Growing Tomatoes, Season 2012

I did wait because it seems every year the tomatoes are too far along when I put them out. I normally just use the Pro-mix to start them. No, I haven't been watering them too much. I feel the sponges, push and squeeze them before watering.

One of the reasons I waited to start them was because last year it was so cold in June. Cold and wet the whole month. Actually the last 2 years. If you do put them out the just sit there and don't do anything. Lucky they don't rot.

No, it doesn't matter to you if your weather is cool now because you have a long season. However, even tho it was cold and wet in June last year, I did have the best flavored tomatoes that I have ever had here. Just not a lot of them. I didn't get enough to can any which I normally do. Salsa, etc.

I doubt you are giving then too much water, because then you would be seeing other problems. But if the dog's water was frozen then I don't think you could put them out even if they were big enough. I didn't realize you waited to start them but from what you posted the plants are smaller then you have experienced in the past.

No, I don't have any fresh tomatoes ripe ATM because I grow a large # of plants and can't protect them all if we have a freeze, and due to more ptressing issues I got mine in the ground later this year.

We are just trying to figure out what is causing your plants to be smaller then expected.

Jnette...........soil temp is very important. I started my plugs on Jan 1st. I used the RR plugs, and the IHORT plugs. I started my seeds in my greenhouse. I use elect heaters to keep it warm inside the greenhouse. I have a laser thermometer, and I would always check the soil temps of the seedlings. I would try to keep the temps at around 60 deg. That was not always possible. Sometimes the temps would be 89 deg, and sometimes the temps would be 50 deg. The RR plugs were slower to grow than the IHORT plugs. I was worried the the RR plugs were too slow also. The RR plants were much smaller than the IHORT plants. I would say stay the course, and watch the soil temps, and you will be fine. I had the same concerns as you are having now. ........... Just my opinion. I am not an expert.

I wish the original thread that that Drthor started was still available to view because I was very specific on what I did in that thread. I am just going on memory now.

Well they have been in my kitchen and on heat mats too to start with, but did take them off the heat mats, but never left my kitchen except to put them outside in the sun on a couple of beautiful days. They loved that. I could tell. They smiled.

It makes sense, Jnette, that your seedlings might have done better in Pro-Mix since it contains micro and macro-nutrients as well as Dolomitic & Calcitic Limestone (pH adjuster). I use Pro-Mix for starting things and potting up as well. But I also use plain coir with no nutrients except a small amount of potassium. I don't think the RR and I Hort plugs contain any nutrients so that could be a factor at this point. Could you start by giving the plants a diluted amount of fish fertilizer like Neptune's Harvest (about 1/4 to 1/2 of the suggested rate) and see if that helps? They may be hungry! I always end up adding some worm castings to my coir but with the plugs you would have to use a liquid fertilizer. Good luck!

I'm thinking maybe taking them off the heat mats has slowed things down. Tomatoes like warm soil for root development. If you decide to add fertilizer, go easy. Fastest way to kill seedlings is too much fert.

I did give them fertilizer. Just made them taller. I really am disappointed in them 'cause I normally get good stalks. Oh well, they will be planted deep. :0)

Lisa -

It's nice to see this old variety doing well. My first ripe fruit should come from "Monica" which was set out in mid-April. "Money Maker" was set out April 27th and "OSU Blue" on April 29th.

I'll collect seeds from the first ripe fruits of Money Maker and OSU Blue.

Bee-I was wondering about the OSU Blue. This Money Maker is from your seeds I also started commercial seeds.

My plants are growing totally different then any other year. They aren't blooming as much as they have in the past. Yes, I fertilized them...they look healthy though and I'm thankful for that.

Jnette-I don't know which RO you are using but my understanding is that some of them have amendments added so I don't recommend fertilizing those. Do you have a fan on your seedlings or are you running your hand over the top of them a few times a day. That might help make the stems thicker.

Uh, thought I'd post a pic of what my homemade seed plugs look like when I planted them out yesterday. These are the bell pepper seedlings.

I've left my eggplant, okra, and cuke seed plugs in the tray so long, I'm gonna have to cut the cells open to untangle the roots. And, I still won't know how many will survive.

Aaaaaarrrggghhh.

Our nights have been steady at temps of about 55 to 57, so even with beautiful plants and lots of blossoms, i do not have an average of one tomato set per plant.

So, forgive me, but i am going to go off topic too, and show you my baby grapes, from vines i just planted a year ago. Maybe i should have planted Wine Grapes instead of Tomatoes.

Ernie

Lisa - the OSU Blue have not set flowers as yet. Money Maker has blossoms, but I don't expect fruit set as it's been raining for several days.

This is my first picking of tomatoes. I have Big Beef, Jet Star, and Indian Stripe. All are about 65 days from transplant. One of the Indian Stripes will be lunch, maybe with some bacon, mayonnaise, and a couple of slices of bread. It is splitting since it was already pink when the heavy rain hit last week. The extra moisture was more than the skin could take.

You can also see what happens to yellow squash when you don't pick for two days.... I think they will still fry up nicely.

David

how are you enjoying the Indian Stripe?

We ate our first Danial this weekend and for a red I liked it...we've had a great season so far and I'm trying to stick to my vow not to let it go to waste or start handing it out until I at least TRY to can/dry or freeze.

So far I've roasted for sauce, made "sun dried" cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic to freeze, made salsa and pickles.

This is the first Indian Stripe and the first bacon and tomato sandwich of the year. It was delicious!

can you give me a little idea on what the Indian Stripe's flavor is like? Looks fantastic

Mmmmmm! Yes it does look fantastic! My favorite sandwich! Those are some pretty pictures too, Araness!

One word - YUM

araness, I'm going to take a page from your book and roast some garden tomatoes and toss with penne pasta for dinner tonight. Yours look scrumptious.

I will try to describe the flavor of today's lunch tomato after lunch. It is difficult to say from my bacon & tomato yesterday. Many people say that Indian Stripe (and Cherokee Purple) have a "smoky" flavor. That would be hard to separate from the flavor of the bacon.... They are fairly soft, and crack with last-minute moisture. Doesn't seem to affect the flavor. They are not particularly tart, and have some sweetness.

Maybe I can do a comparative test later, and have a better description and some comparison.

I have 3 Big Boy. Two are doing great and the third is curled and grey. Same seed, same soil, same amount of rain. Don't think it is going to make it.

You can check out a photo of tomatoes I gave a friend yesterday on my fb page. https://www.facebook.com/jerry.maler It's open to the public. I ain't got nottin' to hide. :)

fb is the place to be....so far it's free. See Ya there!

This message was edited May 17, 2012 9:08 AM

This is the first major 2012 tomato harvest. Rain, thrips, fungus, viruses, katydids, birds = plant disease and rotting or damaged tomatoes. Todays harvest yielded 2 1/2 gallons of bad tomatoes to the chickens.

Many, probably 30 - 50 % of the tomatoes in the photo have some kind of damage. Of the 70 tomato plants I have going I doubt I will get as much canned tomato products as I got from last years 40 plants.

There is enough at least for some home made salsa tonight...fresh from the garden cilantro/coriander, jalapenos, onions, garlic and tomatoes. And maybe one of last years dried Bhut Jolokia just to add a little kick to it.

The nice thing about salsas and canned tomato products is that you don't have to have whole, perfect tomatoes. That is a nice sized haul. Shame that you had to give so many to the chickens, though. I'm only picking a few per day. Did pick the first pink German Giant today. Fermenting some seeds from the first Indian Stripe to plant for the fall crop.

How many days do you ferment including the day you start? Today I washed and cleaned seeds from JD's Special C-Tex I started fermenting last Saturday. The seeds look very good.

I also plan to save fresh seeds this year form:

1. Yellow Chello, a nickle - quarter size yellow cherry on a PL plant.
2. Indian Stripe
3. Black Krim
4. A Chapman mystery cross that is a little larger than a golf ball.
5. Brandy Sweet Plum, quarter size cherry on PL plant.
6. A nickle - quarter size cherry that grows on a micro plant that came from a pkt of Rambling Red Stripe seeds'
7. A volunteer large red cherry that came up in a pile of wood shavings cleaned out from the hen house.
8. Purple Russian
9. A volunteer from last years Phoenix or Top Gun, a 3-4" tomato.
10. Eva Purple Ball, I bought seed this year but like to have my own.
11. San Marzano Giganta lll, Used all my bought seed this year so will have to save my own.
12. Southern Night, Black slicer on a PL plant. Used all my bought seed this year so will have to save my own.

Trock, why do think you had more damage this year? You listed the culprits but Im wondering if you have any idea why they were worse this year. Also, do you have any pictures of the fungus/dieases you had on your plants or fruit? I have found a lot of underreporting in our area, so many diseases are thought not to be here but they are, people just don't report them.

I have had an issue with what, I think is fungal stem rot. I keep hearing it's only in CA but what my plants had looks just like it.

Your tomatoes still look great!

This message was edited May 18, 2012 3:43 PM

1lisac, In a word, RAIN. Rain is great for trees and grass but it never seems to come at the right time for gardening. My gardens do better when the foliage stays dry. I like to water the base of plants when they need it and never get the foliage wet.

There is always next year.

Horrible picture but this was last nights haul...we've made salsa as well as frozen several bags of diced.

araness, what is the variety? Are the green shoulders typical? Also the cracking on many of them-is that weather related?

eehh I grow 26 different types of tomatoes and these were just picked and dumped in a bag so sorry couldn't narrow it down. As to the green shoulders, yes, for the varieties that I grow that is typical of several blacks as is the cracking. Many blacks, such as Black Krim are known for their radial cracking. The vertical happens as well and isn't an issue as long as we pick and us or don't have a lot of rain.

It's official. The 2012 tomato canning season is under way.

I wish!! We're in north Alabama, so we just have tiny green ones yet!! Have tomato-envy this time of year for you folks!!

trock - you rock! Nice looking haul.

My tomatoes are suffering four things:

1. Sun scald - we're in the triple digits now. This one is easy to fix, yesterday we bought a 10x20 shade structure for a hundred bucks.

2. Somebody's eating my 'maters. Sucking holes. I thought it was birds but covering them has not stopped the problem. I think it's the milkweed bug. I'm going to spray some insecticidal soap this morning. I hope that does it. If it's not the milkweed bug, anyone know what might be the culprit? Image below

3. BER.....the Black Plum and San Marzano especially. Other plants, like Hungarian Heart and Cherokee Purple, in the same bed do not exhibit BER issues. I'm guessing some varities are more prone to it than others. I've read and read and read about BER and there seems no significant consensus. I'll add some of this powder the nursery sold me saying it will help prevent BER. It didn't when I added it a few weeks ago. I'll try again. Sure Start from E.B. Stone "Contains Blood Meal, Feather Meal, Bone Meal, Dried Chicken Manure, Bat Guano, Alfalfa Meal, Kelp Meal, Potassium Sulfate, Humic Acids and soil microbes including mycorrhizal fungi." IIRC, BER presents when the plant cannot uptake calcuim.....so I need to add something that allows that. Comments?

4. Branches drying up. Is it natural for some branches to die off as the plant matures? Do you folks trim and prune as the plant matures? I have been just letting them go - - let nature take its course, but am interested in what you tomato growers do.

Thanks for helping with this stuff - and sorry about this long post. This year is my first real push to get this tomato growing figured out.

This message was edited May 20, 2012 5:03 AM

We pinch leaves, add dirt hi up the stems where possible to allow the plant more root support, needed calcium - I plant next to cinder brix, or have some soft limestone rocks that get a home next to my maters, but calcium slo release, have you tried greensand? And good luck.

Mary, I have experienced and read that all Roma types are quite susceptable to BER- I would guess that your high temps may be drying up stems, but have no real info to make that statement. Here in WA our tomatoes are just starting to take off due to the night temps just getting up there where they should.

Someone on another board suggested adding gypsum. Anyone have experience? I guess I'll give it a try.

Here's some munched fruit. I'm going to try some DE......that'll get those buggers. Also a pic of the small harvest lately.

Ya'll know I gave away all 100+ of my tomato seedlings, except for the 4 I kept for myself, right? Well, my friends are coming in with mixed bag reports.

Two (including me), have lush tomato growth almost 6' tall, but very few tomatoes. I think it's too much nitrogen in the soil, although one said they didn't add any fertilizers, just their regular load of topsoil and manure. I do have blossoms at the very top of the plants, and have been shaking them every day.

I visited another grower this week, and his 4 RBs are full of lush greenery with lots of fruit set on all the plants. He hauled in organic hummus, organic cow manure, mulch, and 10-24-10 granulated fertilizer. So far, so good.

My neighbor two doors down showed me two of the largest, most perfectly round heirloom tomatoes I have seen in a looooooooong time, from his garden. He's growing a whole row of my plants...

Finally, my neighbor across the street showed me these yesterday morning (see the pic). Yes, they truly are that big -- all of them. And, I visited her yesterday evening to see for myself. Her small bed of Miracle Grow garden soil (roughly 2' x 8') that sits in full sun all day long, has about 3 or 4 of my tomato plants that are LOADED with HUGE fruits! I mean huge! Go figure???!

And, not one of these growers kept track of which variety they're growing....

Linda

This message was edited May 23, 2012 10:53 AM

Well my season is winding down...my poor plants are bushed (hee hee no pun) I might get another 40/60lbs but I think that's it. After adding up out notes we had 19 plants out of the 24 that we counted, two plant were pulled due to funk, two cherry tomatoes that we don't weigh or count in the overall total and one that we didn't pull but never set fruit. I had been bragging about my 150 lb + haul when the DH stopped me with a WTH look and ask me where I got that number...I pulled out my notes and did the math. LOL he then goes to a drawer and pulls out HIS tally sheet from the first of the season and added another 70 lbs. (end total should be around 260-280 lbs) Soo guess we had a good season..I've put up 3 batches of salsa (36 jars) roasted tons and made sauce (we ate that before it could be frozen or canned) and have frozen 45 16oz Foodsaver bags in the freezer. This is our first year to freeze or can and I know if the winter I'm gonna love it but atm I'm pretty sure I never want to see another Ball jar again!

I'm doing a batch of Hot & Sweet bread and butter style pickles today as well as I'll roast some tomatoes and make spaghetti sauce to freeze tonight.

My okra is just coming in and I'm loving the red color, visually it's stunning and the taste is great. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can get high enough production to pickle some but we love grilled okra so it's not looking great. My melons are looking great and I can't wait!

Red okra?? Haven't seen that but I may have to try some! Sounds like you had a great tomato year! Congrats! I know you'll be loving the sauce later.

Red Burgundy Okra is actually sweet eaten off the plant...

This isn't Red Burgundy (unless they have messed with the name..which we all know seed companies do!) it's..Hill Country Heirloom Red. It's beautiful! Taste Great and prolific..did I mention I love how it looks? :) Here's a picture I pulled offline cause I'm to darn lazy to go outside and take one.