My Tomatoes 2009
- Thread starter Sorellina
- Start date
I have an update.Thanks to the generosity of a fellow gardener my tomato seed stock has grown by 11 varieties. Several are Brandywines including Sudduth's Strain and Cowlick.I now have about 20 different tomatoes to grow and enjoy. Some others are Omar's Lebanese ,Ananas Noir ,Pink Brandywine, Watermelon Beefsteak,Crimson Cushion, 2 that seem to be family heirlooms bred off Brandywine. On a side note my selection of peppers(hot mainly) is getting big too.Went up by three. But a fellow pepperhead is sending me more. What a fun year this will be. Never thought I would have such a great selection.
Kevin
Kevin
I really, REALLY wish I had waited until last weekend to sow the seeds. I based everything on how long it took last year - little did I know I probably did every possible thing wrong, from potting soil to lights to watering. I barely had them ready to transplant into the garden by the first part of June.
This is still the first part of April and my plants are way too big, many of them are well over 12" tall. It's too late to sow new seeds (and some of the types I have are sold out or very hard to find) so I'm left with basically cutting the top off and rooting it, then hoping it grows.
I figure having 75 percent of the plants available to sell is better than 10 percent!
Mike
This is still the first part of April and my plants are way too big, many of them are well over 12" tall. It's too late to sow new seeds (and some of the types I have are sold out or very hard to find) so I'm left with basically cutting the top off and rooting it, then hoping it grows.
I figure having 75 percent of the plants available to sell is better than 10 percent!
Mike
Sorellina,
These are to sell. People want a 10-12" bushy plant. When I was a kid, we often transplanted 2' tall toms, using a tobacco setter. We also set out six inch plants with maybe three sets of leaves. But the vast majority of people around here may have seen a farm, but never have farmed. They beam as they pay $5.95 for a tom in a 5.5" pot, with a stake holding it up and a flower on it. Take it home, dig a hole and stick it in the ground after adding a half-pound of MG fertilizer around it - in the middle of the day when the temps are in mid-80s.
I sold this guy a couple of plants and gave him instructions on how to transplant it - it was telling me how it wasn't doing very well. He had stuck them in a back room where all it got was about two hours of direct sunlight a day. He brought them to his office where it got about six hours of bright, direct sun a day. It had doubled in size in just two weeks.
He still thought it looked bad - he was expecting a 2.5' tom in two weeks!
Mike
These are to sell. People want a 10-12" bushy plant. When I was a kid, we often transplanted 2' tall toms, using a tobacco setter. We also set out six inch plants with maybe three sets of leaves. But the vast majority of people around here may have seen a farm, but never have farmed. They beam as they pay $5.95 for a tom in a 5.5" pot, with a stake holding it up and a flower on it. Take it home, dig a hole and stick it in the ground after adding a half-pound of MG fertilizer around it - in the middle of the day when the temps are in mid-80s.
I sold this guy a couple of plants and gave him instructions on how to transplant it - it was telling me how it wasn't doing very well. He had stuck them in a back room where all it got was about two hours of direct sunlight a day. He brought them to his office where it got about six hours of bright, direct sun a day. It had doubled in size in just two weeks.
He still thought it looked bad - he was expecting a 2.5' tom in two weeks!
Mike
I've never grown tomatoes before but I've planted a few seeds of ones called 'Ananas Noir'. They look pretty that's why.
Ciao Mike-
That's a pretty funny story. Well, as the seller, you want to provide what your customer wants.
Rainbowberry, I grew Ananas Noire last year. I really liked it for both its looks and for its taste. It's about the most rainbow-coloured tomato I've grown - purple, red, and green. I would characterize the flavour as having a hint of melon to it. We liked them as BNT tomatoes, substituting nasturtium leaves for the lettuce. Nasturtiums taste peppery like arugula or watercress, a relative.
That's a pretty funny story. Well, as the seller, you want to provide what your customer wants.
Rainbowberry, I grew Ananas Noire last year. I really liked it for both its looks and for its taste. It's about the most rainbow-coloured tomato I've grown - purple, red, and green. I would characterize the flavour as having a hint of melon to it. We liked them as BNT tomatoes, substituting nasturtium leaves for the lettuce. Nasturtiums taste peppery like arugula or watercress, a relative.
Ah, that's good to know Sorellina, thank you. I only planted the seeds yesterday so hopefully they'll germinate, I've heard tomatoes seeds tend to germinate better than chilli seeds.
Thanks WW, that's what I heard anyway. I wasn't sure how to germinate them at first but I was told that a sunny window sill would do fine. Watch this space, my growing capability might extend beyond chillis.
The window sill is south facing WW so it'll be the best it can get for the UK, I live in Kent so the weather is better than a lot of England.
RB,
I have a south facing window with two layers of translucent (not clear) plastic on them and the Riesentraube toms are doing fine. A little tiny bit leggy but not enough to be of concern. It's easy enough to trench seedlings and in fact many people believe it is better for them.
The plant at the office is also facing south and it is about 20" tall and bushy as can be.
Mike
(Sorry Sorellina, not trying to hijack your thread!)
I have a south facing window with two layers of translucent (not clear) plastic on them and the Riesentraube toms are doing fine. A little tiny bit leggy but not enough to be of concern. It's easy enough to trench seedlings and in fact many people believe it is better for them.
The plant at the office is also facing south and it is about 20" tall and bushy as can be.
Mike
(Sorry Sorellina, not trying to hijack your thread!)
