Silly I know but proud

I have several ripe tomatoes that I am going to pick today. It is so exciting to have tomatoes already.

Saint,
I think the Goliath Bush tomatoes are going to get 3 to 4 inch fruits. None of my Goliaths are even close to being ripe. The tomatoes that are ripening are the Patio, Husky Red Cherry, two unidentified bush tomatoes, and the Better Bush. The Bush Goliath, SunMaster, Lemon Boy and Cherokee Purple are not anywhere close to ripening.

Well I was worried I read someplace that to much sun could stress some of the plants and the green tomatoes would never start to ripen. What can I say I worry...it's what I do :)

BTW...you a CMC?

Well it seems that all of the new maters on the better bush have BER. I've taken them off and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the new blooms are BER free. I keep telling myself that it will take a few days/weeks for my watering with a meter to make a difference, but it's hard to wait.

Saint

Waiting sitnkss!

Blossom set spray is not for BER, Saint. I thought it was to help them make fruit, I didn't know it would keep them from falling off. I checked again today, and nothing is biting them, they are falling off the stem.

What is a CMC?

I garden organically, will see if it is organic approved. Seems like the ingredients are hormones. Time to call the extension agent...

Beautiful pics, Saint!

lol..no blossom spray is to help keep the blossom on and BER spray is to clear up the well...BER! *LOL* Tam you have to remember I'm ADD so I don't always follow the conversation. *G* Terrible habit I know but you think it's bad here you should try and live with me. I drive DH out of his mind.

Saint

Just called, and this is what I found:

Usually, the blossom set spray is not necessary (though I am ducking, as I am sure some swear by it). It is NORMAL (yeah!) for the first one or two sets of blossoms to drop off. They are not there to produce fruit, only to attract pollinators.

So I will stop panicking, if you will :-)

I am th one that suggested shade. We have no natural shade here, and full sun = 6 hours, so I rotate milk crates on the plants, and they are doing great!

well I was thinkin the lazy man's method of just having a shade cloth that I put on it around 3 or so in the afternoon. *G*

I meant to say that was a great idea. My plants are more spread out, so that wouldn't work for me...

auugh I hate BER! *bangs my head on they keyboard* I think it might be lime time.

Hey Saint, I just talked to my dad...he and my step mom are big gardeners...esp maters. He said it is definitely the overwatering that will cause BER. So that is my two cents.

I have tons and tons of blooms now on all but 2 plants. Gosh, I am so hoping some fruit is formed soon. I was at Randalls wanting to buy some maters...and they were $1.99/lb AND they looked like crapola. So I passed. ugh.

I know Mr. T has told me the same and I'm not watering em. I use a meter and if it doesn't say on the low end of moist I don't do it. It's killin me but I'm not doing it. But thanks for askin. All of my plants I did from seeds are bloomin like nuts so I can't wait to see a little baby mater on them.

drumming fingers while waiting for tomatoes to form on blossoms ...................................................................... this waiting is for the birds!

This message was edited May 24, 2005 11:40 AM

Overwatering and underwatering will cause BER. The sprays they sell don't work. I used it once and all it did was kill my prize plants. I have discovered that no matter what I do I still get some BER. Some species more so than others so just use a steady watering system so that you will have less problems and just pick off the sickies. You will still have more than enough tomatos for yourself. It really is not a big deal as every grower will have some sort of problem but BER and leaf miner are not the biggies so "Don't Worry -- Be Happy"

thank you tplant, I will rest easy and assured tonight. But I still won't have tomatoes tomorrow, BOOHOO!

Tamara,

Do you notice anything wrong with the post you made up there? There's no one else in the band but you and Mother Nature! And you should know enough not to play with around with Mother Nature. You'll turn green or red or something!

~* Robin

LOL...she got ya Tam!

I'm tryin Mr. T I'm tryin...but but...*snifffles* All the maters on that one plant have em...and it was my first mater.

(Now if all my other plants end up with it I'm coming down you FL with a Jeep full of plants for you to baby so I maters)

I am green with envy I suppose *G*

Is it just me, or did the window on this thread S---P---R---E---A---D out a bit? Is it my fault, for doing that stupid one-finger drumming?

Seems like my early maters were the kind that don't need pollination, I will look that up. If that is the case, does anyone know if that means that the very first blooms would produce fruit instead of falling off?

"Parthenocarpic" means not needing pollination. I have at least one type of that kind, three plants of Oregon Star, and I can see the buds beginning!!!

This message was edited May 24, 2005 7:11 PM

I dunno about the blooms...and yep the thread spread out..big time! BTW I'm going to get a list of my Left Behind books so you can figure out which one Mom needs so she can start. Expect them Monday ot Tue at the latest.

Saint

:-) Maybe someone should tell Dave about this, no other thread has done this. I am going to edit out my drums and see if that helps...

kk lets try that first....see if we can fix it without having to get help and bug em

yep, it was me! With no spaces in between those symbols, there was no space for a soft return...

Whew, that looks soooo much better now. Sorry everyone :-)

Tamara, you did it! Proud of you! I hate when someone has a location that is so long only get a short box w/about 30 spaces for the messages. Maybe I will do that in one of those, LOL

Is anyone/everyone joining in on the RR for tom seeds in the fall? Just wondering?! I am planning to. Wondering what you'd prob purchase to put in; trying to decide what I should purchase...

~ Suzi :)

I know I am, only going to have two types of my seeds to add but I'll buy some top quality seeds from Parker etc to toss in. I have my list made and it's very long. The DH is going to kill me! *LOL* I'll have EB's and pots next year at this rate!

I am in the RR. Probably have 20+ varities to put in, all purchased, most Organic...

I figured that will spend some money buying seeds for it. Since I can make trades w/some and keep the rest, that will hopefully double the kinds that I have. Next yr, I'd like to have at least 20-30 DIF types, more would be nice!

I say that, but if I keep taking up the tom space w/ fruit trees, won't have room... LOL Will have to figure out about bagging them, but only have couple that are OP and not hybrid. Rest will have to be purchased!

I think this is going to be a great RR too!! Can't wait! ~ Suzi :)

I had thought about the bags too. If I did that I could have about 20 plants but I'd have to figure out a way to sneak em past the DH. LOL Humm this reminds me I need to call our local treatment plant and see if they do compost like Drew got.

Saint

he thinks saving money? Tell him if can save seed of those you bag, can save money!!~ Suzi :)

Don't think that will work *G* I think the tomato I'm growing now are up to around 30 $ a lb. *LOL* they sure better taste great!

$30 pound?! What kind is that??? ~ Suzi :)

The kind you have to buy pots, potting soil, seeds, fertilizer, lime, stakes,water meters, PVC, netting, dust,spray and mulch for. *G* This is my first year trying to grow them so had to pretty much start from nothing.

oooohhhhhh, now I get it! I was spazzing there, sorry! LOL

I only bought the seeds, grew, then planted outside. Didn't think of the extra costs could have. I had to do it the frugal way, or couldn't do it at all, and I was def doing it! Did splurge to buy the the 5' cages, in 2003, the first yr. Now, have appropriated some of them, so have to do something else or buy more cages this yr too. [Great to use for blackberries...]

Thinking about putting up a big cage thing like you made too... good thing I had a couple yrs to save couple $$. What I would REALLY like is to find a way to make a containment that would not allow the birds and DEER into the area w/fruit trees!! ~ Suzi :)

the cage was not much but I would like to make it a little more stable. Next year it will be a house *G*

It's a given that would have to be very stable, to keep the darn deer out! Hopefully I can rig something up, since they are trying to eat my 3 cherries and nectarine. Anyone got any ideas for stronger? ~ Suzi :)

Well we seemed to make it after last nights flood. I am about to go out and put the maters back out in the sun (I yanked them out of the cage last night when the wind started to look like something out of the Wiz of Oz) We are expected to get rain again in the morning and for the rest of the weekend so I think I'll hold off on putting them back in the cage until I know what the weather is going to do. Dunno have to talk to the DH and see if he minds pulling them in and out.

Have a guestion though...prob sound stupid but..since they got so much water last night should I expect more wilting? I noticed yesterday afternoon when they wilted so badly that the leaves felt moist so seems to me they are "sweating" so my reasoning is that they might "sweat" more today because of all the excess water. Is this stupid? Just don't want to freak if they all look like limp noodles today.

Saint

We have not gotten any rain here.

That's cause it dumped right over my house *G* It was one of those earth tremble kinda storms for half an hour. I wish you could have seen me in PJs and the hubby in his boxers and a rain vest trying to get all the plants under shelter.

We got a little rain last night but nothing major. We are suppose to get major storms from this afternoon all the way thru Monday. So I'm holding off watering the maters. I haven't been out there yet today to check on them...I just got home from spending the night with my nieces...so I need to go out there and check on my mater children. I can't bring mine in since they are buried in the ground...LOL! It would be a funny sight to see you and your DH in your pjs draging in maters. hehe.

Boxers, eh? LOL What a sight :-) Hope they are wilting less. And it is raining less!

pj's and boxers... in the rain no less, what a pic you draw! ~ Suzi :)

Humm the plants or his boxers? *grin*