Tomatoes for the Garden!

[HunkieDorie23]

I am not sure of the number yet because I haven't transplanted the seeds yet.

Amish Paste (not doing well)
Thessaloniki *
Black Krim *
Caspian Pink *
Koralik *
Super Italian Paste

* new to me

My Amish Paste are not sprouting well. They came up just the seeds are attached and the four that did come up ok look small and weak. I started the Super Italian paste to try to make up for the disappointing AP's.

I am still kicking around if I want to plant some mountain princess or marglobes just because. I have the seed and it is already two years old so I really need to use them up.

Super Italian and old Amish Paste doing OK, but because I am an addict with no one to stop me, I ordered gilbertie paste this morning. I don't feel guilty just trying to figure out where to put them.

 

[mothergoose]

I am hooked on trying different varieties...got 23 mostly heirlooms this year, but did cut back only 3 new ones for this year!!!

Amana Orange
TIgerella
Rutgers select
Marglobe
Cherokee Purple
Virginia Sweets
Red Oxheart
Brandywine Pink
White Wonder
BLack Krim
Black Brandywine
Yellow Pear
Fuzzy Peach
Pineapple **Current Favorite**
Persimmon
Hillbilly
Amish Paste
Gold Medal
Mortgage Lifter
Beefsteak

Rose *NEW*
Golden Knight of Siberia *NEW*
German Giant *NEW*

I am just as bad with peppers have over 25 varieties!!!

Love to Garden,
Christie

 

[digitS']

Gilbertie paste, Teresa? Is that from High Mowing Seeds? I really should send away for that catalog . . . I guess I should grow paste tomatoes, too :/.

High Mowing has a Yellow Perfection tomato that I discovered the other day. I wonder how it is different from the Dagma's Perfection I grew last year. That was an interesting adventure. I was all but certain that I'd get no more than a very few tomatoes off of each of my 4 plants. What was growing on them early was probably from flowers that bloomed before they went out into the open garden.

Finally, it warmed up here - like, in July - and the plants set fruit like crazy! I was so happy with those plants by the end of the season . The fruit -- I wouldn't call it a "sensationally rich flavor" as High Mowing describes Yellow Perfection. Still, the flavor was very pleasant and the fruits were a nice size. Not a sandwich tomato but a real nice salad addition . . .

Early Girls? The most commonly grown tomato in the US and I have come to understand why. I don't think there could be a "safer" variety to grow for any but for people in really, really short-season areas. Who was it on here who said that, "An Early Girl just tastes like a garden tomato!" That's because that person grew up with Early Girls in the garden. Nothing wrong with that - better than store-bought for just about anybody I'd bet . As much trouble as we sometimes have with our heirlooms . . .

I wish this article was not only found on this commercial site. Still, I'm happy that he put it there for us to read about the history of Early Girl: http://www.tandjenterprises.com/earlygirlhistory.htm

Dr. Joe Howland died not too long ago. Kind of odd interests in life - taught horticulture and journalism at the University of Nevada. He didn't "invent" the Early Girl, tho'. We have someone in France to thank for that. If you read the article, notice that the hybridizer wasn't happy with it because it wouldn't ship well .

Steve

 

[HunkieDorie23]

High mowing seeds does carry them, but I ordered them from Annies Heirloom Seeds. I was ordered asparagus seed and since I was paying shipping I offered to order some tomoto seed for my brother, he wanted some amish paste tomatoes and my seed wasn't doing well, I ordered him a pack, so I can find out if just my seeds were bad or if it is their whole stock. Anyway being on the paste tomato page I had a moment of weakness and hit the button. Never grow them but I hope they look as good as the one in the picture. That is going to give me 3 paste for the year.

I am really loving the pink caspian, they look awesome. As soon as I plant my lettuce, onions and cabbage to make some room under the lights I am potting them as well as the thessaloniki and Black Krim. As a matter of fact I need to go out and work on my hoop house but it is very windy and I keep putting it off. Wow the sun just came out of no where. Gotta be a sign. :tools

 

[digitS']

I am hooked on trying different varieties...got 23 mostly heirlooms this year, but did cut back only 3 new ones for this year!!!

Amana Orange
. . .
I am just as bad with peppers have over 25 varieties!!!

Love to Garden,
Christie

Waay more peppers than I've got!! Amana Orange!? I just discovered that a friend has sent me those seeds! You don't have that in your "New" section, Christie! Is that one gonna work for me???

I see that it is listed with all sorts of days-to-maturity . Any chance you saw some early fruit coming off those plants when you grew 'em?

Tomatofest says that Caspian Pink is "perfect for cooler climates." Why would that be? It is a mid-season variety - so, maybe it can set fruit in cooler temperatures . . ?

Steve
Wow, the squirrel just found a walnut in the very-slightly defrosted top 1/2" of the soil. He raced back up the tree with it! Is that any kind of a sign?

 

[thistlebloom]

...... I have really been enjoying all this tomato discussion...

and Steve, I take the squirrel racing up the tree with a walnut as a sign that he was hungry.

 

[swampducks]

...... I have really been enjoying all this tomato discussion...

Me, too. I've learned of more varieties than I knew existed. Maybe next year.
I tried Mortgage Lifter last year, don't think I got one ripe tomato. Was a bad year for toms for me.

 

[mothergoose]

Steve,
We have grown the Amana orange tomato for the last 2 seasons. It is very good, but it is a long season tomato. I start mine very early, but still seem to take about 75-80 days from transplant. I usually am picking them the same time the pineapple are ready. They are worth planting. Do you have much luck with the longer season tomatoes up your way?
Christie

 

[digitS']

Steve, . . . Do you have much luck with the longer season tomatoes up your way? Christie

No . . .

I have delayed setting them out into the open garden as long as 12 weeks. I have left flowers on the plants at transplant or removed them entirely. I have placed them in my best soil and my worse. I have given them abundant water or little.

Outdoor temperature is something I just cannot control, Christie. Until summer, clouds and wind are regular daily events in this part of the world. Many of you are enjoying warm weather (some are suffering from violent storms :/). The predicted high for today is 50F - this may be the 1st day that warm! Maybe the evergreens can wake up going from freezing to 50, then back to freezing . 60 might be a better start. We haven't seen that since back in October. I just looked at the records of the first 60 day of the year and averaged it over the last 3 years - April 4th. So, we usually wait until April 4th before our very FIRST afternoon with a 60 temperature!

70 and 80 are just as slow to show up. For being so slow to warm, it would be nice if warmth stayed around for 24 hours once it arrives but by September, day to night temperatures can swing as much as 40! In other words, we can have a pleasant 70 afternoon and a clear, quiet night with killing frost by morning!!! Of course, things don't need to be that extreme to interfere with the tomato plants. How about, 80 to 40 . . . or just 70 to 40? Delayed, delayed, delayed . . .

Really, I shouldn't complain since there are varieties that I can grow . I was thinking about suggesting another "sure deal" besides Early Girl or those "over-achieving" Gold Nuggets. Bloody Butcher is quick to mature and has very flavorful fruit. Small fruit, small plants but Bloody Butcher can take the cool! Since I no longer grow Gold Nugget, the Sungolds are the first cherries in my garden. I am curious how Teresa will do with Koralik cherries this year. I have been impressed how these Russian tomatoes can handle the cold and grow & grow! The few Russian varieties I've grown have done really well but I haven't been impressed by their production. The Orange Minsk tries to take over my garden! I've had it for 2 seasons but the 1st year, it only had 3 tomatoes . . . The Koraliks are cherries - count 'em Teresa ! Oh, and it would be nice to learn that they are productive, well-behaved, and really tasty!

I would like to learn about other early heirlooms !

Steve

 

[chris09]

I would like to learn about other early heirlooms

Here you go Steve,


Moskovich - 60 days
deep red, 4-6 oz., smooth, cold-tolerant, round and slightly flattened fruits with a luscious, rich taste.

Northern Lights - 56 Days
good yields of 8 to 10 oz golden yellow tomatoes with a red blush on the blossom end that radiates to the center.

Glacier - 50 Days
very early tomato variety produces orangey-red 2 1/2 inch tomatoes. Determinate habit plant that is about 2 1/2 feet tall, 3 1/2 feet across

Siberia - 45/55 Days
can set fruit in cool weather (reportedly as low as 38˚F). Produces a large number of three- to five-ounce brilliant red, flavorful fruits.

Siletz - 55 Days
nice flush of 4-5 inch deep red fruit that weigh 7-10 ounces. Bred by Dr. Jim Baggett of Oregon State University.

Silvery Fir Tree - 55 Days
produces good yields of 4" red tomatoes. Plant has fuzzy fern like leaves. Plant Height: 24".

Stupice - 60 Days
varieties sent to the U.S. from the former Czechoslovakia by Milan Sodomka. Compact plants with potato leaf foliage loaded with clusters of 2 fruits


Chris