Thinking About Late Tomatoes

[so lucky]

Does anyone plant seeds late in the tomato starting season, to have fresh plants to set out ---say---in July? I was wishing I had done that last year, as the crop I planted early didn't bear very well. I think I'll do it this year. Gotta see which of my seeds have a shorter maturation date. Or, this might be a good time to buy some hybrid seeds, maybe Celebrity.
Is there anything in particular I need to be watchful for? Besides the normal precautions when planting in the hot sun?

 

[secuono]

By accident...the tomato forest kept putting them out until frost killed them all off...

 

[so lucky]

By accident...the tomato forest kept putting them out until frost killed them all off...

Ha! Sounds like your production was just fine.

 

[secuono]

Oh yea, it was great. Never planted them, they kinda just showed up on their own and took over! Now if only the corn and cucumbers could do that...

 

[digitS']

So Lucky, I have thought about doing that with a real early determinate - Gold Nugget.

The little Gold Nugget plants will be loaded with cherry tomatoes and then, poof, that's it! They are so quick, they might even produce from seed sown in the garden . . ! Since they are determinates, they cannot produce a 2nd crop.

Steve

 

[so lucky]

Sounds like I need to make sure I get a determinate. I normally don't do much with cherry tomatoes, but when there are no other tomatoes available, cherry tomatoes taste pretty darn good!

 

[Smart Red]

Rutgers is a good canning tomato that is a determinate. I have planted these in succession for fruits all summer.

 

[digitS']

Sounds like I need to make sure I get a determinate. I normally don't do much with cherry tomatoes, but when there are no other tomatoes available, cherry tomatoes taste pretty darn good!

Gold Nugget is one of the very few determinate cherry tomatoes, I'm sure. In fact, I cannot think of another one.

There are a great number of determinates that are a little larger, when you are looking for the real earlies. Right on up to big beefsteak size. Those determinate genes make it so the plant just kinda goes only so far, then stops growing, as it sets a crop.

If "tomato-growing season" was both early and late with scorched earth in between, as it is in someplace like southern Arizona, I can see a real value in determinates for the garden. Also, for canning - with even just a few plants, you should be able to get a boatload of ripe tomatoes, process those and be done for the season.

Steve

 

[digitS']

Well, I did a search on Tatiana's Tomatobase. "Determinate cherry."

There are a whole bunch like Tumbler, Tiny Tim, Red Robin . . .

Steve

 

[so lucky]

I picked up a packet of seeds off a Seeds of Change rack, of Super Sioux. It's a semi-determinate medium size red that is supposed to do well in hot dry weather.
I have volunteer cherry tomato plants every year, so I think I will just encourage one of those, as well.