LOL, I did that about 4-5 years ago.

Just to fan the flames,
Better Boy, Margo, Sun King, and of course Champion II
All do great here too. ;-)

I promised Cindeea I would send her my left over seeds,
I've got to get them organized and send them to her.

Corrie

Yep, I hear you Tom, the weather is miserable but I am going to easily break my Photovoltaic generation record this month :>)

Can't wait to try brandy boy if you think it better than brandywine!

Like I told you, by brandywines (bonnie seeds) do not appear that they could be any happier. They are in my raised boxed only 16 in deep and the soil temp is higher than any of the other containers, go fiqure ?

I have been raiding people's trash in the neighborhood. Some 10 A/C ducting that fits nicely around the 5 gal SWC and the temp today in the insulated one was more than 12 degrees cooler in the water container than in the non insulated one sitting next to it.May be the trick to container growing in late spring when it really gets hot.

Also got some old fencing material a neighbor was replacing and built a garden workbench. Will start a thread on using "junk" soon.

See you at ECHO on Sat,
bernie

Corrie - sure, pour kerosene on the fire ;-) Cindee better be ready for a boat-load of seeds Saturday!

Bernie - Treefrog turned me on to Brandy Boy's, the thing about them is the PRODUCTION! Did I mention how many maters you'll get :-)

That's a great idea with the A/C ducting, mine are all in bunkers but the exotics are still suffering, course, not being a engineer I'm not measuring the soil or water temps ;-) See you Saturday....

Tom
Did you get to do a taste between the Indian Stripes and the Cherokee Purple?
If not, I will do the taste for you.lol.

You should meet my neighbor, he is complaining about the Goose Creek I gave him. I gave him others too, one of those your true and tried Beefmaster. I will go and take a look at his garden, to see how he is doing.

If they are growing tomatoes at Echo, ask all the questions and let us know...

I don't know what everyone's problem is with Goose Creek.
They're doing great here.
Two plants. One in a pot, one in the soil.
Both healthy and productive with no spraying. I'm getting two or three a day. And wonderful tomatoes. Everybody here is raving about them!

Cherokee Purple was great earlier, but now is dead. One plant maybe two dozen fruits, well loved by everyone.

Health Kick were the most productive tomato I've grown, for a paste type. Mucho salsa and bruschetta! Now got TSWV, but done anyway. I had two plants, tons of tomatoes. In 7 gallon pots.

Brandyboy is a great producer of Brandywine type tomatoes, Glad you're enjoying it too, Tom. Got my seeds from Tony!

Corrie, LOL, I sent Cindeea a lot of my leftover seeds last year. Bet she's cursing me now. Hope not though.

Tom, your Indian Stripes are just sizing up lately. Still green, but plants are healthy. Pot in pot planting. Hope the 7 gallon pots are big enough. Looking forward to them.

Wish I could be at ECHO with you all, but no. St. Patty's party at a friend's Saturday. Will bring them lots of maters.
Looking forward to reading your experiences.

Tom
Did you get to do a taste between the Indian Stripes and the Cherokee Purple? If not, I will do the taste for you

No Swilly, my fall maters were producing until mid-February so the new sets have only been in the ground a month...maybe that's too late going into the dry season, for exotics.

I have some Goose Creek seedlings that for some reason didn't take off until now. I'm going to set them and cut them back during the summer...we'll see what happens.

Sorry you can't make it to ECHO

Tom, your Indian Stripes are just sizing up lately. Still green, but plants are healthy. Pot in pot planting. Hope the 7 gallon pots are big enough. Looking forward to them.

Wish I could be at ECHO with you all, but no. St. Patty's party at a friend's Saturday. Will bring them lots of maters.

Looking forward to reading your experiences.

Tree, sorry you won't be at ECHO, Cathy gave up being in a St. Pat's parade to come with me...I feel kinda bad, but not really ;-)

In fairness to the CP & IS I've got them in 5 gallon containers as they are in 7 gallon bunkers on the narrow side of my boardwalk, it might be that the extra few gallons make a difference, but I grew the Brandy Boy's there in 5 gallon containers and they produces buckets of maters. At any rate, the CP & IS are burning up leaves/stems so I'm not very hopeful.

Tom

tom, have you considered some shade cloth? cheap and easy.

I used shade cloth in Phoenix, it works!

tom
sorry to hear about your troubles. Some of my winter plants are starting to fruit: Galina (pink cherry), Omars Lebanese, Carol Chyko's paste, and theres another can't remember. Many others are in the blooming stages.

And of course I broke down and have seedlings of one that I wanted to give a better chance to: Rosa's Gaint Paste, which did horribly in the ground so this time she's getting potted.

Neves Azorean Red won the prize for biggest tomato for the winter, even planted in the ground. Many big ones still ripening (we didn't get freezing here).

Later I'll post a list of what did well for me in the fall season and what I'm growing this winter.

Lastly, I followed the lead of others and got some whitefly resistant seed from tomatogrowers.com and insanely started of few of those seeds to maybe get me thru til fall.

Goose Creek died yet again on me (this is it's 3rd and last try). I have Brandy Boy in a pot growing now. We'll see. I grew it a year ago and was no great shakes but who knows why.

More later

Denise

shade cloth...

Not ready to go there yet, probably will just stick with the tried and true.

Some of my winter plants are starting to fruit....

Did you cut them back and keep them, or do you mean they are just starting to fruit now for the first time?

Did you cut them back and keep them, or do you mean they are just starting to fruit now for the first time?

I should be more specific :-)

My fall season tomatoes are mostly done although a couple of stragglers are still bearing lovely fruit, mostly the big boys: Neves Azorean Red and KBX (a Kellogs Breakfast cross).

Some of my winter season babies have started to fruit: Omars Lebanese, Galina pink cherry, Joes German Pink, Snow White cherry, Amish Yellow. These were started in late December (I think without looking at notes).

All others not named are in bloom headed to fruit soon with this great weather, cool enough to set fruit and warm enough to grow fast. My favorite tomato time of the year.

Denise

Got it Denise, thanks. You going to ECHO tomorrow?

Also I need to follow up with my report on the "cutting" idea I tried to do to continue some of my favorites from the fall tomato season. It was only semi successful. I have a few plants rooted from the mother plants(Ron's Giant Paste and the no-name labelled as Marianna's Peace (it isn't). Also have a KBX rooted. Many others cuttings died horribly in the attempt.

Personally I do better from seed than rooting, but will continue to try everything and anything. You do get a bigger plant faster to bloom with rooting though. It's just a pain.

Denise

Hey Guys...PROMISE ME ==NO MORE SEEDS!! lol I am reading all your troubles, my tomatoes are looking wonderful and the round is starting to ripen: Dr. Carolyn, Florida 91 Taladega(or what I think it is other than it could be Strawberry or Heart) and more tomatoes getting into the swing every day. All my plants look incredibly healthy...what am I doing RIGHT>?? lol (NO MORE SEEDS-please)

Tom no way i could just grow 3 of the bigger types,i think you are bluffing. lol

I have been out on the road the past week and should be back home monday.When i left out all plants were doing great exept one of my florida pinks,it had some yellowing of the newer leaves kind of like what tylcv looks like but not as bad.I had not noticed any whiteflys so maybe it is something else and the plant will be ok.

So far im realy happy with als mix and the container in container in the ground method,thanks Tom.Im also happy with the way the emitter watering system i got from lowes is working,i have one emitter to each seven gallon pot.Sure makes it easy for my neighbor to keep them watered.I should have alot of fruit set when i get home,they all were blooming when i left out.

As for goose creek i had problems with germination on seeds i got from one source but the ones i got from treefrog are doing great.Burbank is really growing like mad .This is the best start i have had but things can change in a hurry,i need fruit set and i need it now lol.You can bet im paying attention to what ones are setting the most and which ones set thru april.This wqill be my last spring of growing so many different varieties,lol why did i say that.

kirk

Tom no way i could just grow 3 of the bigger types,i think you are bluffing. lol

Seriously, I do this for the best PRODUCTION of TASTY tomatoes... I really have found my half-dozen varieties and I am done experimenting, don't forget how SMALL my garden is, In previous years I've given them up 60% of my space but now they 25% of the space so they have to be great producers and great tasting.

Im also happy with the way the emitter watering system i got from lowes is working,i have one emitter to each seven gallon pot.Sure makes it easy for my neighbor to keep them watered.

How about some pictures of the emitter setup. I've got to do something, been thinking about 5 gallon SWCs with a gravity-feed float-value system connected to rain barrels.

I hope when you get home everything is as pretty as when you left!

Tom

My yellow pear is doing the same thing. I thought those were supposed to be easy.

Anna

Actually, I am having the same problem here, no rain and lots of SUN!! What I did was...I am using one of my lightweight frost cloth. I have a tomato cage and I hang the frost cloth on there and use clothespin to keep them up...it lets around 70% sunlight, and keeps it a little shaded from the hot afternoon sun. Today is forecated to be 86°, so its been working out quite well. I also see the soil is staying a little moister than w/out the cover.

Tom
I have tasted a lot of tomatoes in my life and yours were very tasty!
The idea about the SWC containers and the rain barrels is excellent. Rain barrels is one of the projects for our future.

When it was over 90 in Phoenix and we had no rain, I watered in the heat of the day to cool the plants down. Sometimes I even misted the leaves. Because with no rain I would get spidermites.

Anna
I am growing 40 different varieties of tomato plants. From this varieties I gave my neighbors and friends (inexperienced gardeners) some to try out. Everybody got something different.

Now, in my garden, a little unknown variety is doing the best (by looks alone), is not ripe yet. Is called "organic tomato". The one neighbor that I gave this variety said the same thing. I will report on the taste.

puglvr1
Very good idea about the frost cloth, we might as well use what we have already.
I did the same thing in Phoenix with individual pots. I had a raised bed with shade cloth. And individual pots got the lightweight frost cloth, I think is called insect barrier . Other pots went under the trees and got filtered light. I also planted them on the east side of the house and they only got morning sun.

Good luck with your tomatoes everybody!

tom this is what i got.I may get some pics up someday.

Here is a link that might be useful: lowes drip irrigation

ok, just so I'm clear on this.
Cindeea, you don't want any more seeds, right? ;-)

I'm down to just four varieties this spring.
Three that are supposed to show some TYLCV resistance:
Margo
Sun King
Champion II

and one I know has resistance:
Homestead wild

Guys, I've been using 40% Aluminet for a few years. I have to put it up around the middle of June down here, and it will keep some of them going through Aug for me.

Also, If you're using black nursery pots, wrap them in cheap bubble wrap packing stuff, then wrap that in heavy duty aluminum foil. That keeps the pots cool.

I don't like the idea of putting pots in the ground for us. We have nematodes real bad. So I keep my pots elevated off the ground and make sure no roots go through and touch the soil.
That way I can keep using the same potting soil over and over.

and also do not need those first letters that follow the name of a tomato.

Corrie

Silvia - You win the prize! Nobody else has asked for seeds so when I send your Asian seeds you'll be getting about 20 varieties for mater seeds too!

Kirk - thanks for the link. I'm off the last week of March and if you're not on the road I'd like to come see your setup.

Corrie - this first fall season when I pulled the maters some of them did have roots growing into the surrounding soil slightly but they were very healthy and no sign of any nematodes, I do like the idea of your method as a backup though if I do encounter unforeseen problems. What varieties have you been able to keep going through summer with Aluminet?

Tom

Tom, those are nematode highways. Also any soil virus/bacteria.

Anything with TYLCV resistance and heat set.

Margo and Sun King are easy ones.

Remember, I'm growing between two houses.
My house blocks the morning sun until about 11am.
The neighbors house blocks the hot afternoon cooking sun, after about 3pm.
I have the Aluminet on a frame coming out from my house, like a lean to greenhouse. That also shades/cools the side of my house and stops it from generating heat all night.

You would have all that sun reflecting off the water in the afternoon too.

Corrie

Tom
I guess I am the lucky recipient of a wealth of seeds!
I will put them to good use, I have a lot of people in my area growing a lot of things, is fun to hear what is doing well or not.
One of the friends had a Florida 91 died already, that was supposed to be the easy one.
I gave everybody instructions, and also the sprays that I use.
I get them in big sizes, so if you need anything, let me know...

Will do Silvia, I'm putting in 13-hour days until Thursday, I'll get your stuff in the mail then.

Tom

Tom
How are your blueberries doing?
I went to the lecture that Christine invited us yesterday. We learned a lot of things.
Some growers have them in pots with pine bark and fertilizers every other month. Also keep them moist, wet the bark before planting.
He said he uses rose tone fertilizer for his home pots.

We have them in the ground but I wasn't watering them or fertilizing. They were only getting the water once a week from the sprinklers.

Don't worry about the mailing of the seeds. I think you want to make me the new "Imelda Marcos" lol

Yup, I'll just start calling Imelda ;-)

My Blueberries are coming back beautifully. They are in Al's gritty mix in one gallon containers. I didn't sift the Turface so the mix holds water well. I think the big problem was the city water pH. Once I started adding white vinegar for the acetic acid they perked right up and have then been able to absorb the Foliage Pro fertilizer...same with my container citrus. I give them all a dousing with Foliage Pro 2.5ml/gallon and vinegar 30ml/gallon once a week.

Hey Kirk,

Where are you? If you're off next week I'd really like to come by and see your setup while I'm off for the week. I picked up five 4CF bags of perlite last time I was at Prosource, and coming from St. Pete it'd be nothing for me to swing by Tree Mart on my way if you need any 2CF bags of pine fines...(Tom, dangling the carrot :-)

Tom im pretty sure il be on the road all next week.I have been home since monday and will be going back out over the road friday if the have me a load.I doubt they will get me turned around and back to florida by next week.If you have a lowes close by you might go to the irrigation isle and look to see if they have any of the booklets there on the system,they did at the lowes where i bought mine.Tom if you email me at captnkirk2112@yahoo.com maybe i can give you my number and i might be able to explain it better.If you wanted to come by and look at it while im out on the road that would be fine too,id get you directions over the phone.I will be needing to get some perlite and fines for fall if i want to freshen my containers up,but then again i might just try to get my fall crop in the same mix and make a new batch for next spring.

Well the one florida pink tomato plant is history,im not sure if it was TYLCV or not but it sure looked alot like it.Plant had the usual stunted growth at the top,wish it wasnt such a pain to post pics or i would have taken some.I did notice some whiteflys on some of my plants.As for fruit set goose creek ,solarfire,and costuluto genovese are the only ones so far.I am noticing my plants that get full sun all day are not growing as fast as ones that have shade half of the day.I may need to have my neighbor water more often.He has been watering about every 6 days when im gone.I know that sounds like along time for als mix but he says they havent showed no signs of wilting.I know now that they are getting some size to them they will need water more often.He has alot of plants that i started growing over at his place.His plants at this point are out growing mine but he doesnt have no fruit set yet,he uses mirracle grow fertilizer so that may be why.He has some in the ground and some in containers,not als mix.Tom i sure hope my brandyboy does as well as yours.It has blossoms but no fruit yet.Maybe il download my camera software on this new computer and try to get some pics posted later today.

Tom email me sure like to talk to you.

kirk

Kirk,

I've done quite a bit of sprinkler design and installation, just wanted to see what you've done, and meet you. I'll email you tomorrow night, I'm whipped, just finished three thriteen hour days, two more eight hour days to go until I'm off for a week....

Tom

Heres some pics if i can remember how.

Here is a link that might be useful:

The pics that say spring 09 are the only ones from this year,others are from 07.If you double click on the pics they will enlarge to full size.

Here is a link that might be useful: