was/is your first Tomato?

Wahoo! I'm so excited for you! :-) Let me know what you think of the Marglobe. I have those also.

We ate our Depps Pink Fire Fly last night in a BLT. The DH forgot to get a picture before he sliced it, but I managed to get a picture all sliced up on the plate. I was very surprised by the wonderful taste of this tomato. So far, it's my biggest yet ... even bigger than my Royal Hillbilly.

I don't normally try to grow those really big fruited varieties because I've been told that they don't do well in TX but I can't imagine its anymore hot and humid then South Georgia or SC. I have had really good luck with Mortgage Lifter, but the largest fruits are usually in the late summer/fall on the plants that have pulled through the summer. Just trying to get some ideas for next year (even though I have already sworn that I will never do this again). So far, I'm dissappointed in the standerd (boring) varities that I'm trying this year. I have done a lot of research and these are supposed to be good for hot conditions. Floridade has been the most disease ridden one I have. ARGH....

If Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina are more hot and humid than Louisiana, I don't want to be there. I grow a lot of the big types of tomatoes and have a lot of success with them.

I just picked a Super Choice weighing in at 1 lb.3 and 1/2 oz! I picked it a couple days early so nobody would beat me to it. I promise to get a picture of this. It's my biggest Ever tomato!

I think my Aussie is going to beat this one, though. I've got 2 monster maters out there. They're just not ready yet!

Im sure there have been threads on this. I have no idea the prevailing opinion, but Im about two weeks now into prunning my plants. I mean they look bare almost compared to before, really, its just you can see all the tomatoes now, not just leaves. I must say, they are doing so much better. I left three unprunned, so I could still have a few familiar 'faces' around, and it gives me something to compare to.

I was wondering about growing them under the screen in the patio. It would be cooler, but there are no bees. Do you think the 'shake the plant' method would work.

Not even close to ripe fruit yet, but my first plant to set fruit was my Goose Creek. It was weeks ahead of everything else, and it actually looks as if the early fruits are beginning to ripen. Can't wait for that first tomato!

OK For all of us in the HOT, HUMID south. Do you consider your area to have two growing seasons? Spring and Fall or do you keep your plants going through the summer? If so do they set fruit through the summer. I'm wondering because there are a lot of gardening methods in my area that seem to be done out of habit more then anything else. The reason is always the heat and humidity. But I know we aren't the only area with these issues. I think the spring/fall thing has more to do with wet seasons, and were established before irrigation.

Two seasons for us, Spring and Fall. Turnips, rutabagas, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and carrots. Some plant fall tomatoes in late July. Some plant fall potatoes but I've never tried them and don't know the planting date. A lot of folks green beans (bush type) in the fall but I am so tired of them by then that I never do. Squash is a good fall crop as well. In fact I'm fixing to go a head and plant some more yellow squash tomorrow. If you can keep them shaded and well watered they can stand the heat.

Hee, hee, hee... Tired of beans, but not squash? I usually hear people saying they are about to turn into a zucchini by fall! (Alas, while I enjoy decent crops of zukes and cukes, I've never had the "if I see another one of those babies I'm gonna barf" crops.)

I am just finishing up last years flat beans from the freezer, so I'm hoping my mewbies will finish their climb up and start to produce soon! (This year I will not freeze so many...really!)

IO1, Marglobe is one of my "every year" maters. Consistent, very good "tomatoey" taste, and a good size for one serving. I wouldn't give it up:)

I came to SC via south Florida. I just snicker when I hear the "oh my, it's SO humid" when the % is under 50. Poppycock. They have no clue what humid is. I hated it, and it never seemed to go below 70%. Even the high temps we've had (97 yesterday) don't seem near as bad. I worked outside until 1, and again after 5. I did take breaks, but we don't use AC, and I still only had a few (hot) incidents.

I have had tomatoes go all the way thru to November, still producing. They slack off setting in August, but there are still ripening fruits. This year I may try some in fall, simply because people keep suggesting varieties I'v decided are must tries....Yes, Sequee, this means you...

I don't prune. When I had plants pruned by accident, the fruit sunburned. Mine like to hide, so I let them :)

I have squash everywhere, and I'm loving it. When I get tired of all my experiments, I'll dehydrate them and use them all winter. I'm a big fan of the patty pans, and have been using them as substitutes for all kinds of things I'm not supposed to eat.

Numm num num....

catmad, I agree ... Marglobe has won a spot in my garden next year. If it does as well next year, then it will be a keeper for sure. :-) I've been very surprised by the Illini Star, also. It's a consistently pretty tomato and wonderful for salads or slicing to have with a meal.

How much space do you have to grow on? I have to stake my tomatoes to conserve space but wish I could let them sprawl.

Okay, didn't mean to get off topic. :-)

If it involves tomatoes, it's on topic for me. Mine are in hay bales, with a fence at one side. They've grown thru the fence, and are sticking out on both sides. They're tied and supported by anything else I can find. Basically a controlled (sort of) sprawl.

[quote="catmad"]If it involves tomatoes, it's on topic for me.

^_^

That pretty much sums it up! LOL

I've done a lot of reading about that strawbail gardening. It looks very interesting.

As for a fall garden, I have a couple of tomatoes I plan to plant out this week-end. They're actually left over from my spring seedlings and are living in soda bottles. I'll have to check my tags to see which ones they are. I figure I won't be out anything. I have a couple of tomatoes I need to pull now, so they'll go in their spot.

gardenglory - tomatoes don't need bees, they are "wind pollinated" - I've read shaking the plants works, but I've never tried doing so.

They need six to eight hours of full sun.

Still on the hunt for a tasty yellow. Orange Minsk, grew well, produced a lot of really nice looking 12-18 oz. tomatoes but they were pretty bland and boring tasting. I'm letting the Juane Flamme ripen up really well before eating(as suggested). Probably taste them this weekend.

I'm absolutely blown away by Indian Stripe. Simply one of the best tomatoes I have ever tried anywhere. I sliced up one to try, I ended up slicing 3 and eating them all by themselves. No salt, no pepper, no nothing. Just me and my fork. With every bite I couldn't help but say wow. I don't ever remember CP tasting as good. The two winners so far this year have been Anna Russian and Indian Stripe, 2 new ones for me that will be back again this year and next for sure.

I checked my tomatoes for horn worms this afternoon and didn't have any. The hot wind has really taken a toll on the foliage of them.

I'm trying Orange Minsk this year for the firt time - JF is an old fave of mine. Haven't tried the Indian Stripe yet, but I've heard great things about it. Nice to see that confirmed.

Okay, those sound wonderful! I'm adding them to my *very long list of must haves! :-)

Now I have a question ... I really don't know the answer to this ...
If there are no tomatoes on your vines, but the vines are not dead ... will they bloom again this late? I have some vines out there that still aren't dead, but don't have anymore tomatoes on them and no blooms. So will I get anymore tomatoes from them? Will they set blooms again?

Susan, no. They will absolutely not bloom again or produce any more tomatoes. If you want to eat a fresh delicious sweet juicy amazing tomato again this summer, you will have to come visit us in August. :-)



Yes, I'm kidding about your tomatoes! I think they are just taking a break. You usually get tomatoes later in summer, don't you? It's been really hot lately, and that can give them pause.

(But I'm not kidding about visiting. You know you are welcome any time!)

I'm now a "phan" of KB, so would recommend it:). It has produced a really big mater for me, but the rest seem more reasonable in size. I could only eat half of this one, though I tried:) So far, they have been very solid tomatoes, almost like a paste, but with really nice tomatoiness (g). I forsee jars of yellow in my cabinet, and really sunny sauces this coming winter.

If they last that long...

Have you tried Azoychka? It is a true yellow - does not turn orange when it ripens. We like it alot. Flip/Aries also highly recommends Basinga (another true yellow).

IO1 - I grow indeterminate tomatoes, and agree with critter, they should rebloom once the weather cools down.

I fertilize after each layer of tomatoes is set. Mine are currently on their fourth "layer" but I've noticed they are blooming, but not setting too many fruit.

The first layer is just starting to color, so I'll wait until most of them have begun to ripen before adding more fertilizer.

I don't know if determinate tomatoes will rebloom.

There would be photo to share, but it's close to 100F - and I aint going out there!

That's what it is here, too! I'm not going out there either.

I don't really fertilize my tomatoes. I usually put mulch or compost on the beds but I didn't even do that this year. Sometimes I use SprayNGro, but I didn't use it much last year and this year the sprayer quit on me, so I only fed them once.

g-g - I removed the mulch from around the veggies when I read that voles like to hide under it! You've seen photos of my garden - it's covered with leaves! Evidently a vole's idea of heaven!

When I harvested the garlic, I cut up the leaves and spread them around the bean bed - the voles seem to have gone! I think the neihgbor's cat might have got them - she said he likes to catch mice. YAY for kitty. Next time I see him pooping in the garden, I won't chase him off!

I just received my water bill - it's twice as much as last year's :(

We have what I suspect are vole holes throughout the garden this year. I think our cat is asleep at the switch. The holes are present even where there's no mulch. Go figure!

g-g - stick you finger in the holes. You should be able to feel a "tunnel" if you have voles. If it's just a "hole" it might have been made by a bird after an earthworm.

I had beans where the lower leaves were gone, and other beans where the roots were gone.

Can they climb at all

Okay, I'll try the tunnel check tomorrow morning. It's a big round hole, though; very neat. Not at all the sorts of things our robins, cheeky though they are, could accomplish without perchance a protractor!

Id try just sticking a stick in, not my finger.

Yeah - I'm thinking snakes.

No, I'm thinking sharp little teeth...

Regardless - I'm sooooo voting for the stick!!!

RDP, I got 6.5 lbs of KB yesterday, off of my single plant. Whew! They still taste good :). I saved two to give away, the rest are trimmed and stuck in the freezer to can later. The trimmings were enough to keep me happy....
Still more to come, but maybe not for a while.

Wow, you're really ahead of me, catmad. Mine aren't even THINKING of getting red yet!

My June 25th goal is shoot out of the water. My Hundreds of green tomatoes are still as green as green can be. But at least I have green tomatoes.

Sounds divine. Trimmed? for the freezer? How so?

My biggest on the vine are only about golf ball size - even though I keep whisperin' sweet nothings to them!

I want to can them, but not now. So, I trim the centers, take out the bad spots, and freeze them semi-whole. I want jars by color, so this way I can wait until it's cool, and I have enough tomatoes of each color, and go to town:)
Of course, I always end up thinking the multicolored ones are the prettiest....