Spring Tomato Garden 2006 - 1

Heres's mine! Also have a few more varieties on order at TGS but they will be in the same early stages as the ones shown. I've found that when I get anxious and start them before the ides of March I have no room for DW in the van when starting for the summer home...so I wait

i just planted seeds on sunday. I cant wait to see a sprout!

LOL - Melissa...I just topped 300 varieties and now I'm stressing because I can only grow about 50 of them. Geesh - what a dope!

(This could be you!) LOL!

Sequee, I'm afraid I'm following you down that path.... I need only collect another 200 varieties or so....LOL my problem is, if I have them, I WILL plant them--I think it's a sickness.

Sequee

I am in the same boat you are. I have planted way more seedlings than I can grow.

Oh wow ... y'all have given me a mighty *fine* idea. I'll go plant some more tomato seeds. Then we can just plow up the back yard ... instead of mowing come summer!!! Hmmm, can just eat our way through the dang thang!!! LOL LOL
... Elaine

ok here are the first pictures of my babies...no makin fun of em...the are tiny little things next to these EB's and big ol planters!

going to have to change the covers...and use the white...even though the evil nasty rude EB people said black....also planted some cukes, please note that this year I did plant more than ONE so I should get more than just a pretty flower.

Way to go, Saint!!! Nice EB's!
... Elaine

Good job Saint. I finally got done potting up my plants planted on 1/31. I will do the ones I planted on 2/6 in a week or so.

So did you ask Tplant about the white verses black covers?

I Dmailed he and Fool both and they both replied white. So white it is...I knew we were right...Serg was being succch a GUY! :P~

Yay Saint - way to go! They're in the EB's and lookin' good. You'll be eatin' them maters soon. I hope you have a great crop this year.
Flip
ps - you too, Michelle

My babies are still very small. Just took the netting off the peat pellets and planted them with Jiffy mix into styrofoam and plastic cups. I hope that is okay since the cups are bigger than 3". But some of the cherry maters and the Hard Rock were so doggone tall, to bury them deep would not work in my 3" peat pots.

I couldn't believe how some of them had quite the large root system already...poking out of the jeffy pellet. I transplanted 70 of the little boogers yesterday. DH was a bit miffed that I spent all day doing that...he thought I'd weed the backyard since it was sunny and 82 outside...and he strongly hinted that I take care of the weeding.

I am really hoping that I do have an enormous crop this year Flip. My DH is making fun of my OCD with the maters and kind of being a toot about my hobby. He even teased that when we get our baby from China, if I'll take better care of the maters than her. UGH. So perhaps he will stop making fun of me if we have a huge abundance of yummy maters? I don't make fun of his geeky computer hobbies! Okay...well sometimes. :)

What can youtell me about the Hard Rock Tomato? I received some seeds in a trade, but I can't find any info on it.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/118954/index.html

Sequee, it is a determinate and suppose to be a red plum mater. It harvests in 80 days. I see Dill provided a link for you...I hope to see if it is good. Suppose to be tasty on salads.
Michelleb

Unfortunately the info in pf's is a bit ambiguous as it shows mid (69-80) and late (80+) as well as 18-24", and 24-36". I was hoping to get some hands-on info.

I think I will pass on it this season and wait for your report!
Thanks to both of you.

According to the package...it says it needs spacing of 36". It also said 80 days. I think the PFs if it is 80 days, you have to click on the lower days too to get up to 80. so it is confusing. the same w/height and whatnot. Pfs confuse me too but it was explained to me that when you enter a new plant, you can't just click on 80 days...

Maybe Terry could tell us more about that....

But I will let you know what I think of the Hard Rock. So far, the seedlings are doing really well. They were the next leggiest after my sungold and sweet100.

I look forward to the info!

Think of this way. Most of the criteria have a broad range in which they will fit. An 80 day tomato is considered a medium late tomato, but under some conditions you might get ripe fruit in 70 days and in others it might hold out for 90 days. But almost NEVER will it be exactly 80 days. As with height ,In this case 18-24 -24 36 usually means that depending on growing conditions the plants will for most growers fall beteen 20 -28 inches. Extremely fertile conditions may get huge plants in the three foot range, while poor conditions may give short plants well under 20 inches. Don't look for precision in growing vegetables, it is very elusive.

So the Hard Rock may only get to about 2 or 3'? That would be nice since my Delicious last year were about 10'. Of course, everything is bigger in Texas...so my Hard Rock might be bigger. I can't wait to taste one. I have a diary going on the Journal tab for anyone who is interested in checking out my tomato progress.

Here are my pic.s, go to http://www.twylightman.blogspot.com

GREAT job!! Tomato forest looks fantastic!! 4 y/o grand-niece took great pic too! So, where did you get an excess of 55 gal drums to cut in half? Your rain barrels look nicer than mine, but mine were free...

~ Suzi :)

mine are sprouting!!! yahooooooooo my lil granddaughter(3) was here today to check out the progress-she luvs her mators

beare, what a wonder blog!! What is it about tomatoes that makes us so goofy? Where is Commerce? If it is close to Austin, maybe I should come over and eat some of your abundance of maters when they start bearing fruit this year. hehe. Nothin' like inviting myself over, hu? I have a blog too, not about tomatoes, but about the other passion I have...DH and I adopting our daughter from China. Maybe I should do a tomato blog too? I have about 80 maters going right now..and people are calling me for their orders for seedlings. My best buddy's mom can't wait to get her hands on them.

Suzi, I saw 35 gal rubbermade-type containers at Big Lots the other day. They'd make a perfect Earthbox. Y'all have Big Lots up there?

notmartha, good job! we will want to see pictures of your new babies sprouting. And one of your lil granddaughter too please!!

Michelleb

I planted 216 tomato seeds today (a 72 cell package, 3 per) as follows

Michelleb - sure, they have Big Lots here. Approx how much were they? Mine are all usu in rich, fertile ground. No honey to get them and on single mom take-home pay, won't happen in the near future! No honey to dig either.

If I continue to expand, will need to make some fake EBs though! EBs would be better for my back, no digging... See, the rationalization starts!!

WHEN this tomato seed RR gets here, will determine just how many varities I am growing this year... But the official answer is: too many!! LOL How many dif varities do you have in your 80 seedlings? And most importantly, how many you keeping and growing??

Later ~ Suzi :)

here is a picture of Elizabeth Marie last summer with our mators

I have a new puter so all my pics are on the old one!
http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=1696688

i will have to get pics of all the sprouts

Elizabeth Marie is such a sweetie-pie!! ~ Suzi :)

Well, we have Rutgers about 6+" tall, ready to put out in 2-3 days after a couple of chilly nights coming up. Seedlings in the starter trays are just now starting permanent leaves so those will be a week or two.

Got in some strawberries and some escarole (all starter plants) today.

There is no way I have room for 260 tomato plants - hopeing to trade some of them to a friend who owns a landscapeing bussines for some compost.

All right Dyson - come clean!! It was really 260 as in the last post, not 216 like you pretended earlier, Ha ha ha!! (Hmmm - that does sound more like me!!!)

I don't have room for all the ones I'll be starting either, planning to give some away to good home! ~ Suzi :)

Wish ya'll could see this Park Whopper from last year, It's got new growth and is blooming! I have one tomato on the plant that is about to ripen so it's offical this plant has been alive year round. I'll take a picture of it in the morning when I get outside and work some new lime into the soil. I'm of course going to wait till the mater ripens to prune off the dead plant.

Saint

Repeat after me: I don't need more tomato seeds, I don't need more tomato seeds, I want, no forget that, I don't need more tomato seeds. Does anyone know anything about Millionaire that is offered by Baker Creek, although I don't need more tomato seeds. Just because Sequee has 300, I don't need them. I need to wait until next year so there will be something I can order then. I just want a FEW more.

I don't need more tomato seeds, I don't need more tomato seeds, I want, no forget that, I don't need more tomato seeds.

I'm tryin' Linda, honest I am! It's just so dang hard! ☺

Yesterday I found a list I made last fall of all the varieties I wanted to try this year. Wish I had found it before! I only acquired two of them. The other seven will just have to wait until next year. I can wait. I really can. Really, really. Really!

ARGHHH!!! I can't wait, I can't WAIT!!! ☺

Rhonda

DH had to drag me away from the seeds area at Lowes yesterday...kicking and screaming. ;)

notmartha, what an adorable child!!

Michelleb

Linda, I've got some Millionaire I can trade ya. LOL from Baker Creek