Re: Tomato Tuesday Thread (N&C Midwest)..

[busygirl]

The bags are to prevent cross pollination so I can save seeds

Are those special bags specifically for covering up blooms busygirl? My Romas are blooming so much earlier than everything else that I don't think I'll have to cover them, but I have other heirloom varieties that I'm going to want to try saving, and though I've heard of covering the blossoms, I don't know what you use to do it!

I made them out of a cut up row cover. I had never used a row cover in the garden before making these, but upon opening the package, it was suspiciously like the very lightest sew-in interfacing available at fabric stores (cheaper and you can buy only what you need). They are sewn on three sides and have a casing tube for a drawstring. I used leftover ribbon as the drawstrings. The gathered fabric as you tighten the drawstring cushions the stem and prevents the ribbon from cutting into it while sealing the cluster off from intruders.

After fruit sets on these clusters, I will isolate clusters from another plant of the same variety with the same bag, but I only use a particular bag for one type of tomato in case there is any pollen inside the bag.

If I ever use up the rest of the row cover I bought, I will probably switch to the interfacing for bags.

If you are interested in seed saving, my go to reference is Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth.

[HieronRemade]

Hey thanks for the info, I really appreciate it! I would never have thought of the interfacing stuff you're talking about so that's good to know; I'll definitely check that out.

[jymarino]

These are the toms I have growing, and can recall the names of w/o going back outside.
Sweet 100
Pink Girl
Heirloom roma

and three others I can't recall the names of.

All have good blooms, the sweet 100 has tons of green fruit, and a couple others have a few fruit. I just added some crushed tums to most of them to prevent BER since the Zucchini next to them is having a problem. I am hopeful that we'll have a bumper crop of toms and are able to save some for the winter.

[Goosegirl]

I just dug in some powdered goat's milk and epsom salts around all my new transplants from 'volunteers'. I messed with their roots pretty good while digging and transplanting them and that can throw their little systems into shock for a while. By the time they are feeling better the calcium and magnesium should be useable by them. Only time will tell - I am doing a pretty good job ob beating up my seedlings this year!

GG

[herblover]

I never seem to quite make it to posting on Tuesday.............but my tomatoes are growing! All 3 have blooms and I see the first little fruit on the 'Black Prince'!

[HieronRemade]

I never seem to quite make it to posting on Tuesday.............but my tomatoes are growing! All 3 have blooms and I see the first little fruit on the 'Black Prince'!

Grats herblover! All my Romas have two sets of blooms but none have started fruit yet; I'm going nuts to see that first flower fall off to reveal a little tomato.

[CindiLou]

How far away from each other does tomato plants need to be to not worry about cross pollination without the bags? I have brandywine and purple cherokee that i would love to save the seeds from but didn't think about cross pollination. Not blooming yet so I COULD cover.

[HieronRemade]

HERE'S a pretty good article about tomato pollination that I think you might find informative...they say that you should have different varieties at least 20-25 ft. away from each other, with a pollen producing plant in between.

On the other hand, I've also read somewhere that tomatoes are all self-pollinating, and that the chance of cross pollination is slim...I'm not going to bet on that though!

[mijejo]

@busygirl:
Does the interfacing allow water (rain) to penetrate as well as sunlight, or do you have to lift the cover to water?

[busygirl]

@busygirl:
Does the interfacing allow water (rain) to penetrate as well as sunlight, or do you have to lift the cover to water?

I do not take the bags off. I only have the flower cluster covered, so watering isn't an issue. Plenty of air circulates through the bag, but I do shake the dew off in the morning before I go to work so that the wet cloth isn't clinging to the leaves inside. I have never had the leaves burn from the wet cloth, but I think it could happen.

[busygirl]

Whoo hoo!!! Here they come!!















Yesterday was rainy with a high of 75, today's high was 93. Some of my plants almost steamed themselves from the change in temp and the saturated soil, but mostly they are loving the heat today. Especially the tomatoes and peppers!!

[MasonGarden]

Here's my update for this week:

Hard to see from this angle, but in front from left to right: Cherokee Purple, Celebrity, San Marzano, and Beefsteak.


I also have a Yellow Pear and a Cherry tomato (donated to the cause by Glendale-Gardner) in this same box, but you can't see them in this photo. They are the only tomato plants that don't have blossoms yet, but I know they're coming!

The Totem tomato plant that I added to my watermelon box last weekend is starting produce my first tomato babies!

[Goosegirl]

Well, I had planned to have pics for this week, but since we are in a Flash Flood Watch and the rain has not stopped since midnight, and is expected to continue until tomorrow night, I have not gotten out to get pics!

All but 2 of my seedlings are volunteers from last year. I plan on bagging a branch off each plant so that if I like what I ended up with I have seeds to try again next year. The last bunch of seedlings that I found were in an area that can only be a rogue Roma that I have grown from volunteers for the last 3 years, or a Goose Creek with questionable cross-pollination. If it ends up a round shape and bigger than a Roma, I may have a new Goose Creek cross. If it is, I will have to call it a Goose Girl!

GG

[BackyardBirdGardner]

Looks like we are all on the same track. I, too, took the picture approach focusing solely on the setting fruits!

Onward and Upward(fruit in lower right corner)


Cherry


Grape


Beefsteak


Well, and a sunflower, too! I probably have a dozen of them opening now.


See you next week!!

[CindiLou]

My little tomatoes are growing. These are Patio tomatoes.





And a baby zucchini!!

[HieronRemade]

Wow looks like setting fruit is the theme this week! I guess I shouldn't disappoint.

Most of my Roma's are setting:

A lot of my other varieties are smaller and just now starting to flower...I was surprised at how different some of the blossoms are compared to those on the Romas!

I do have a question - I know I've seen on here how curling leaves indicates a nutrition deficiency in the plants, but if that's happening will it be in all the leaves on the plant? On the majority of my plants, the bottoms sets of leaves are getting curled and ugly, and I'm not sure if that's a normal part of life for a tomato plant, or if it's a problem. Here are some examples:

As you can see (hopefully), most of the plant is fine - it only seems to be the bottom branches that are having the problem. Last year I had a traditional garden, planted the tomatoes pretty close together, and didn't really stake them, so if this happened I probably just couldn't see it, but I'm just not sure. If anyone who has more experience could elucidate this I'd really appreciate it!

[BackyardBirdGardner]

I've never had a problem with curling leaves...until this year. Most of mine are just the bottoms of the plants like yours. I'm not worried at all. I threw a little Epsom Salts around the bases in case it's an issue absorbing nutrients. But, Epsom Salts can also be used to make the fruits taste sweeter from what I've read (which is why I bought the salts in the first place several years ago).

However, I have one plant that is curling on every leaf and hasn't grown. I discovered today that I accidentally thought the growing tip was a sucker and snipped it more than once. I likely sent the plant into shock. It's starting to recover....because I ignored it.

Most times we overmanage our gardens. SFG is NO exception because the concept is such low maintanence by it's very nature. My suggestion would be to simply let time run it's course for a week or two. If the plant seems to keep growing, ignore the curling. If the other leaves curl up, take another picture and we'll all discuss it. For now, though, just keep an eye on it.

[Hyzleyes]

I'm seeing pretty decent fruit on my well established tomato plants (2 Early Girls, 2 Better Boys and a Super sweet 100).

Having trouble posting pics right now, but I'll try again in a bit.

Supersweet 100:



Early Girl:



Better Boy:



Last week I also planted 3 Lemon Boy, a Kentucky Beefsteak, a Roman Candle and a Yellow Pear. There was already a tomato starting on the Yellow Pear, but the new plants were all pretty yellow and stragly looking. There are blossoms on all of them now, but they're still a little rough looking. Hoping they cheer up soon!

[HieronRemade]

Hey Hyzleyes - Idk if it's just me or if something's wrong on your end, but your pics aren't showing up.

[Hyzleyes]

Hey Hyzleyes - Idk if it's just me or if something's wrong on your end, but your pics aren't showing up.

Hmmm... I haven't been able to post them yet. And now I don't even have an edit button on my post. Not sure what's going on. I tried restarting my netbook in case that was the issue, but it doesn't look like it's done anything for the better. For lack of any other ideas, maybe I'll try it again.

[Hyzleyes]

Ahhhhh! I think I figured it out. The photos I was trying to post were in RAW format. Apparently that doesn't work. I saved them in jpeg so here goes.

Super-sweet 100:


Early Girl:


Better Boy:


I need to get some better pics of the smaller, new plants. You might see them in the foreground a little bit, but the back row are the more established plants.


Also not pictured, I have four rooted suckers in pots and one more on the window sil growing bigger roots. Some of them have blossoms on them. Any chance they'll grow enough to have some fruit yet this season?

[HieronRemade]

Oh good I'm glad you figured it out. Your tomatoes look great! As far as your suckers, I'm not an expert but I'm pretty sure you should cut any blossoms until it's well established in-ground.

[Hyzleyes]

As far as your suckers, I'm not an expert but I'm pretty sure you should cut any blossoms until it's well established in-ground.

Thanks! I guess that makes sense. I'm really not sure what I'm going to do with them since I have my squares pretty crowded as it is. I could find bigger pots to put them in, but I don't have any extra MM. DH is in the middle of putting in a new patio and won't hear any discussion of new boxes. I'd really like 4 more, but had agreed to wait on those until next year. And I hate to collect all of the composts, etc just for a few pots. I really wish I had just made up some extra in the first place.

[unmadecastle]

Well I know it is not Tuesday BUT... It has finally stopped raining here and the sun is shining!

I have been outside in my garden today taking pictures, removing suckers from tomatoes and looking for other new things.

This is my Sweet Cherry 100. There are 7 little guys here.



My tomatoes are all getting taller. This one is a Better Boy!


I have one tomato in a bucket and I put a tomato cage on him today! (I don't have a a picture of him though).

[Goosegirl]

Well I know it is not Tuesday BUT... It has finally stopped raining here and the sun is shining!

I have been outside in my garden today taking pictures, removing suckers from tomatoes and looking for other new things.

This is my Sweet Cherry 100. There are 7 little guys here.



My tomatoes are all getting taller. This one is a Better Boy!


I have one tomato in a bucket and I put a tomato cage on him today! (I don't have a a picture of him though).

I have Tomato Envy, Unmade! Your baby toms look great! I am still a few weeks away from having blossoms and babies. But my seedlings all look healthy and happy after the long heavy watering they have had lately (can you hear the sarcasm there?) and with the heat of yesterday (and hopefully today) they will shoot up another several inches!

GG

[Sponsored content]