who does companion planting?

[digitS']

. . . Mine didn't even START to ripen! .....

Can you tell us your choice of tomato varieties, Petey?

We may have some suggestions .

Steve

 

[peteyfoozer]

I had both Romas and Amish paste tomatoes. They did fabulous for a couple of years, but the past two years it has been so cold and wet so late in the spring they just don't take off. I like firm tomatoes to make salsa and can with. I had some I started, a couple I purchased, and a couple of volunteers. They started to set well at the end of summer, had lots of fruit, but nothing ripened.

 

[Carol Dee]

A cold damp start and short growing season a real bummer.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i think a lot of us had the cold, damp start last year. we had temps above normal for too long and a lot of veggies didn't pollinate like they usually would.

 

[digitS']

I had both Romas and Amish paste tomatoes. They did fabulous for a couple of years, but the past two years it has been so cold and wet so late in the spring they just don't take off. I like firm tomatoes to make salsa and can with. I had some I started, a couple I purchased, and a couple of volunteers. They started to set well at the end of summer, had lots of fruit, but nothing ripened.

Seems like the paste tomatoes are usually in the 80+ days to maturity class that I will not grow because I'm tragically risk-averse .

I may not be of much help on the subject of paste tomatoes. I grew Viva Italia pretty much by accident 1 year and it did fine. Even tho' many, many of my tomatoes are cooked down at the end of the season rather than eaten fresh, I pretend that this won't be so .

I am happy with a plum that I've grown: Porter. The fruit is sweet and tender but it's a tuff little plant! Thessaloniki is a nice firm beefsteak that can last & last after picking. Of course, I'm also pretending that they will all ripen on the vine and won't have to come in and sit on the counter a couple weeks to change from green .

Steve

 

[peteyfoozer]

I am happy with a plum that I've grown: Porter. The fruit is sweet and tender but it's a tuff little plant! Thessaloniki is a nice firm beefsteak that can last & last after picking. Of course, I'm also pretending that they will all ripen on the vine and won't have to come in and sit on the counter a couple weeks to change from green .

Steve

Thanks! I will definitely look into that one for the coming year!

 

[peteyfoozer]

okay....striking out here. Is there a company you use that has these seeds??

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

sure, are you looking for organic or do you not care where they come from?
www.rareseeds.com is Baker Creek and they carry heirloom non-GMO stuff.
www.superseeds.com is Pinetree Garden Seeds up in ME and they have a blurb in the front of the catalog about their choice to carry non-GMO seeds but they carry some heirlooms and some hybrids. lots of different tomatoes in their catalog and really good prices.
www.fedcoseeds.com is also a non-GMO carrying company. not sure on how many types of tomatoes they have on their site. i haven't checked this year yet.
i got a catalog from www.totallytomato.com but i'm sure they could carry some possible GMO seeds from other suppliers. they do have a lot of different types of tomatoes and a few other types of seeds in there.

 

[digitS']

I am not talking about Porter "Improved," Petey. It seems like every time I try an "improved" variety I get burned . . .

It took me 10 years to get back to Sweet 100's after whiffing on Sweet Millions (you used a baseball term first )! Totally Tomatoes & others have the original Porter.

Totally Tomatoes & Baker Creek have Thessaloniki.

Steve