First Ripe Tomatoes

[bentalphanerd]

woohoo - first ripe one. That makes it about 9 weeks from when i planted the seedling.




Few more hands on the way too




All of my regular toms died again, some only a few feet from this cherry..Is there a major difference between the cherry and large varieties that this would always happen??

 

[Pam]

woohoo - first ripe one. That makes it about 9 weeks from when i planted the seedling.

Ahhh, the first ones are the sweetest!

All of my regular toms died again, some only a few feet from this cherry..Is there a major difference between the cherry and large varieties that this would always happen??

Unless your cherry tomatoes are current tomatoes, they're the same species as regular tomatoes. However,different varieties of tomatoes are resistant to different diseases or are more tolerant of growing conditions.

For example, the Stupice tomato I grow as an early tomato is more cold tolerant, but it also tolerates the extreme summer heat that a lot of early tomatoes won't. Or Arkansas Traveler tomatoes used to be one of my favorites because it was disease tolerant and produced well in the heat; but it has no tolerance to Tomato Spotted Wilt virus, so I've stopped growing it.

If you can figure out what kills your other tomatoes, you might be able to find varieties that will be more resistant.

 

[bentalphanerd]

Thanks (again) Pam, wish I was half the bio-nerd you are. I do keep an eye on them but it just looks like the roots never take hold & the plant goes through a slow & painful starvation.
The fruit on the 'cherry' I have now is more elongated than last plant, I think it'd be what they call a 'grape' but that would make it another variety than the monster before, but it's thriving as well. The standard toms just keel, brown , wither.

Have had a few tom plants pop up out of the compost tho, so keen to see where that goes, but they may be cherries too (i used them in my vindaloo sauce) time will tell.

Thanks again Pam...u must put in some google hours for this forum, but its hard to search for stuff when you don't know the language.

 

[RedThumb]

... it also tolerates the extreme summer heat that a lot of early tomatoes won't...

What happens in the summer heat? Does the plant stop producing? This is my first year growing tomatoes and I only have early types. I thought it meant I would have tomatoes for a longer stretch of time.

 

[Pam]

What happens in the summer heat? Does the plant stop producing? This is my first year growing tomatoes and I only have early types. I thought it meant I would have tomatoes for a longer stretch of time.

When the daytime temps get in the high 90's (F), tomatoes can drop their blossoms and set fruit poorly. More important though, is when the night temps stay above 75-80 F. A lot of tomatoes won't set fruit and drop the blossoms they have when the nighttime temps are up.

I can't remember where you're from, but I'm in South Carolina, and we're already having days in the high 90's and nights in the low 70's. I try and plant varieties that have some heat tolerance. Northerners probably are more interested in varieties that tolerate some cool weather.

 

[Pam]

Thanks (again) Pam, wish I was half the bio-nerd you are.

*blush*

I've killed a whole lot of plants to learn the things I know now.

I do keep an eye on them but it just looks like the roots never take hold & the plant goes through a slow & painful starvation.
The fruit on the 'cherry' I have now is more elongated than last plant, I think it'd be what they call a 'grape' but that would make it another variety than the monster before, but it's thriving as well. The standard toms just keel, brown , wither.

There's gotta be a reason, but I've never heard of a tomato disease that cherry tomatoes are immune to.

You bastard, that's going to bug me!

Have had a few tom plants pop up out of the compost tho, so keen to see where that goes, but they may be cherries too (i used them in my vindaloo sauce) time will tell.

I had a volunteer tomato come up from under the shed by the garden last year. It was some kind of yellow cherry or current tomato. It might have even been two tomatoes since some branches had pear shaped tomatoes and some had bunches of round tomatoes. I was trying to think what it could be, and I did plant a Blondkopfchen tomato about 3 or 4 years ago. I haven't planted any yellow pear tomatoes, though.

Anyway, I have two volunteers coming up in the garden near the shed in what has always been the pepper part of the garden, and I'm hoping it's more of last year's volunteer. It's insanely healthy, and it is getting small current-sized tomatoes on it, so we'll see.

Thanks again Pam...u must put in some google hours for this forum, but its hard to search for stuff when you don't know the language.

Not really, like you said, when you already have an idea what you're looking for, it's pretty easy.

 

[DevilDuck]

Well, since my season started a little late, mine are doing well and have flowers on them. They're growing like weeds!!!

I can't wait for the first BLT sandwich of the season!

 

[RedThumb]

When the daytime temps get in the high 90's (F), tomatoes can drop their blossoms and set fruit poorly. More important though, is when the night temps stay above 75-80 F. A lot of tomatoes won't set fruit and drop the blossoms they have when the nighttime temps are up.

I can't remember where you're from, but I'm in South Carolina, and we're already having days in the high 90's and nights in the low 70's. I try and plant varieties that have some heat tolerance. Northerners probably are more interested in varieties that tolerate some cool weather.

I'm in NY. We usually get summers in the 90's with night's in the 80's and high humidity. This year has been on the cool side so I'm ok so far. Now that I know, I'll plant both varieties next year. Thanks!

 

[Pam]

I'm in NY. We usually get summers in the 90's with night's in the 80's and high humidity. This year has been on the cool side so I'm ok so far. Now that I know, I'll plant both varieties next year. Thanks!

I guess all things are relative. I usually road trip with the Puppies O'Thunder to Schenectady in late July or early August. There are the most delightfully cool mornings there, even when the day temps get into the 90's. It's a real treat for us after the heat and humidity of South Carolina.

 

[habman]

2007 was a disater for my tomatoes.
Too early too cold.
Lost all but 6 plants out of 45 ! DOH!

Time to think about 2008.
This is my list for 2008 :
Sophie's Choice
Marmande
Orange Cherry
Cherokee Purple
Kellogg's Breakfast
Omar’s Lebanese
Green Zebra
Big Beef
Stupice
Black from Tula
Hawaiian Currant
Brandywine
orange blossom
Tiny Tim
Micro Tom
Roma
Amish Paste
White Queen

 

[POTAWIE]

You still have time to buy seedlings. I haven't put any tomatoes in the ground yet, but soon.
I plan on trying Omar's Lebanese in the future for a great tasting huge pink-beefsteak(late midseason)

 

[habman]

You still have time to buy seedlings. I haven't put any tomatoes in the ground yet, but soon.
I plan on trying Omar's Lebanese in the future for a great tasting huge pink-beefsteak(late midseason)

Yeah the dead plants have been replaced but in montreal we have a choice between red,pink and cherry (all crappy hybrids with made up names ).
No heirlooms.

 

[POTAWIE]

Yeah the dead plants have been replaced but in montreal we have a choice between red,pink and cherry (all crappy hybrids with made up names ).
No heirlooms.

There are several varieties developed in Quebec. Their names' usually end in 'bec' and many other Canadian bred varieties. Check out seeds of diversity for next year's seeds
http://www.seeds.ca/proj/tomato/cdntomatoes.php

 

[POTAWIE]

Here's my big Black Cherry tomato plant getting huge and ripening.