Marianna's Peace Tomatoes

[Backyard Buddies]

Anyone have experience with these? After reading up on them (and how terrific they're supposed to taste!) I decided to plant one this year. I purchased all of my plants at the same time (back in March) from the same plant sale and all of them were about the same size when purchased. By the time I got them in the ground, all but the Marianna's Peace had grown significantly. Since planting (several weeks ago), the others are easily 10 times the size of the Marianna's Peace. I just stepped outside to measure it and it's only 5" tall with only a few branches! The others are taller, fuller, and have flowers.

Wazzup with this plant? It looks healthy in all respects but it's just growing really, really slowly. Has anyone grown this variety and had this experience?

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

One of the best tomatoes that I've ever tasted and that we've ever grown!

We have some in the ground now. (We specialize in tomatoes)

How is your setup?

They need ample amounts of water but don't let them get soggy. They a heavy nitrogen feeder also. It might have been shocked by the transplanting although that rarely happens with tomatoes.

I'd throw some well aged compost around the base, dig it in. Also, throw some crushed egg shells around them to boost the calcium and keep them evenly watered.

Also, if it seems a little bushy at the bottom you might want to remove any suckers from the plant to promote growth.

Is it starting to flower at all? What overnight lows are you guys having down there?

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Suckers??!! I'd be GRATEFUL for suckers!

This little guy is only 5 inches tall and I've owned this plant since sometime in mid-March. It should be much bigger, like it's siblings we purchased at the same time. The others are Stupice, Howard German, German Pink (that one is HUGE), and Anna Russian. These are all in the same bed and are facing west. They get morning shade and lots of sun in the afternoon.

The German Pink and the Marianna's Peace are the closest to the picket fence, which means that they get a wee bit more shading than the others, but since the German Pink is the largest, I don't think you can blame the size of the Marianna's Peace on the picket fence. Besides, it wasn't growing as quickly as the others even before it was put in the ground.

All of the other plants are flowering, but the Marianna's Peace isn't, nor would I want it to. At this rate, it'd be lucky to flower before July.

They're in a raised bed. The previous occupants of this bed were:
Cucumbers (where the Stupice and German Pink are located)
Beets (where the Howard German is planted)
Bush Green Beans (where the Anna Russian and the Marianna's Peace are planted)

But, I had completely turned this bed, plus added some Amend and some topsoil before planting. The bed already had some of my home grown compost in it, in which I mix all of my egg shells.

I water every couple or few days, depending on the weather. All the plants are being watered similarly.

Over night lows have been in the 60s, although it'll be lucky to be in the 70s tonight. As I type at nearly 9pm, it's still 87 degrees. My poor chickens aren't too happy with this heat wave we've got right now.

Does this help?

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Hhhhmm

Well it seems a little odd that they're in the same bed and only one isn't doing to well. Any signs of disease or pest?

For next season, tomatoes actually like being planted in the same area every year. Or at least that what we have found.

Go ahead and sprinkle some crushed eggshells around the base and work them in. Plant a couple of marigolds around the tomatoes and maybe some basil. Marigolds help get rid of nematodes in the soil that attack the roots. This may be the reason you don't see any signs of disease. Basil works to sweeten the tomatoes.

When is the last time that you fertilized? Or tested the soil? Might want to do that.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

 

[Backyard Buddies]

It has been a while since I've tested the soil, so I should probably do that. I fertilized with some Gro-Power Plus that I had on hand shortly after I planted them in the ground. All of the tomato plants received that. Like I said, all of the plants have gotten the exact same treatments.

I rotate my tomatoes, and it has been a few years since I've had tomatoes in this particular bed. That's interesting that you've had good luck planting your tomatoes in the same plot each year. What are you doing to rebuild the nutrients in the soil from year to year?

I'll work in some eggshells tomorrow (after I eat some eggs!) and plant the other two items. I've grown marigolds and tomatoes together before, but I've never done the basil. I've read about it and it sounds like a good idea. Besides, not only do they grow nicely together, they TASTE nicely together, too!

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Yeah they taste wonderfully together!

We use cover crops to help with our tomatoes. We plant hairy vetch in the late fall and let it over winter. We then trim it down and plant them right in it. It helps bring in nitrogen for them. Eggshells and compost for calcium. They love lots of calcium.

Good luck!

 

[Backyard Buddies]

OK Oakland, here's what I did. . .

I cooked up and crushed a bunch of eggshells and worked them in at the base of each of the tomato plants. I then dug down really, really deep into my compost pile and found the darkest and richest stuff deep in my pile. (aged compost made of a majority of coop cleanings & cut grass, plus veggie scraps, egg shells, leaves, coffee grounds, etc. ) I sprinkled that over the surface of the soil and worked that in as well. Each plant was treated the same. Everything was deeply watered.

I also trimmed some of the chamomile that was growing on the other side of the picket fence in case it was shading the Marianna's Peace tomato. It was closer to that than it was to the German Pink, so this change would cause the biggest effect on the Marianna's Peace.

I also measured all of the tomato plants to compare later:

Stupice: 18" tall X 25" wide (has buds and small tomatoes)
German Pink: 25" tall X 39" wide (has buds)
Anna Russian: 17" tall X 29" wide (has buds and small tomatoes)
Marianna's Peace: 7" tall X 10" wide
Howard German: 16" tall X 28" wide (has buds)

This week I plan to plant the basil and the marigolds to keep the tomatoes company.

I also have some organic tomato food that I can feed them if you think that'd help. It's a liquid worm poop with calcium boost made for tomatoes and to be used once a week. Since I just sprinkled the eggshells, I didn't want to go ahead with this stuff without asking first so as to not overdo it. What do you think?

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

I'd wait a week and then apply the liquid worm stuff.

Shading might have had some affect.

Keep us posted.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

I suppose it might have, but even though it was the same size when purchased, it was already smaller than the others by the time I put it into the ground. Perhaps I simply managed to get a runt.

OK, I'll feed them the worm poop juice next week and I'll measure the plants again at that time and a week later to see if we're making much progress with this little guy.

I just want it to grow some Marianna's Peace tomatoes so that I can try this supposedly yummy tomato variety.

Which other varieties do you like? I've been hearing good things about Cherokee Purple. Have you ever grown that one? What else should I put on my 'must try' list?

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Oh the list can go on forever.

We grew Cherokee Purple last year but didn't this year. It's really good mildly sweet and has a earthy smoked flavor. Also, they are virtually disease free.

Yellow Pear is also just one of my favorites. They're small, yellow and look like pears. They grow like weeds and are just good to eat. I use them everywhere, salads, garnish, just eating them by the handful.

Plum Lemon is a Russian heirloom variety that's a great keeper. They look like a cross between lemons and persimmons. They actually kind of taste like a sweeter lemon too! They're a great variety to try.

Black Krim is another of my favorites. It's also a Russian heirloom that is black with green shoulders. Beautiful and tasty. It doesn't really taste like a tomato in the truest sense but is a great addition to sandwiches and salads.

I literally can keep going. The next trip we take down to So Cal, I'll let you know and we can bring you some different varieties to try. I can even bring some seeds of varieties that we grow here. Tomatoes are addictive, trust me.