How Were Your Tomatoes This Year?

[thistlebloom]

I grow them for my own (family) personal use and I give plants and fruits away to family, neighbors, friends and the senior center.

Well the folks that get them are certainly blessed to have such a wide variety of tomatoes that you can't find at a store! They're wonderful!

 

[barefootgardener]

And, what shots they are, @barefootgardener !

I recently recommended your Pantano Romanesco to some gardeners in this neck of the woods as a true-tomato flavor variety, I think was how I described it.

The last couple of years, I have had several plants in containers in my backyard. I find that some do remarkably better there than in the open garden. Not everyone puts plants in such an exposed environment around here.

I should say something about @marshallsmyth 's Amy Sue, again. I'm leaving for the garden in a few minutes and may be able to get a picture of one if there are any still on the plant. Marshall described it as a survivor. Based on 1 year and 1 plant, I can agree! It really shows little sign of any difficult conditions.

Marshall crossed Marianna's Peace with Giant Syrian to get Amy Sue. I have often thought about growing Marianna's Peace. I understand that Marianna herself was a survivor ... Anyway, that plant had a good year.

Steve

Pantano Romanesco is a great tomato. One of my favorites. I skipped it this year because I had a lot of new varieties to try. It might be back next season.
Marshall's cross sounds interesting. I would love to see a picture and hear about the flavor, and of the fruit.

I tried to grow Marianna's Peace for two years. It did not do well in my garden and struggled both years. It was very cold sensitive in my garden. I wish it did well for me, as I heard it is a great tasting tomato.

 

[barefootgardener]

Well the folks that get them are certainly blessed to have such a wide variety of tomatoes that you can't find at a store! They're wonderful!

Thank you. I get great joy in giving away plants and fruits to those that appreciate them. I had a hard time this year, as my best gardening buddy and friend passed away last summer. She was a lovely older lady, who had a generous soul. She and her husband had the most amazing gardens and flower beds. Years ago, I stopped by their house on a whim when they were out tending their garden. I had my young son with me. I told them how much I admired their garden as I drove by the house, and always wanted to stop and get a good look. They gave me a wonderful tour, and we shared our knowledge and love of plants. She gave me a cutting off of one of her plants, and the next day, I brought them some heirloom tomato plants. That is how our friendship started, and they loved the heirloom tomatoes so much, that I grew them their favorites every year. She makes the most awesome wild blackberry jam and would give my family jars of it. She also made my kids quilts one year for Christmas. She was a special lady and I missed her terribly when I went to seed my tomatoes this past winter. I grew out her favorite cherry, and planted one plant by her gravesite this spring. Her family put in a bench behind her grave and her husband comes for a visit, and eats a cherry tomato or two for her.. (She passed away a couple days before my youngest sons wedding)

 

[thistlebloom]

That's a sweet story Ginny....so sorry you lost your friend.

 

[Carol Dee]

Thank you. I get great joy in giving away plants and fruits to those that appreciate them. I had a hard time this year, as my best gardening buddy and friend passed away last summer. She was a lovely older lady, who had a generous soul. She and her husband had the most amazing gardens and flower beds. Years ago, I stopped by their house on a whim when they were out tending their garden. I had my young son with me. I told them how much I admired their garden as I drove by the house, and always wanted to stop and get a good look. They gave me a wonderful tour, and we shared our knowledge and love of plants. She gave me a cutting off of one of her plants, and the next day, I brought them some heirloom tomato plants. That is how our friendship started, and they loved the heirloom tomatoes so much, that I grew them their favorites every year. She makes the most awesome wild blackberry jam and would give my family jars of it. She also made my kids quilts one year for Christmas. She was a special lady and I missed her terribly when I went to seed my tomatoes this past winter. I grew out her favorite cherry, and planted one plant by her gravesite this spring. Her family put in a bench behind her grave and her husband comes for a visit, and eats a cherry tomato or two for her.. (She passed away a couple days before my youngest sons wedding)

Those are the best friendships. You will remember her every time you enter a garden. Sweet memories.

 

[so lucky]

Such a touching story of your friend in the garden, @barefootgardener. Makes gardening bittersweet, doesn't it?
Beautiful pics of tomatoes. The second picture, with the red, sort of fluted tomatoes--is that the beefsteak?

 

[ninnymary]

What a wonderful friend to have had.

Mary

 

[digitS']

Marshall's cross sounds interesting.

Well, I'm back with nothing. There are a few this-&-that tomatoes down on the ground. Amy Sue doesn't even have leaves ...

I did some reading before I went out into the garden. Tatiana's tomato base says of Giant Syrian: "... about 40% of seedlings came up with potato leaf." And, about Marianna's Peace: "potato leaf plants." Now, I'm not sure what leaves that plant had, nothing but dry, wrinkled things to go by.

I think it was Tomatofest that describes GS as red. Tatiana says pink. This cross has very pink fruit so I think that fruit color is stabilized. Nice, flavorful tomatoes.

Both varieties probably violate my standard of no 80+ day tomatoes. Maybe I got lucky.

Steve

 

[majorcatfish]

very nice selection of tomatoes you have grown.. very impressed !!!!!!

 

[catjac1975]

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My tomato season ended a few weeks back. I had a great tomato year and I grew out many, many heirloom varieties and had a couple hybrids. This is my second year growing Big Beef and while last year was a flop, this year they did pretty well. Production was good, but not as good as some of my heirlooms. The flavor is better than a supermarket variety, but again, not even close to the flavor of most of the heirlooms I grow. Big Beef does show good disease tolerance. Not sure if it will be back next season.. But, for a hybrid it did really well once summer got going. And of course I grew Sungold for my grandson, and Beefsteak. You know, that cheap packet you buy at the big box store, from American Seed Co., and who knows what kind of beefsteak they are? They did well, pretty productive, but the fruits averaged 8-10 ounces. Most were small to med. in size.. Wont grow next year.

Once the tomatoes started producing mid summer I had to pick some on the green side once they started to blush. I had a problem with birds pecking at my tomatoes. Also we started the summer with a drought, and then mid-way through we had weeks of rain, so I picked them and let them ripen in my GH. I did not want my maters watery and mushy..All in all, I did not have much of a problem with any leaf disease issues until the end of summer.. I have lots of pictures of whole tomatoes and sliced, but will post a few shots for now..

I do not know How I missed these. Beautiful!