outsidetoms

I was thinking of growing tomatoes outside in our quite short season area,what kinds do yo think will be suitable for me.

Roger

Hi Roger! I'm glad to see you around.

Tell us how many days of outside growing you have and what the temps are. This would help with suggestions.

How many plants are you planning to put outside?Have you heard of the red plastic mulch that helps tomatoes grow?This might be something that would speed up the process a little.You may not get any more days,but the days you have will be more productive.

Hi Melody
I think that we can plant them out about 10 of june and we have nice temp into about a week in september its from 20degrees celcius to 30 degrees celcius.I can plant them out as quite big plants as I have growinghouse

Roger

Roger,

I make that as about 90 days, which gives you plenty of time for the majority of tomato varieties, most of which fall into the 85-90 days to maturity class.

There are dozens of varieties, as well, which are 70-75 days to maturity.

So, maybe a better approach, would be to tell us what characteristics you're looking for, and we can then suggest varieties that provide them.

Large plants do not give you a jump on maturity, btw, and often are counterproductive. The ideal transplant is 6-9 inches tall, and about 6 weeks old.

Roger,

I live in upstate NY in a zone 4b area and don't put out my plants until the first week of June. And as Brook said, I can mature everything except maybe a couple of the 100 day gold/red bicolors and since there are better bicolors with shorter DTM, it doesn't make any difference.

Last year frost didn't hit until late Spetember, but the two years before that it was Sept 7th and 9th. Not that I remember those dates or anything. LOL

I never plant out until at least two weeks past the average last frost date, having learned from experience, and for me that means planting out the first week of June.

Carolyn

We always plant ours in the field about June 10. Seeds are started mid April so they are only about 10" tall. We transplant once from a seed tray into a 2½" sq. pot. We plant with a machine so they can't be big. Our first ripe ones were August 1st. This picture was Sept. 2nd.
ßernie

Roger, if you are only doing a few plants,you can set them out quite early if you use a wall o water type protection system. These will protect down to the mid 20F temps (at least) and could give you an extra few weeks growing time on the start up end. Eileen

Bernie,what kind of toms do you use.
Skyeblu,I was thinking about 150 plants
Carolyn,I think 10 june will be perfect to me
I want to plant a bush tom that are sturdy,about 30 cm high,good taste,early and prolific.any suggestion?

Roger,

I went back up to the top to see if it was hybrids or heirlooms you wanted to plant. You don't say.

That's important because you say you want to grow only determinate plants. And only 30 cm high. Would you please do the conversion to inches/feet for me because I forgot the conversion factor and I'm too lazy to look it up. LOL

There are lots of hybrid determinates and semi-determinates but few heirloom ones.

So if it's hybrids I'll let someone else answer since OP's as determinates are limited although I could name some names if you wish.

Will be looking for your answer not just on height, but also hybrid or heirloom and also fruit color.

Carolyn

Carolyn
I prefer heirlooms and bush or if its difficult to get bush I may think of indeterminate plants also but they have to be early mature the colour doesnt matter but its moore importent that it taste good.

Roger

A meter is 39 of our inches,so Roger is most likely looking in the area of about 3 of our feet.Not much to choose from in OP/Heirloom,as Carolyn has pointed out.

Roger,we have traded in the past and from what I remember,you like the smaller varieties,not the big monster beefsteaks.

I grew a really nice tomato last year called Tatar From Mongolstan that didn't get but about 3 to 4 feet tall.The tomatoes were on the small side,but could be sliced for sandwiches.

It may have been the misrable growing season,and I've never grown these before,but they seem to fit the description you have asked for.

Roger,

Sophies Choice is truly a determinate and a darn good early as well, with good taste. Full size red fruits on a 2 foot plant. Earl of Edgecombe is a compact semi-determinate and has great taste. but not as early. Vibrant glowing orange med sized globes.

There are all the early Siberian thises and thate's which I think taste lousy. Lots of folks seem to like Latah, and Sasha's Altai. Both earlies and red.

Some early indeterminates that I think work well are Matina and Stupice. They are look alikes, PL small reds, but I like the taste of Matina better than Stupice.

Jaune Negib, a small flat yellow, is also early and good.

Can think up some more if you wish; these just off the top of my head.

Carolyn

Roger, as long as you are going to grow 150 plants,why not include a few hybrids which are really superior in taste, production and disease resistance (smile Brook) to the heirlooms. I would suggest Burpees Supersteak, or Big Boy varieties as well as a few Early girl or First Lady types. If for some reason you don't like the taste of these you can send them to me postage due!!

as long as you are going to grow 150 plants,why not include a few hybrids which are really superior in taste, production and disease resistance

Well, where you live and garden hybrid disease tolerances make no difference. (smile) The major problem with tomato diseases in our area in NYS is foliage diseases, for which there are no tolerant varieties, with two minor exceptions that don't really warrant mention.

BTW, Big Boy, which you mention, has as one parent Teddy Jones, a large pink fruited heirloom from the midwest. Better Boy also has that same Teddy Jones as one parent. And both those varieties are pretty darn good re taste.

As to superior taste for some hybrids over some heirlooms , well, we all have our opinions and all are valid for each person. The only hybrid series that has varieties that have good taste, IMHO, are the Harris hybrids such as Jet Star, Supersonic, Moreton Hybrid and similar. Have you tried them?

Productivity? I'll match your hybrids with the heirlooms of my choice re productivity.( smile)

Carolyn, who continues to grow hybrids from time to time so she knows for herself what's up, so to speak. But she essentially gave up growing hybrids as a major endeavor maybe 20 years ago.

Burpee's 4th of July is about a 55 day plant and has an excellent taste, also Stupice and Moskovich are around 60 days.

Paul

This message was edited Monday, Feb 17th 10:40 AM

Hi - Am a new subscriber recently relocated to Colorado (my home state) after several decades of gardening in the SouthEast . Conditions, needless to say, are very different here. Anyone have suggestions on successful tomato growing here? Very alkaline soil and DRY conditions. (Some talk of restricting planting after May3 and watering is going to be a challenge with mandatory outside watering limits.