I don't ever remember a year like this one where I have planted cool season crops one week, and started planting summer crops the next. LOL Robert, I have lived a lot of places also and when I read your post, I didn't see anything that upset me. I have visited the 'rude' places of the world, and Okies are not normally like that. We are just much more laid-back and less intense than in a lot of places I have been....unless your talking football or politics. LOL Actually, I don't even remember how my mother got her tomato plants when I was a child growing up in southern Oklahoma, but I would imagine that they were bought on the sidewalk in front of the feed store. I can remember that spring time always meant that you would see those wooden crates of onions, and containers of transplants sitting at an angle so you could see into the box when you drove down the street. Later in life, I remember that they went to a store that was in a part of the next town (Ardmore) that we never went to for any other reason, but at gardening time you had to go get the bulk seeds and some plants from that store. Our climate in the NE part of the state does not get really hot so fast most years, but does get hot. I know several people who try to get their first ripe regular size tomato by the 4th of July, and others who don't put them in the ground until May. One year a man told my DH that it was time to put the tomatoes in the garden, and we had already had 3 ripe ones that week. I had a few in WOW's and we had the first ones on the 3rd of June, but I got lucky that year. Our lowest temp this month has been 34 which is also the lowest recorded temp for the stations that I looked at in the southernmost parts of Oklahoma. Sometimes they get storms that never hit us. You would think from our northern location that we would be cold much later in the spring, and much earlier in the winter, but it doesn't always happen that way. We do normally have a lot more rain tho. I met Melissa at Braum's parking lot yesterday, and I ran in and bought breakfast while I was waiting for her. As soon as I walked in, I heard a man say, "Got you garden in yet?". I thought he was talking to me, but he was talking to the man behind me. Later the conversation will begin with, "How's your garden doing?", then "Had any tomatoes yet?" It sure becomes the topic of conversation for the old timers around here. (of course, I'm not one of the 'old timers'). LOL

Okay, pro BB growers. Wondering whether you might have some thoughts about my struggles with BB and BER. I have a brandy boy planted in an approx. 10 gallon container. Overall the plant has done well. But I've struggled with blossom end rot. I did not include lime when I prepared the soil (note to self for next year!). I have side dressed with lime twice this summer - not sure how effective . Have watched leaves for signs of stress or water needs. Pics below. I've picked a few ripe fruit and cut the BER off. Wow! Terrific taste! So if there is way I can get some of these fruit to maturity, I'll be happy. See the one lone ripened tomato? Pretty from this angle. I cut off the BER and it tasted terrific. But I'd like to not deal with BER!

Wow, now those are a few I've never heard of. And what amazing names - Stump of the World and German Head??? Cool. I'd love to grow one of each - of all sorts. I wish. Unfortunately, I have one little patch of sun and have to go with containers besides (@#$*& walnut trees) so I have to pare down my choices. I've noticed (trying to do some taste tests) that the Brandy Boy has a lot more tang (acid?) then the basic toms (Big Boy, Delicious, etc). I don't mind though, and it's a nice flavor. Just grabbed a Red Brandywine - I'll have to compare him to some of the others. So many tomato varieties... so little space...

Antmary - 10 flowers - that is impressive - that is what I would expect from my experience with Brandy Boy - you should have a prolific plant! Interesting observation about the leaves! I noticed Yolo's plant leaves are more similar to your plant (nice tomato Yolo!). I went back and looked at our plants when they were even younger than yours - and the leaves are very large. It must be a function of my soil and fertilizer? Which plant will produce bigger/better tomatoes? Perhaps your plant - as much of my plant's energy appears to be going to the leaves? It may not be a function of pruning as the photo shows my plant before I prune suckers? It may be a GH affect? I am sure Carolyn would have an answer !