The two I bought, Bonnies, I think are fine and have one mater on each. The ones I started from seed don't look like they are going to make it. I learned my lesson about seeds! Not worth the hassle! My onions are growing like crazy, and probably 100% of my carrot seeds have sprouted. Not a single pea has germinated though. Might have to try again.

I started all mine from seed. I like doing it that way, personally. They all look great in the ground, but for one or two. I do have replacements and will probably pull up those puny one and replace them with the ones I've been holding in 4" pots.
Susan

Funny, I planted onions last spring and we ate lots of the tops. They died back and disappeared and I forgot about them. Suddenly this past fall, up sprouted green onions and I've had them all winter and now this spring! I think I will do that again, this time on purpose!
My tomatoes are looking great... Celebrity.
My green peppers are too.
Then again, it's still cool and they all like this weather (me too!).

My Solar Fire has taken off and is beginning to flower. Of course all my veggies are doing good. They love this weather. I hope I can get some good growth before the heat comes...

I'm doing sweet grape cherries, Roma, Solar Fire, and BH somethings, the BH and Solar Fire are winning but we've had some really strange wild weather so far here, already broke mid 80s a few times

Mine are looking great, full of blooms and some little maters. I have about 25 plants, lots of varieties. I am sure hoping for a better year than last!

I put mine in last week finally after holding in pots (some were in very large pots). I grew most from seed. The few I bought small already have green tomatoes (Lemon Boy, 2 Juliets, Sun Gold, Viva Italia). My Brandywines, Moneymakers and Yellow Pear are good in the ground and growing well. I also have many back-ups waiting in the wings in case of decline. I interplanted basil, marigold and nasturtiums to ward off evil ; ). My pepper plants are happy as well.

I have around 25 plants, a mix of heirlooms and hybrids, in raised beds and they are doing great. I have blooms on most plants and should see some tiny tomatoes soon.

I planted early again this year(most on March 7), protecting the plants on cold nights. The early start has paid off, because the plants have really taken off the last week or so.

Pete

My husband put out plants first week in March. He always buys his at fanick's nursery on the east side, we have the best luck with their plants, they had hugh 6 pack for $4.99, he got 444, Phoneix, Celebrity, and Roma. They are big bushes, with blooms. I went to Lowes Friday, and they had all their tomotoes, peppers, and herbs in the 4 inch, round pots for $.50, great plants. I bought superfanstic, celebrity, and roma, we will plant them today at the San Antonio College Fire Academy, for the students to enjoy, everything seems to grow better on the south side of town. Barbra,

Mine are doing great. Blooming now are Black from Tula, Sugary, JD's Early Texas Black. But all of them look great. I am so worried about timing though as I planted them at least a month later than I usually do.

Here in Austin I made a raised Lasagna type bed and planted 4 tomatoes, 2 peppers, beans, carrots and spinach the end of march. Tomatoes look sick, peppers have grown a bit taller, beans are about 4 inches tall, carrots about 1/2 inch and spinach isn't coming up at all. Not sold on the layering method or maybe I just need to let it mature and will have better luck next year.

I planted out March 1st. The plants have good size but some are showing possible signs of Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus. I hope that isnt the case but time will tell.

Well,I have 10 varieties so far. I am in my rookie year of growing tomatoes. I planted Easter morning 4 Brandywine,3 Big Boy, and 1 Cherokee Purple. Then I planted 4 Arkansas Traveller, 4 Beefsteak, 1 Mr.Stripey, 1 German Pink, and also a Parks Whopper. All from the local feed store, and all doing okay. The Cherokee is doing the best. They would have all been happier had not moderate hail passed over. The hail cut up my Brandywine leaves a bit and I lost a couple of smaller Early Girl. My best plant at the start was a beautiful, strong bush big boy.Then, it was chopped down by a cutworm,which was discouraging, but then I hopped to with Sevin and some toothpicks,and although I take down at least 3 a morning, I have not had any more tomato plants sawed down. So, I suppose after a couple of setbacks, I cant complain. I have sandy loam.

Well, I purchased mine back in Feb at the master gardener sale here in Houston. But, alas, the raised veggie bed didn't get constructed until this past weekend. They've just gone in the ground and are still babies compared to what you're all describing and showing. They may not make much before they give up in the heat, but quite frankly, it's still seasonally cool here.

I'm just happy to have raised beds at last!!!

BTW, I have 1 each of Sweet Million, Carmello, Cluster Grande, Champion, and Fantom and in peppers: TAM Jalapeno, Mucho Nacho jalapeno, and Grand Marconi. Can't wait to get the rest of the veggies in!

Mine aren't in the ground but this year I came across what to put with maters when planting them.
Use about a half cup of ground up oyster shell along when fertilizer.
I did all but one mater and the one i didn't do isn't near as big or as heathy looking.

Barb

Mine were set back by a weird late frost that froze some of the leaves on most of my plants. They're growing back new leaves, but only a couple of blooms so far. I'm growing a bunch of heirlooms: Red Brandywine, Hawkins, Black Cherry, Yellow Pear, Mortgage Lifter, and Pink Ponderosa.

I'm jealous of you that have green tomatoes already.

So far....I have ten tomatoes in the ground and am pleased with them. Five Brandywines, three Black Krim, and two Super Sweet 100's. Two Brandywines got damaged with that cold, high wind we had toward the end of March but they are recovering. This is my first year to grow heirlooms and can't wait to try them. All are started from seed, most are blooming but no tomatoes yet.

Is it normal for heirlooms to put out occasional "huge" blooms?

Those occasional huge blooms are probably fused blooms and I do find them to be fairly common. Cherokee Purple does it each time I grow it. Most dont produce fruit but when they do it can look like a monstrosity.

Thanks duajones! That makes sense. I would love to grow a monster tomato. Especially after last year's drought :-)

Good Luck with your plants time2bee. Heirloom tomatoes are wonderful. Brandywine was stingy with the fruit when I grew it but Black Krim performed well. I personally love the "black" tomatoes. If you like cherry tomatoes you should give black cherry a try sometime. Monster plant that produces very well.

Thanks! I will try a black cherry, sounds good. I love to have a few cherries in the garden because they're ready quicker and are great for snacking....I think I have baby cherries out there now...

I'm growing four kinds, two of which are heirlooms - Mortgagelifters and Juliets. The ML is supposed to produce some very large tomatoes while the Juliets produce clusters of grape-like cherry tomatoes. The box store varieties are Patio (determinate) and Husky Cherry Red. They were all put in the ground the third week of March and are only about 14" tall, but doing well so far and beginning to flower. I'm such a newbie to all of this so don't have any history with any of these varieties to report. I'm MAKING history this year and will report back on them.

I did grow some Black Cherries last year and while they produced really well and got quite tall and bushy, their flavor was not as sweet as I like cherry tomatoes to be and the skin was a bit tough which might be the plant's response to a harsh sun. I've purchased some semi-shade cloth this year which I'll put over the raised beds in late spring and see if that helps.

I've heard Sweet 100's are delicious and may try them next year if I'm not satisfied with the cherry varieties I chose this year.

I'd like to find an heirloom tomato that is medium sized,
sweet and prolific, about the size of a Roma but round. Anybody have any suggestions?

Maybe Black and Brown Boar or Jaunne Flamme?
I believe Juliet is a hybrid

Hi duagones:

Are Juliets hybrids? Well fudge!

And after reviewing my last post I see I also misrepresented the cherry tomato variety I grew last year. It wasn't an heirloom Black Cherry but a hybrid called PorterÂs Dark Cherry. And as I said it wasn't as sweet as I like 'em.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to go do some research on Black/Brown Boar and Jaunne Flamme.

Black and Brown Boar are similar in size

Black and Brown Boar

Jaune Flammee

duajones,

Thanks for the pics! I read a little about them and think I might like the black/brown boars the best because their flavor was described as hearty and sweet. What's your favorite and why?

Did you start yours from seed? If not where did you get them?

I do start them from seed and recieved the seeds from a fellow tomato grower here in Texas. I have a fondness for the "black" varieties such as Cherokee Purple, Indian Stripe or JD's Special C-Tex. But I love home grown tomatoes period compared to what you can buy at the store,

Out of all mentioned I gotta say I have loved Carmello! That is a great tomato! I grew so many black tomatoes last year, I decided this year was year of the pink one! Ark. Traveler excellent. For a roma replacement...I love Dona. It is a Hy I think. But amazing, very heirloomish.
and anyone who reads any of my posts knows I should work for the company that makes the JD's early Texas black!

I believe JD's Special C-Tex and Early Black might be the same tomato.
Exact history is not known for certain, but it is thought to be a stabilized selection from a cross between Brandywine and an unknown black, based on information that was passed on when seeds were shared with a fellow tomato grower about three years ago.

Developed by a JD in Conroe, Texas. Transplants for this variety can sometimes be found in the spring at better nurseries in the South Texas area. At the time of this entry, seeds are not commercially available.

this blurb is from Suze whom I believe posts here occasionally