Well, I've finally made thru a few months without killing everything in site so here's my down-sized effort for the season: 2 gardens this year (down from 3) and only eb's and pots in one - this one, from left - 4 cherries (Black Cherry, Little Frances, Green Doctors and Galinas); then, in the eb's, a mix of Neve's Azorean Red, Pink Potato Top, Russian Bogatyr, Top Sirloin, Red Penna and Red Brandywine. All fruiting nicely, cherries are ripening.
This is one side of my other (original) garden - first grown in 1992. R - L, Pink Brandywine, Lucky Cross, Yoder's German Yellow, and, in the pot, a mystery? Lost the tag but maybe I'll figure it out based on output and my records.
This is the other side - Romaine, Buttercrunch and Red Leaf lettuce, Big ones in the ground - Mexico Red and another Neve's. Two small ones in the ground - Chapman in front, another mystery behind. In the second pot, an Ethel Watkins. Flat yellow Italian pole beans in the back and several vars of radishes.
Last one - patio eb with and Indiana Red (from an old pal, Big Red, who left us a few years ago).
We haven't had any temps under 65 this year so far and the hi's have been upper 70's to lower 80's. It's the only time for us high zoners to get decent growing done. Hope everyone has a nice holiday season.
Flip
Aries44, I just adore your photos at this time of year. We've got a bit of green in the pastures Dec., but that would be compaired to the perpetual tans and browns of the past winters and especially this summer here in NE Texas. It is lovely to see a lot of green somewhere in the US! Oh, and thanks of including the palm trees! Your tomatos look very nice indeed =D.
Flip, so good to see you alive and back posting. LOL
Indiana Red is one of my favorite red hearts along with Linnie's Oxheart, well, I can see where this is going so I'll shut up now. LOL
Your gardens look great and remember when you and I can't remember who would ship me up some fresh tomatoes at about Holiday time? I remember.
As it is I've got some hydroponic cluster ones from Canada and they aren't all that bad compared to the anemic looking gassed ones from Florida/
Carolyn
Terri - thanks for your comments.
Nothing much new to report but a little info on a couple of my faves - Pink Potato Top has about twenty+ fruit on it, the Indiana Red is doing really well (last time I grew it I only got a few fruit but as of now there's about ten fruit on it, and the Red Brandywine has 15-20 on it. They're really just starting up so I'm hoping for a good season. Ate my first Galinas today - very good as usual. Also should have lotsa ripe Black Cherrys soon.
Flip
Hi Carolyn - I must have posted above while you were doing the same. Nice to hear from you. Yes, I still kickin' and all seems to be going fairly well. I'll keep you and the folks here up to date. And I can't agree with you more - those winter tomatos in stores from down here still taste like cardboard. Have a nice day!
Flip
Just because I have nothing else to do I took a shot of a couple of plants - better than no pics at all. This one is the Red Brandywine showing off a few sets of growing greenies.
And here's one of a nice sized green Mexican Red - Flip
They are looking nice and healthy!
Carolyn - if you happen by this note - do you have any info on a red grape/cherry tomato called Little Francis (or Frances)? I got seeds from Bill Jeffers several years ago, finally grew them and they taste pretty good; very few seeds. Thx,
Flip
Flip, nada at Tania's site and just a glimpse by Googling where I found something called Variegated Francis on someones grow list, no other info.
Was yours variegated?
If not, do you still have contact info for Bill and you can ask him yourself or if you don't I can ask him for you.
Maybe it was something from his breeding program, seeds not distributed widely. Who knows.
Carolyn
Carolyn, it is not variegated.
I don't have any contact info so if you can find out a few tidbits from Bill I'll post it , along with some pics, in the Plantfiles here at DG. Thanks.
Flip
They look fab, my friend! Hope your season is stellar! With all the down-sizing, are you still doing your hot peppers?
I'm not even thinking seeds yet, though I usually start a few New Year's Eve, for early planting, and they've always done pretty well. This year I will be away, but will probably start a few when I return.
You really need to get back up to NY for a visit. Would love to get together for a chat!
PS - My Starfish Pepper is still putting out some nice peppers. Always a nice treat at this time of year.
Hey there, Sequee! Long time, no see. Everything's doing well down here - we've got my youngest son back on leave from the US Marine Corps; he's at Camp Pendleton in S. Cal. Also, the tomatos are doing really well considering my last two seasons were pretty busted. My pole beans are also doing well. I'm gonna post some pics later this week just for something to look at.
I grew some peppers earlier in the year and am still using them in the kithcen - mostly my regulars - Chile de Arbol, Aji Limon, Gold Cayenne and Thai chili. I'll start some more here shortly.
Don't know if I'll be coming north anytime soon but will let you know if I do. I hope the season has been a good one for you. Your friend,
Flip
Carolyn - if you happen by this note - do you have any info on a red grape/cherry tomato called Little Francis (or Frances)? I got seeds from Bill Jeffers several years ago, finally grew them and they taste pretty good; very few seeds. Thx,
*******
Flip, I was talking with Bill today and asked him about it. I don't know what the spelling is, Francis or Frances, but he said she was his neighbor and it was a volunteer that popped up and he thinks it was probably from Juliet which she was growing at the same time.
He doesn't remember sending seeds to others and didn't think it would be worthwhile to post in the plant files here since there is no ready seed source.
Carolyn
Carolyn - thanks for checking. Whatever they are they're pretty tasty but I won't post anything to PF. I picked a handfull last nite. Here's a pic of them starting to ripen:
Here's a shot of the Indiana Red - there's over 20 fruit on the plant (some larger than these) and it looks to be a good vine this year. Several more weeks until I get some ripening here.
The Pink Potato Top also is one of my most productive - appx 30+ on this vine. One of my faves
Last one - a couple of Lucky Cross - this plant's about 8' high
Flip
WOW !
your tomatoes are amazing.
When does start/finish the tomatoes season in Miami?
I might move back to Sarasota one day ...
Flip, those cherries do have the Juliet shape, as in grape.
And I too love Indiana Red but don't feel that strongly about Pink Potato Top. As for gold/red bicolors Lucky Cross with that Brandywine background would be a fave along with several others.
Carolyn
Thanks, drthor. Seeds are planted on Aug 15; grow indoors under the lights until about Oct 1 and then plant out. Season lasts until about April 1 when it's both too hot at night (no fruit set) and the bugs begin to overwhelm. Have kept some vines and cherries into May before.
Carolyn, you're right about those cherries looking very grapeish. Fairly good sized also. Have only grown Lucky Cross once before and it didn't go too well. Looking forward to some nice ones this year. Always have a few brandywines (only pink/Sudduth and red/Landis this year) but I really like the OTV and Platfoot yellow. You may remember that Chapman, Neves AR, Red Penna and Brianna are also among my top faves and doing well this year, especially the Neves (for some reason I have 3 of them).
Flip
Thanks aries44, your info will come handy when I move back to FL.
Here in TX my planting time is totally different.
Start seedling in mid December, plant out at the end of February and last fruit set maybe at the beginning of July (so I normally have 3 months of full harvest)
Hey Flip? I thought you told me you were taking it easy this season? HA! that will be the day. Glad you like the EBs especially since you don't have to work your coral ground any longer. They were a blessing for me and I hope they do the same for you.
Can I move to Sarasota, too? I'm about ready...
Those Indaina Red look awesome. I think I will try them again this year. Last time I didn't get any germination. It always amazes me when I have gazillion year old seeds that give me 100% germination, then new seeds that flop - then the next year, the entire scenario changes. I am looking forward to trying some new varieties this year. I love this time of year - the planning, the set up, the lists, etc. I usually start a few seeds on new year's Eve, just for the fun of watching something grow, but this year I've been too busy. Soon...
How nice to have your son home. Camp Pendleton, huh? I graduated from San Clemente HS a billion years ago, and the town was full of CP soldier-boys. Ah, memories!
Well, I made it thru the night in the thirties down here; 37 degrees Tue nite. Last nite only 48. I used my outdoor Christmas lites strung thru my plants and it worked well. My neighbor had some burning/freezing on his tomato leaves (not too bad tho) but I had none. I'm leaving the lites in place until March.
I know this is boring but at least it's a tomato pic - A Neves Azorean Red that's really loaded with big green ones (you can only see a few)
Flip
Congrats
Flip ... They look great. Good idea about Christmas lights. The wind we had blew my vines down so I let mine sprawl and have a few ripe ones and one giant that I'm waiting to ripen provideing my birds leave it be.
Looking good, flip. I love looking at plant pictures when everything is so green and crisp. Towards the end of the season it's easy to forget what green looks like!
Christmas Lights======that is a nifty idea.
Well, I finally have a few ripe ones so here's a couple of pics -
Nice cluster of Neves Azorean Red
Here's the first of some Yoders German Yellow
Here's a few pretty good sized ones on the counter - Top Sirloin, Neves AR, Pink Potato Top, and several cherry types
wooooowwww congratulations ...
Just to mix it up a bit - I also mentioned I was growing some yellow Italian pole beans - they are very tasty!
Thanks drthor
Flip
This message was edited Jan 17, 2012 5:54 PM
That is a healthy looking batch of tomatos Flip. Unfortuneately I suffered a lot of frost damage but the twenty or so tomatos that I still have on the vine are ripeneing very nicely and are tastey much to my surprise The weather forecast two weeks ago called for a low of 38* but I forgot about the wind chill factor and that dropped it to 28* and thus the damage. Very clever useing your Christmas lites for warmth or your crop definetly would have been frozen. Oh well, next month I will start my melons as February and march are planting time for them. You should try some with your EBs in the side garden as you can grow any variety of melon here as I do with great success. I prefer to grow the expensive type such as Canary and Casaba along with Crimson Sweet. It's fun. If you like to try Let me know as it is a great hot summer crop when nothing much is growing.
aries44, the Yoders German Yellow looks delicious. And, of course, another to add to the list for maybe next year: Top Sirloin. I don't remember that one mentioned before. I probably saw it, just don't remember.
I'm trying our Marvel of Venice this coming season. I've tried the green flat Italian pole beans and we love them. Thought I'd add some color to the garden this year =).
Hi TP - sorry about your vines getting frosty. I had very little damage and I think the lites helped. everything's doing pretty well. I've grown a variety of melons in the ground over the years but not in an Ebox. I'll give it a try later this year.
terri - this is my first attempt with Top Sirloin. I've only eaten one and it was rather tasty but I'll reserve final taste comments for later. They are very nice sized and fairly early (as opposed to many of my others). I always grow either pole or bush beans of some sort - they are great steamed with butter, salt and pepper! The ones above have a unique taste and I grow them often.
Flip
