Welcome, Johnny! Here's what I'm thinkin' 'bout the dealio. What kind of tomato is that 'un? If it is a hybrid tomato, you might be disappointed at the results. If is an heirloom (aka open-pollinated) type. This website is a rich source of knowledgable people, so take advantage of it. And for Pete's sake, if you fail, try again, and again... Nobody ever learned all this stuff overnight. And most of all, remember.. "Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed." Best!

Hello. I have to ask those that say they love Scarlet Runner Beans: how small should they be to pick and eat, and how do you prepare them?! I've been growing SRBs for about 5 years but have always treated them as an ornamental because I read too many times that they shouldn't be eaten! :( I've also grown various heirloom tomatoes over the past 5 or 6 years... the only hybrid I'd ever grow again is Sun Gold (which is FANTASTIC!), but I bought more seed 2 years ago and it didn't come true. So disappointing! :( Funny... I grew Principe Borghese this year for the first time... the plants were perfect little specimens. They were LOADED with tomatoes. And they tasted like crap to me! lol! I tasted them fresh. blech. So I dried a batch. more blech. Maybe they had that blight but just didn't show it?! The heirloom tomatoes that I *have* to grow every year now are: - Pink Brandywine. I don't know which strain I have (got in trade), but they're huge and fantastic. - Oxheart. Huge and fantastic and nothing but "meat". I struggle to find enough seeds in them to save for each year! - Green Zebra. LOVE the taste and appearance, and the plants are smaller and always so productive for me. - Cherokee Chocolate. This was introduced as a mutation from the tomato man that reintroduced CP and I much prefer the color and flavor. - Kellogg's Breakfast. Huge, great taste, and just BEAUTIFUL color. - Gold Nugget. Not the best taste, but pretty and the most productive tomato ever for me -- and always the first ready to be picked! :) I've stuck with them for more than 10 years. lol! I only have small veggie gardens, but other heirloom tomatoes I like and have grown more than once include Stupice (early!), White Wonder (AMAZING texture!), and Matt's Wild Cherry (too cute and *very* flavorful!). There are some I've tried that I won't bother with again, and so many that I've never tried! aftermidnight: I plant my tomatoes very close and have been saving seed for years without bagging. Haven't had them cross yet. I read about how they self-pollinate and the chances of them crossing are very slim.

Lots of things, but I need to plant most seeds in August or early Sept. to grow into the fall. I have a lettuce mix and mache planted late Aug., spinach planted around the same time. I planted some bush beans beginning of August, they are blossoming now and I hope we get a harvest before 1st frost. I planted carrots end of July and they are ready now, but I will leave them in the ground til frost and pick as needed before the ground freezes.

Sungold is like the "kudzu of tomatoes". Last summer I had to hire a local tree trimmer to climb the plant and harvest the tomatoes near the top. You almost need a cherry picker to pick those cherries! I was thinking my plants were also a bit sluggish, but realized it's probably a bit of a psychological illusion because we're experiencing late May/early June weather in early April. The sunny mid/upper 80's days make me think they should out in the garden now, but in reality, I only started them from seed less than a month ago. They were potted up a few days ago, and are finally starting to show some above the soil line growth.