a report on fall season tomatoes

15 years ago

From my notes (yes they help) about growing tomatoes in the fall season

Seeds started July 17: Zogola, Earls Faux, Bulgarian #7, Russian Bogatyr, Goose Creek, Big Zac, Giant Oxheart, Neves Red Azorean, Cuostralee, Marianna's Peace, Black Cherry, Dr. Carolyn, Oplaka, Russian #117, Galina-Hazera (only hybrid)

all germinated 3rd week July--those big enough went in the ground just 8/22/08 after Hurricane Fay, others went in ground September.

These completely wiped out due to TYLCV: Cuostralee, Goose Creek, Earls Faux, Russian Bogatyr, Russian #117. Some others named above died too but not every seedling.

These are currently most productive: Galina-Hazera, Giant Oxheart, Marianna's Peace, Opalka.

My notes say first tomato (G. Oxheart) on 11/10 (small, cracked, wormhole) but things got better after a couple weeks :-)

October 1st-Stupice seeds were started and there are small fruits on several plants today 12/28.

Conclusions: it took 5 months from 1st seeds planted in September to get to the point of having a steady supply of tomatoes. However Stupice only took 3 months to get going and would have changed the date of first tomato.

Fall season is really warm and prevents blossoms from pollinating so next year I'll start seeds later (October?) and make sure Stupice is in the first batch.

There are other tomatoes growing now, started at various later times (Jersey Devil, Snow White, Giant Italian Paste, Early Goliath, Lillians Yellow (died) and second try on Cuostralee and Goose Creek (died 2nd time too) but nothing fruiting on them yet.

Today: started new seeds for the winter season, thinking ahead 8 weeks.

Growing tomatoes is fun but would be SO much easier without TYLCV. Everything else is controllable (except the heat/lack of pollination).

Denise

formerly naplesgardener

Photos WILL be posted next week (really)

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Comments (82)

corrie22
15 years ago
Susannah said:
"So now that I've burned my plants, any advice? "

I would take all the bad off. Don't overwater or over fertilize until you get some good growth starting again, then go light on the fertilizer. Fertilizer gives you big beautiful house plants, that are bug magnets, but few tomatoes.

" but I don't have any bugs anymore."

I'll bet you cleared out a 20 miles radius around your house! LOL

Let me ramble through what seed I have and let you know.
I started seed this past week again, but can't remember what I had.

Susie said:
"Thanks for the Epsom salts tip, Corrie."

You're welcome. ;-)

"Can anyone explain why Pantene works, and can I use the kind I already have, or does it have to be Clarifying? "

Not a clue. If I had to guess, I would say since it's a clarifying shampoo, it's made to cut through built up grease, oil, and residue - a real wetter. But since it's made for hair, it has to have something in it to keep from damaging your hair, or over stripping it.
Put together, it might cut through the insects protective wax, but not damage the plant.
Dunno

Alison, started this a couple of years ago in the tomato forum. Here's her original post about it:

"" http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tompests/msg1115262332106.html

"Posted by torquill z9/sunset15 CA (My Page) on Fri, Jan 6, 06 at 4:21

I know it's been a while since this thread was active, but I thought I'd pass on the solution I use... Pantene makes a shampoo called "Pantene Pro-V Clarifying shampoo". Pick up a bottle of that specific shampoo at your supermarket, then add a couple of drops to a spray bottle and spray all the leaves. Make sure to get the undersides of the leaves in particular. Repeat the spray two to three days later.
My experience with this stuff is that it nukes all stages of the life cycle, somehow. Regular insecicidal soap kills only the adults, but the shampoo seems to give good control for at least a couple of weeks. It's enough of an effect that I have a formal biology project planned to make a study of it, alongside insecticidal soap and malathion... If I manage to do the study, I'll spread the word on what I find. ""

I definitely have leaf curl virus, TYLCV. I thought I had TSWV at first. What it turned out to be was TYLCV with some bacterial spot thrown in for good measure.
Tried to trick me!

Now I guess it's either plant very early types and try to get a crop in before it hits.
Or try to find some varieties that are resistant.
What ticks me off is this year I did now grow my own seed, I bought all my early plants - from Bonnie.

The first batch of plants had BLS from all the rain in Belle Glade, so I sent them back. The second batch did not come from the farm in Belle Glade, because of all the rain they were still having there. Bonnie had to have them sent down from a grower in Georgia.

South Georgia

Mecca for tomato viruses.
imagardener2
Original Author
15 years ago
I know why I don't post photos more often, it's a pain in the ****. But anyway here they are :-)
Biggest producer-hybrid Galina
{{gwi:989250}}

Almost ripe tomatoes!!
{{gwi:989251}}

these are Marianna's Peace growing exuberantly so they got draped in the coconut palm
{{gwi:989255}}

mixed border-some dill-some tomatoes (the orange trees belong to my neighbors, that's their house)
{{gwi:989258}}

tomatoes next to Carnation rose with banana behind.
{{gwi:224577}}

Opalka-a paste tomato that is producing well
{{gwi:989260}}
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corrie22
15 years ago
At least you know how to take a picture and get it on the internet. ;-)

You're plants are much bigger than mine right now!

Denise, I can't find a source for Hazera seed anywhere. I emailed the lab in Bradenton, but they have not had time to get back to me yet.
Any suggestions on where I can look?

Thanks and Happy New Year everyone!
Corrie
imagardener2
Original Author
15 years ago
corrie
I haven't found a source for Hazera, they sell in bulk to commercial tomato growers. someone emailed me that they had a source but even with 5,000 quantity it was 10 cents a seed!! ($500 bucks for the math challenged)

there is a Hazera dealer in the Homestead area I think but that still prob. won't help unless you know a big grower who can provide seed.

My stash (gift) is down to a few seeds.

LMK if you find any. Hazera has 6-8 hybrids that are TYLCV resistant and I've grown 4 of them.

Denise
imagardener2
Original Author
15 years ago
corrie
I couldn't find your email address on file but found this seed source. They have Hazera seed: Polina, Tracie and Inbar (5,000 quantity). No Galina listed but you could ask.

Denise

Here is a link that might be useful: Hazera tomato seeds
flyingfish2
15 years ago
Hi, I am a newbie to list and growing tomatoes in S Florida, half way between Stuart and Okeechobee. My wife is the green thumb in the household. I planted Brandywine and Cherry tomato seeds in Oct. The cherries seem to be doing fine. Lots of small tomatoes, but the Brandywines bloom alot, but the flower withers and the whole thing drops off about 1/2 inch. Any suggestions ??

I made my wife a raised bed on east side of our hangar wall (12'X4'). We filled it with cow compost and dirt I dug out from palmetto from droppings. She also put some 6-6-6 under each plant. We purchased Beefsteak and Heatwave plants at WalMart. She chooses a pot with double plants, separates them and puts them in potting soil in clay pots. We then cut off 1 gal fruit plastic containers so that the bottom of the clay pot is held up about 4-5 inches from bottom of plastic. Put a wicking string in to bring water up from bottom to plants. She did this about end of Oct. We were gone for 16 days and the 5 inch plants were very healthy with blooms (2 feet tall) when we got back. She transplanted these 4 plants into the raised garden. They are doing great so far. About 50+ tomatoes between marble and tennis ball size. Her system must work. The clay pots were left on a screened south side porch. I would send pics but Denise scared me off :>)

The problem with 1/2 of all tomatoes eaten is almost definitely RACOON! Exactly what they do to my mango's. I have trapped 14 in the last two months. Possum's will typically devour a whole fruit before moving to next. I sweat the deer because we have seen tracks.

Man, I can't believe you guys planted 30 different variety of "maters"

Bernie
imagardener2
Original Author
15 years ago
Bernie
You are lucky to be married to a genius wife. I've only gotten TWO cherry tomatoes so far.

Moi scared you from posting photos? I thought I only scared people in person, lol.
Please please post photos, we all love them. Your wife must be much smarter than me in posting photos :-)

I defeat racoons by picking tomatoes when they hit the "break" stage. I asked over on the Tomato Forum and it was agreed that taste does not suffer. My neighbor had a raccoon unlatch her screen door to get a mango on her lanai though.
corrie22
15 years ago
Denise said"
"LMK if you find any."

You bet! Lord, I feel like some 60's drug dealer!

I'm going to tap into everyone I know in Homestead/Redlands next week.

Hey Bernie! welcome to the list!
Bernie said:
"the flower withers and the whole thing drops off about 1/2 inch."

too hot, too cold, too much fertilizer/water, virus, blossom drop, too cloudy, too sunny, not in the mood,,,,,
...you haven't perfected the happy tomato dance yet.

" I would send pics but Denise scared me off :>) "

ROTFL, that's my excuse too

"Man, I can't believe you guys planted 30 different variety of "maters" "

I know, it's a slow year and some of us got a late start. ;-)

Denise said:
"I defeat racoons by picking tomatoes when they hit the "break" stage"

It probably doesn't help that I make pets out of them and name them either.
I plant HCR's for the squirrels every year, we have nine and they are all named too. 8-/

Denise, if I have any luck getting some of those seed, I'll let you know asap.

Corrie
flyingfish2
15 years ago
Corrie, I'd be careful getting too friendly with the masked bandits, they are one of the first animals in a neighbor hood to get rabied.

If I ever drive to the Keys again, (used to have a vacation cottage on Little Torch, 74 to 92) ; will have to stop in and get a lesson on the "Tomato Dance". We had transplanted some of the Brandywines next to wives 4 super plants and they are doing the same thing as my 9 Brandywines. They get the same water because they are all on an auto drip system. Her base soil mix was different than mine.

Bernie
SusieQsie_Fla
15 years ago
Corrie and Bernie - We wanna see pics of your tomatoes! And Bernie - your raised gardens and your wife's clay-pot-system need to be shared with us. Like, visually, ya know?

I learned how to post pictures when someone (Linda I think) gave us instructions. And now it so easy and fun!

Just go to the Conversations Page and read the Easy Picture Posting Instruction message.

You can do it!
corrie22
15 years ago
Bernie, we don't have rabies in the Keys. Plus, living on small islands, we know them all. LOL
We only have three on our small island, and they are all pets.
We have a total of nine squirrels so far this year, and they all have names too.

Come down! tomato dance or no tomato dance!

Susie said:
"Just go to the Conversations Page and read the Easy Picture Posting Instruction message."

First I have to go to the camera page and read the "easy picture taking instructions" LOL I can't work our stupid camera.
tomncath
15 years ago
Corrie, ROFLMAO, I'll send you some of my squirrels and raccoons, I'm sure you have many more names for them ;-)

Bernie, welcome to the Tomato Addiction Self-Help group...simple picture posting instructions by Kate here, look at the second post. My father-in-law in Okeechobee swears by Big Beef and I gave him some Sweet Chelsea that were phenomenal producers this fall. Not sure what the problems you're encountering are but try the varieties folks here recommend as working in our environment...Brandy Boy vs. Brandywine ;-)

Denise, I cut my cherries in half because I didn't stake them and they sprawled over my boardwalk to the point I could not use it...I just cut them in half yesterday and threw out a couple hundred green cherries on four plants - I bad!

Happy Gardening to all!

Tom
flyingfish2
15 years ago
My first attempt at sending pic. It is an old one of the container garden. It is not the wife's as someone said, she is the chief of the raised garden where most of the maters are :>(

http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w211/jbkerr/
imagardener2
Original Author
15 years ago
I am reposting the photo for you. Under every photo on photobucket there are 4 links. click in the HTML code one (3rd down) and it automatically copies it. then you can do a "paste" into the message box and voila...

{{gwi:22889}}

thanks for the photo. very orderly garden.

now if Cindee would just post her photos like she said she would DAYS ago.....
flyingfish2
15 years ago
Hi Denise,

Thanks, thought I tried to do exactly what you said on the 2nd test post and it seemed to just print the URL where I tried to post it in.

this was a Nov 15 pic, lots has changed since then. Will make pics tomorrow of Jo's master peice raised garden against our hangar block wall. If it delivers just what fruit has set we will be well blessed with "maters"

tell Cindi if a 72 year old computer illiterate can try, she certainly can!

Hope it works tomorrow,
bernie
corrie22
15 years ago
About 1/4 of my tomatoes are showing ToYLCV now and I fully expect the rest to start showing signs eventually.

I rogued the ones showing this morning, and will spray again this afternoon.

I ordered ToYLCV seed and as soon as they get here, I'll plant them out and start over.

Corrie
tomncath
15 years ago
Denise, looking good!

Corrie, sorry to hear the TYLCV is hitting you hard. I just found it on two of my Jetsetters, not sure if I should pull the maters and have some fired-greens or just let them got to maturity...theyÂre very close to three Big Beefs :-(

My garden is somewhat ratty looking right now, I've just pulled the squash and cukes and hacked away at the cherries that I let sprawl while I was finishing building my Cattle Panel tomato cages, and putting in the 4x4s to support off-ground cukes.

Cathy and I have been giving away 10-15lbs a week of maters since it's only the two of us; here are a few pics of the garden.

{{gwi:332799}}

{{gwi:8809}}

{{gwi:5197}}

{{gwi:5198}}

{{gwi:5199}}
whgille
15 years ago
Tom, you have an amazing looking garden! What a bounty of tomatoes! It shows all the great care you put into it.
Congratulations.
imagardener2
Original Author
15 years ago
Woo-Hooo Tom THAT'Sa great lookin' garden!!
I cannot believe you are giving away that many tomatoes, I would be putting them in my freezer for future sauce (I don't can but I do freeze). You must be a very popular guy.
I hope you post those photos on the container forum. Quite impressive. In fact the local paper should be knocking on your door since so many people are thinking of growing a veggie patch for the first time.
Question: How did you bend the cattle panel into such perfect arches?
Denise
awed in Englewood
PS GW is running my message all together with no breaks, hope it comes out readable :-)
flyingfish2
15 years ago
Wow-eeh, that's a neat patch of work you have there Tom.

Where in Okeechobee does your dad live, if he is anything close to the gardener you are; I should drive over and get some lessons from him on veggie growing in S Florida.

Bernie
corrie22
15 years ago
Tom, you guys have a fantastic garden!

Tom said:
"Corrie, sorry to hear the TYLCV is hitting you hard. I just found it on two of my Jetsetters, not sure if I should pull the maters and have some fired-greens or just let them got to maturity...theyÂre very close to three Big Beefs :-("

That sounds like mine too. It's not hitting them all, just scattered around right now. I even have a few that are the exact same two plants in one pot, and it's getting one and not the other.
I have it on:
Parks Whopper - one plant in a pot with two, the other one is showing no signs so far in the same pot. One other one, single planted is down. Out of six.
Bonnie Select - two plants out of six
Rutgers - three plants out of six
Husky Cherry Red - one down for sure, and the other five started to look like the first signs of it this afternoon.

Lemon Boy, of course, is indestructable
Mr. America - don't know yet, no signs at all
Big Beef - no signs yet

Southern Star - Can't figure them out at all. No signs of TYLCV, but they are just sitting there and not growing at all. They are almost the same size they were when I planted them out over two months ago.

Well, this was my year to stop heirlooms, stop growing seed, and go to hybrids. Now I'm ordering hybrid seed and growing seed again.
Heirlooms are all hybrids anyway! LOL

Corrie
tomncath
15 years ago
Willy - thanks, I can't wait to see more pictures of your successes!

Denise - I'm not ready for more publicity yet, I'm STILL just a newbie since this is only my second season in containers.

Cattle Panel sections are 8" wide by 6" high. I take bolt cutters and cut the entire 16' length of Cattle Panel three sections down ( 3 x 6" = 18"), then it is fairly easy to bend the 16' x 18" wide sections. I take a two foot long 4X4 and place it just after section #10 on the driveway, put my weight on the 4x4 and manually pull up on one side of the 10-sided sections to about 70 degrees, then stand up and bend it to 90 degrees with my feet, repeat the process on the other side and clip the horizontal ends off each side so you end up with prongs on the ends to push into the ground...thus, the cages end up being 72" tall (9 x 8") and 32" wide (4 x 8").

Bernie - I love my father-in-law but he's an old Arkansas boy and has no interest in the computer/Internet. Years ago I called him for advice but quickly realized the info he could give me was not the best for our environment (Florida). Now, after hanging out here at GW for only a year I give him significant advice on how to improve his garden...he's got three acres in a subdivision up off Cemetery Road and is still gardening in the ground. He does fine and if you'd like to go see him send me an email and I'll put you in touch with him, but the best advice I can give you is to hang out here and you'll have the experience of a dozen octogenarianÂs within a year ;-)

Corrie - are you container gardening or in-ground? Once I get TYLCV in one of my containers that soil goes into the trash immediately and the container gets cleaned with bleach...I don't buy this concept that the soil is okay after 60-90 days....
corrie22
15 years ago
Tom said:
"Corrie - are you container gardening or in-ground?"

Container, 7, 10, 15

"Once I get TYLCV in one of my containers that soil goes into the trash immediately and the container gets cleaned with bleach..."

I just rip the old plant out, shake as much potting soil back in the pot, and plant a new one.
The virus really does not live in the soil, and even if it did, it still needs a SWF as a vector.

I spoke too soon yesterday, I have a Big Beef that's looking woogie today. :-(

I tell you, I'm at the point that I'm not planting any more tomatoes that do not have TYLCV after their name.
Once you get it, it seems to just hop to another plant every week until it's got them all.

One thing I have noticed, tomatoes that have TYLCV after their name, have the rest of the alphabet too!
Guess they figure they might as well put in all in there while they are at it! LOL

Corrie
tomncath
15 years ago
Thought I read somewhere that the virus may get into to soil and that the soil should not be used for 60-90 days....

Also, what's the acronym for TYLCV resistant?
corrie22
15 years ago
I've seen that said about some other soil virus, even thrips, but I've never seen that about TYLCV. Everything I've read on TYLCV says it's not in the soil, and has to have SWF as a vector.

Tom said:
"Also, what's the acronym for TYLCV resistant?"

Most of the ones I've seen are still spelling it out, or listing it "(TY)", or putting TYLCV in the description.

Corrie - needs coffee!
tomncath
15 years ago
Thanks Corrie,

Still can't figure out WHY the Jetsetters that are only THREE FEET away from the Big Beefs have the crud while the Big Beefs don't :-[
corrie22
15 years ago
My Big Beefs didn't start showing any signs of it until a couple of days ago. :-(

Corrie
captnkirk2112
15 years ago
I have had mature bigbeef plants set fruit even after getting the virus and produce nice toms.Bigbeef has been the best all around plant i have grown the 3 yerars i have been growing tomatoes.I have some OP bigbeef seeds i ordered from tomatofest to try this spring,im hoping they do as good as the hybrid bigbeefs so i can save seed.

kirk
cindeea
15 years ago
OH MY GOODNESS!! I feel terrible! Look at all that you have done with your tomatoes!! Mine are GREAT, but I must admit, my life priorities have changed drastically this year and well, I just don't get over here as often....an aside, pray for GREAT results from the Dr.s Friday....anyway! Geezely I gotta get my pics up now that I am again..Unemployed-us temps out-worked ourselves! We finished a 6-8 week job in 3...gotta learn to slow down and retain the job....

Anywho, fantastic photos and interesting reading on everyone's results. I PROMISE photos tomorrow!! I got LOTS going on including tomatoes of every size, color, flavor and sweet looking baby cukes, HOT**HOT**HOT Icicle radishes and...AND well maybe I will surprise you all. You ever see a "Hawaiian Currant Tomato Plant???? It's the cutest tinest lil plant and fruit...Hey hey, lots to report!
tomncath
15 years ago
Kirk - that's good to know about the Big Beefs, I'll be watching closely, almost wish they'd get it now so I can confirm your findings.

Cindee - good to see you back girl, sorry about the circumstances though, in the old days that would have gotten you a permanent job for being a hard worker.... Prayers and positive thoughts for Friday! Can't wait to see your pictures :-)

Tom
flyingfish2
15 years ago
Hi Again,

Guess we will have to try some big beefs next planting.

Here are some pics of Jo Anne's raised bed. We added some to it where the tomatoes are located, and the old tomato bed is growing green beans. She has pepper's, herbs, and green things growing in front of tomatoes.

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imagardener2
Original Author
15 years ago
flyfish
congratulations on posting your photos and on your nice garden, so healthy and productive.
Your beds are interesting up against the exterior wall. You get wall support for tall stuff as well as not having to build 4 sides to your bed.

Denise
cindeea
15 years ago
I can't believe I wrote a whole page of stuff and then the GW site crashed on me and I lost it all...WHAAAA

Anyway, went out photographing today as I was tying up all my plants against the wicked wind. Noticed how different the leaves and flowers are from plant to plant. Had a great time paying close atention to all my babies. Denise, take a good look at the "mystery black pear". It was seed from you and it is surprising me with a large, beautiful plant with ribbed, beefsteak type tomatoes. Look like any of your other varieties? Can't wait for it to ripen. They are in neat clusters of 4-5. I have it in a large planter outside my Kitchen wintow planted with a Lady Margaret Passionvine. I also have a Pistachio Nut cloth sack hanging from the ttrellis with a Red Robin basket cherry tomato plant planted in it! My Big Zac is like yours, lots of large flowers that turn brown and fall off. No fruit on this huge plant and it's been flowering a couple months now. My humongous Yellow Pear snapped one of the stakes in the wind and was bent in half, full of fruit drooping to the ground. Dennis hoisted it up with a Tree Brace. He calls it my "Pear Tree". All was saved! In the "sungolds" photos, 2nd pic shows small fruit. It's ribbed..is this normal or did I mix up some seed and mislabel? I hope not as I gave all other Sungolds away. I do have the interesting Sungod x Juliette x Black Cherry plant carrying on. This should be different! The seeds came from Treefrog that he got at an online swap. Friends will see some of their contributions in my garden pictures-Like Icicles Tom!! Dennis and I can't wait for them to ripen! Note to Willy, Perito Italian and Hawaiian Currant Tomato seedlings are doing nicely and still in the nursery! Everyone, I will be saving seed so if there is something in my tomato arsenal that interests you, please let me know and I will start a seed sharing list.
(Best viewed in full screen)
And now, as promised loooong ago....sit back and enjoy the show!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomatoes in Paradise
imagardener2
Original Author
15 years ago
Yay, Cindee's back, and with photos!

First of all, GORGEOUS looking plants and fruit. How do you keep everything looking so good?

Black Pear Mystery: I haven't grown anything that looks like that so don't think I got seed mixed up. Definitely not Black Pear but perhaps it got crossed but how could it look unlike anything I grew if it got cross-pollinated? It also doesn't look like it's gonna be black/purple.
It looks like Costaluto, an Italian red, with ridges.

Your Sungold: doesn't look like Sungold. Yours has giant blossoms and big green fruit. Sungold I've grown had much smaller blossoms and round cherry size.

You have SO many different tomato types growing. Wow. I started many types but several got wiped out by TYLCV which reduced my variety numbers.

Big Zac: I did finally get some tomatoes off it. The biggest, just eaten last night was a whopping 5.5 ounces. Giant...not. Delicious, yes. 2 other smaller toms are still on Big Zac vine but I will probably not regrow BZ due to poor performance.

My next batch of seedlings are germinated but I am thinking of doing cuttings from the current best producers also.

Denise

P.S. Best wishes on your medical report.
flyingfish2
15 years ago
Denise, the big advantage of being against the large concrete wall is the fact that we are frost resistant. The wall holds heat and also protects from N winds and cuts radiation at night in half.

Bernie
cindeea
15 years ago
Hey (((Denise)) just want you to know I think of you often when gardening, from your many enabling contributions! I even recycled your yellow plastic basket and have two small basket varieties hanging in it! lol

You mentioned Costoluto...I think you gave me a Costuloto with the Big Zac. But it died...so my guess would be the Black Pear died and the Costoluto lives on!! I hope so! I have both yellow pear and red pear and would LOVE a Costuluto in place of another pear...we'll just have to see. The Sungold came from seed I got from TGS, I believe. I had many small plants I started before Ricky's in the fall and I gave em all away...Ms Marion, how's your Sungolds??? Will someone save me some of their seed? It will be interesting to see what the SG turns out to be. Will keep ya posted.

Next I will update you all on the nursery plants that should be going out in the next month or so...these are even more different varieties. I am turning anything empty into a Tomato Container at this point! lol
tomncath
15 years ago
Bernie - very nice! Tell Jo Ann she's definitely got a Florida Green Thumb seal of approval here. In the cooler areas of Florida radiation warming from the house walls definitely works, that ol' Arkansas boy in Okeechobee we were talking about definitely knows something about that. He has an Avocado tree approximately nine feet from the house on the south side where the house wall absorbs heat all day long, giving it back at night and protecting the tree from frost damage. This tree is about ten years old and approximately forty feet tall. Here's the kicker, it produces 400 pounds, yes, I said FOUR HUNDRED POUNDS of avocados each year! Fruit about 2/3 the size of a cantaloupe...next time we're down there I'll snap a picture of the tree and house, and next time he sends us 25lbs of fruit I'll post a picture ;-)

Cindee, looking good!

Well folks, I just pulled out TEN mater plants tonight...kinda embarrassed to say I'm tired of picking maters and need a little break before setting the new plants. On the positive side I have 35 lbs of green maters for fired-greens. YIKES! Guess I'd better find folks that want to fry up a batch :-) Still have eight indeterminates left though, and five cherries for the coons, but they've gotta go in the next 2-3 weeks to make room my new babies...all is well....
flyingfish2
15 years ago
Tom writes:

He has an Avocado tree approximately nine feet from the house on the south side where the house wall absorbs heat all day long, giving it back at night and protecting the tree from frost damage. This tree is about ten years old and approximately forty feet tall. Here's the kicker, it produces 400 pounds, yes, I said FOUR HUNDRED POUNDS of avocados each year! Fruit about 2/3 the size of a cantaloupe...next time we're down there I'll snap a picture of the tree and house, and next time he sends us 25lbs of fruit I'll post a picture ;-)

=============================================

Yep, I have 2 mango trees, folks said I was too far north and west to be able to grow mangos. They just didn't appreciate the micro-micro climate that close to the house and hangar. I'll send pic later of tree next to hangar with my 5000 watt photovoltaic cells on the hangar roof. Year before last I had 4-500 lbs. It was a late bloom because the first blooms got nipped and did not set fruit. We started getting Hayden's about last of July and had Kents until end of Nov. Last year we got a big zippo, but this year they are absolutely loaded with panacles (sp). Awful early, but would like to have an early crop this year and maybe will get a later good crop next year.

I freeze sliced mango on cookie sheets and am just finishing up the ones from the big crop. It is great in mango daiquirs (sp) and just on my cereal.

Maybe we can barter a few this year with the Okeechobee advocado Man.

Bernie
tomncath
15 years ago
Hi Bernie, I'll be talking to my fahter-in-law tomorrow morning...send me an email if you want to hook up with him.

Tom
cindeea
15 years ago
Hey TOM!!! Didn't my "Tumbling Tom" tomato seeds come from you?? Well, I got this question...they are supposed to tumble and not grow upright...Right??? The Tumbling Tom plants are spindly, tall yet full, and I have been staking them in their baskets with bamboo sticks. They are full of flowers many, many flowers and now a few teensy, eensy peensy lil tomatoes are forming. So, do I dump the sticks and let them ramble???

Cute story today, actually this morning when I walked out to get my coffee...I slept in till 9:30!!!! YIKES-late for me. It was just too warm and cuddly under the quilt with the cats, windows open and cool breeze wafting in...anyway I finally got out of bed and there stood Dennis in the kitchen with a Red tomato in his hand and the look of a kid with his hand in the candy jar!! I asked "what happened, did the tomato fall off the vine???" he sheepishly said "No, I was just lookin' at it and it fell off in my hand"!!!!!!! How cute is that? He just wanted to pick it! So we had a nice sweet-tart Better Bush mater with our burgers tonight. Results: Firm, a bit mealy but had an excellent tart-sweet flavor on the bottom (ripest) end. I think most winter maters tend to deal out mealy less flavorful fruit first off vine and gett better as they go on. However, the Husky Cherry reds we popped into our mouths off the vine today were Spectacular in flavor, texture and crispness!
Ya just gotta love the HCR's for flavor and productivity.
imagardener2
Original Author
15 years ago
Hey Cindee
Sounds like you have turned Dennis into a (horror) "eater of tomatoes" :-) Just like all addictions you lured him in with the cute little Yellow Pears and now he wants the big ones. lol.

Commenting on your tasting of Better Bush: I've noticed a definite taste inferiority between my only hybrid Galina(Hazera) which is the biggest tomato in my garden compared to all the heirlooms.
Galina looks gorgeous, runs 7 to 10 ounces and the bush is heavy with them all but the taste is nowhere near the smaller but dee-lishus heirlooms.
But without Galina the garden would have MANY fewer tomatoes, it's the most productive by 10 times. So I'm glad it's here or I'd have beefsteak envy.

I still love the taste of heirlooms best.

Denise
cindeea
15 years ago
Hey Denise, tell me about Galina(Hazera). I had horrible luck with the Dr. Caroline Cherry seeds from you, and others. So I finally opted for one of Dr. C's parents, "Galina's" yellow cherry. Your Galina is a beefsteak? Oh oh oh and I have to tell ya, after all the wind whipped all my plants around and I secured them like plants tied to a clothesline, I noticed today, Big Zac has 3 yep THREE small tomatoes developing. So I am as excited as I am over the Mystery, maybe-Costoluto-full-of-Tomatoes-plant at the kitchen window. Anywho, I'll keep ya posted, just tell me more about the Galina(Hazera) you are raving about.
tomncath
15 years ago
Hey TOM!!! Didn't my "Tumbling Tom" tomato seeds come from you?? Well, I got this question...they are supposed to tumble and not grow upright...Right??? The Tumbling Tom plants are spindly, tall yet full, and I have been staking them in their baskets with bamboo sticks. They are full of flowers many, many flowers and now a few teensy, eensy peensy lil tomatoes are forming. So, do I dump the sticks and let them ramble???

Hi Cindee,

Sounds like Dennis may have to join our Tomato Addiction self-help group ;-)

I forgot to tell you to plant the TT's and a 45 degree angle if you you're putting them in a hanging basket. I probably also didn't mention that I keep them shaded, they will get lanky in direct sun.

Tom
imagardener2
Original Author
15 years ago
Cindee
It won't help to talk about Galina (Hazera) because seed isn't available to us backyard gardeners, only commercial big-guys (5000 quantity $500). If you find a source PLEASE let me know as I am out.

Someone (can't remember who) sent me a few seeds a year ago when I was complaining about TYLCV ruining my harvest. And of course being a hybrid can't be replicated from saved seeds.

I'm looking forward to Corrie's TYLCV resistant seed tryouts and hope she is successful. Otherwise I will continue to have multiple plants ready to replace ones that get taken out by the disease.

Interesting note: Marianna's Peace, a very fruitful tomato for me (lots of small salad size on one plant and the other plant has 2 beefsteaks). The LARGE MP (maybe 20 feet long) draped in the tree had TYLCV on some branches but not wanting to pull this productive plant I cut off the areas showing it. It continues to grow and has new blossoms. So I'd call MP "resistant" once it gets some size on it.

OTOH a full size Cuostralee was killed quickly by TYLCV before it had a chance to fruit.

All I want are tomatoes! Not an education in agriculture :-)

Denise

P.S. Good luck with Big Zac. Grow a BIG one.
corrie22
15 years ago
Denise said:
"All I want are tomatoes! Not an education in agriculture :-) "

rotfl I needed that this morning!
solstice98
14 years ago
I searched for information on Fall season tomatoes this morning ("Yes" I'm at work, but "NO" I don't feel like working!) and came across this thread from last winter. This is the perfect time to revive it; just in time to get seeds started for this Fall.

Thanks for all the great information!
Kate
flyingfish2
14 years ago
Kate, maybe time to order seeds, but to plant??

I figured I would start staggering tomatoes about mid august.

Do you know something we should know?

bernie
tomncath
14 years ago
Bernie, Jerry buys plants and sets them mid-August in Okeechobee. Too hot and buggy for me until Mid-September. I'll start seed August 1st with a set date Mid-September, unless a hurricane comes along and pushes my set date out to October 1st, hate to let the plants get to be eight weeks old before the set but sometimes it's necessary....I know folks in cooler microclimates have started seed already, certainly could start now with some of the UF heat-tolerant plants like Solar Fire or Solar Set since they can set fruit with night temps above 75F.

Tom
coastal-tony
14 years ago
The other day I noticed one of my Celebrity plants was getting the life sucked out of it. Upon inspection, I noticed a LOT of TINY rust colored spiders or mites going to town on it. I sprayed some soapy H20 on them. Nothing. I sprayed some Sevin. Nothing. Then I hosed the plant real good, and the next day sprayed some Ortho Max on it. BINGO! Can anyone tell me what these little demons are, or were?
AmberSky
14 years ago
Sounds like spider mites.

Here is a link that might be useful: Spider Mite Pics

a report on fall season tomatoes

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