Tomato Tuesday 2016

Windmere...Gilbertie looks a lot like Opalka or Jersey Devil.

Getting my first ripe ones for this season... some Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes...

Wow! That is going to be sooooo delish! And your photo is crispy clear. What do you use?

CC

landarch wrote:Windmere...Gilbertie looks a lot like Opalka or Jersey Devil.

I've heard that before.  Evidently they all have droopy leaves.  Very temperamental fellows... everything makes them droop!

Kate, that is a very crisp photo.  Enjoy that first fruit!

CapeCoddess wrote:Wow!  That is going to be sooooo delish!  And your photo is crispy clear.  What do you use?

CC

Believe it or not, I shot that with my phone camera. This one (Samsung Galaxy 6) has exceptional optics for a smart phone. Macro focus is also a nice plus for any camera.

Totally disgusted with tomatoes. I looked up my planting schedule and discovered that these were all planted from seed early in March. It's now late June and all I have are a half-dozen green tomatoes on over a dozen plants. I no longer care what varieties they were -- I will not plant any of them again (I have the names -- just don't know -- or care -- which are which). 

Yesterday I planted 4th of July, Super Snow White (cherry), and crimson beefsteak. I also found a volunteer -- about 6" high -- in my pipevine patch, so I transplanted that one into a nice big container and put it in the sfg. Maybe it will give me something good.

CN, did they not transplant well? Did you start them inside, or do you not have to? Or is it the varieties, maybe? New stuff?

CitizenKate wrote:Getting my first ripe ones for this season... some Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes...

Beautiful photo CK. That tomato just pops right out of the picture! 

Scorpio Rising wrote:CN, did they not transplant well?  Did you start them inside, or do you not have to?  Or is it the varieties, maybe?  New stuff?

Everything went fine. I started them from seed in the house. They transplanted beautifully. I think the varieties were all exotic heirloom things from Russia and its neighbors. Maybe they'll be something really special when they finally get around to it, but I WANT TOMATOES NOW! Grrrrrrr!

Suz, I assure you that you are not the only one who does not yet have tomatoes. I started my seeds mid-March this year and there no ripe, or even slightly ripe tomatoes yet. I'm growing Black Krim, Rutgers, Green Zebra, Chadwick Cherry, and Sweetie Cherry. Last year I didn't get cherry tomatoes until late July, and real tomatoes not until August. I think I'm a few weeks ahead of that this year. It is frustrating seeing everyone else with their tomatoes when I don't have any yet.
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A question about tomatoes, regarding removing the suckers, I'm finding new ones below where I'm expecting. Do they grow in out of order: a lower one might not start until after one above it has already been removed? Or can they make a new sucker in a spot where one has already been removed? (...Or am I really missing removing that many in the first place?)

Patience, patience ...

I am only now seeing a few flowers on my tomato plants which I started indoors six to eight weeks before last frost date and which were transplanted outside around the third week in May.  I am weeks away from eating tomatoes from my garden.

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:
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A question about tomatoes, regarding removing the suckers, I'm finding new ones below where I'm expecting. Do they grow in out of order: a lower one might not start until after one above it has already been removed? Or can they make a new sucker in a spot where one has already been removed? (...Or am I really missing removing that many in the first place?)

They sometimes grow back after removing them. And occasionally I'll find one growing up out of the ground attached to the stem.

CapeCoddess wrote:

They sometimes grow back after removing them. And occasionally I'll find one growing up out of the ground attached to the stem.

Yup! This week I had to remove some suckers that were coming out of the ground attached to the stem.

Thanks, Everyone. I feel better knowing I'm not the only one suffering from tomato envy.  I just started 4th of July seeds, and they're supposed to be super early. If they really do produce in 49 days, that's what I'll lead off with next year (or find something even quicker between now and then). 

CN, you live in CALIFORNIA! You can grow stuff year round! No worries! Lol! We panic out here because we basically have 4 hot veggie months.

You are go,den, my dear!

Scorpio Rising wrote:CN, you live in CALIFORNIA!  You can grow stuff year round!  No worries! Lol!  We panic out here because we basically have 4 hot veggie months.  

You are go,den, my dear!

LOL! You read my mind. I can start over and still have another 120 days for summer crops. It's a good thing, too, cuz I seem to be doing more things wrong than right.  I'm learning, however. 

I finally have something to report. Here is my first almost-ripe tomato.


This next one was a rescue from an end-of-season plant sale. I think they stopped watering a few days before and this poor guy was so limp I took it into the ladies room and gave it a drink before checking out. I don't think it would have made it home alive, otherwise. By the next morning it was fine and it's been growing about an inch a day ever since.


This is my biggest tomato plant. The tomatoes are all still green, but there are lots of them and these little guys are over my head, hanging onto an oak tree for support (the plant outgrew its cage).


Finally, Katie got a donation of little peat pots with 2 varieties of tomato seeds -- giant tomato tree and early tomato. (No other info). I figured they were too old to be viable, but I planted them anyway and both varieties are now up. I planted the rest (about 16 3-packs) this morning. When they get their true leaves, Katie will take them to the thrift shop to sell. I know it's late in the season, but it was all free, so it's worth a try.

I ate 4 Sungold cherries this past weekend...nothing like a garden tomato. Nothing. Cannot wait for my first legit big mater on a BLT.....mayo (Hellman's), white bread toasted....

Sungolds are new for me this year. Sure is a winner for snacking. I was eating them when they were yellow, then found out they actually turn deep gold.

I grew 'Sungold' last year and they were just as good as advertised.  I have lots of tomatoes and loads more of blooms but nothing near ripe yet.  Weather is supposed to be summery this week (re: HHH; hazy, hot and humid) just what they like so hopefully my first cherry tomatoes will be ready soon.

Yes, in fact I bought them by mistake; they were mislabeled as Sweet 100 or Sweet Millions...and then they were orange!  And what a producer!  That plant bent my steel support by the end of the season!

I WANT SOME! WAAAAAA! I will definitely put sungold on my shopping list for next year.

I love to dry Sungolds and Sunsugars.  They sure are prolific and tasty, but 2 plants out produce what we can keep up with most years, hence the drying for winter snacking.  This year's plants are covered with flowers and green fruit.  Nothing near ripening yet.

This year has been slow for my tomatoes.  I am not sure why, they were planted early and had no set backs.  The paste tomatoes have been doing that languid thing that many of those varieties are known for.  A couple days ago I decided they were not just being normally languid but complaining and I gave them an epsom salt foliar feeding, them and the peppers and the beans.  Everything is looking more robust again.

Turan, how do you mix the Epsom salt foliar feeding? And you use a dehydrator? I am brave enough to do that....any suggestions? Maybe I will dive into the archives.....

O I am exceedingly high tech on that foliar feeding.  I have a 2 gallon old fashioned watering can, one with a rose head on the spout.  I mix 1 tablespoon per gallon, mixing well, and then sprinkle over the plants madly swinging the can.  Everything gets good and wet including me. 
It takes 4 full cans (8 gallons) to fully water the foliage in the greenhouse.

What I have read is that epsoms salts are most effective when foliar fed.  There is some controversy about why it sometimes helps in soil that is not deficit in magnesium and/or sulfur.

Epsom salts works best on soils that are... Slightly deficient in magnesium Alkaline (show high pH) as in western areas Old, "weathered," and acidic (with low pH) soils of the Southeast and Pacific Northwest High in calcium and potassium (western soils)