This is what mouths are for! If you dont ask, you will never get anywhere!
Sometime syou can hit them when they are cleaning out the old and just wanting to be rid of stuff and other times its the e-cheapo sale..
Any time I see murseries offering things free I ask them what else are you cleaning or clreaing out... I get lucky sometimes. Like last year I came hope literaly with a pickup load of mums. The nursery had a sign FRee. I asked well how many could I take.. next thing I knew ole Leo loaded my truck up! God bless his soul!
2009-10 TOMATO TOURNEY!!!!
Big Beef maters... bumped to #1500 size cans...
Oooooh, you have a lot of Big Beefs. I only have two (I have a limited growing area), but they are now about three feet tall, full of blossoms. Oh, yes, I also have two Ropreco, 1 Federele (another paste), one Great White, one Orange Oxheart, one Striped German, one Juliettte, one Zapotec, and one Norwegian (imur beta prius) which now has two baby tomatoes!
You must have a huge area to plant all those tomatoes! I only have a 40x20 area, and must grow my beans, squash, potatoes, garlic, cucumbers and everything else in that space!
Much luck with your "maters" -- hope they grow well and thrive!
Thank you so much for the well wishes. Im growing for the food pantrys in my local so homefully we willhave plenty.
My taters were a wash this season.. Drat!
I put in radish, carrots, beets, some lettuce, peppers, I have in containers - cukes, zukes, green peppers, banana peppers, some loofa.
If we get the garden worked this weekend I am going to broad cast some melons and some squash.
Been thinking aboiut beans.. maybe do them in some containers...
Hope your garden does well too!
Well, my potatoes this season have been really good. I'm getting around 2-3 pounds per seed planted, which is much better than last year, which stank to the heavens. I mean, doodly squat!
I'm also expecting (on the basis of the first head picked) a good garlic harvest. This is number one (Music), of 111 planted (Music, German Porcelain, and Chesnok Red) ... whadya think? Is that a pretty garlic? (Of course, you have to love garlic as much as I do ... I mean it's like wine ... a day without garlic and / or wine ... is like a day without sunshine!
on a good season I will get around 600 lbs of taters or a heaping helping pickup truckload which is more tha I need and love to give to the local food pantries BUT
.. but I got an idiot for a neighbor who keeps flooding the area and well what can I say...this year again we got nada.. its gettign rather annoying.
Well, blossombuddy, you plant far more taters than I do. Remember, I'm an urban farmer with a community garden plot! Whew, 600 lbs! That's a whole lot of taters! My harvest is minuscule in comparison! LOL!
Can't you talk to that neighbor ... given that water is a precious commodity these days, why would anyone be flooding anything, for any reason???
The neighbor is an idiot... some people think they are above the law when they do stupid.. They have ruined properties by doing what they do and its ridiculous. I swear some people have no regard for anyone or anything no less themselves. People do not know what they do and the authorities can be just as bad. Trouble is, none of them give a rats potato about anything but thier selfish selves.
There are solutions to the issue, but stupidity reigns. Like talking to a brick wall. One thing though about talking to a brick wall... it does not do anything but stand there and listen. That is far more I can say about some ignorant people.
Anyway, the tomatoes here are looking grand. I have them in pots. The rains we have had have been wonderful on them. They are starting to bloom and I need to get them where I want them to crawl on a fence soon.
My chickens are still "tilling" the area that they are going in.
This message was edited Jun 7, 2010 6:09 AM
The tomatoes are thriving in my garden. Six Big Boys planted as seedlings (4 in the garden, 2 in topsy-turvys), four organic Brandywines started from seed, and one of no-name because it's growing from last years droppings. Ate two of the delicious Big Boys already and I've counted more than 50 popping out. The organic tomatoes are catching up.
Only one ripe tomato so far, a Norwegian type, very small, but very tasty. It's been such a cool summer here ... things are growing very slowly. There are piles of green tomatoes on all my plants, all started from seed, and I am hopeful for a good harvest ... if they EVER get ripe! I'm trying three new ones this year, Zapotec (a Mexican beefsteak), Federle (a roma type), and an unidentified roma type a friend gave me seeds for, which I am naming after her. Otherwise, my regulars are Big Beef, Great White, Striped German, Orange Oxheart, Ropreco and Juliette. I think the Orange will produce the next ripe one. We'll see.
Well, my tomatoes have tomatoes! YAY! I put up quite a few plants this season and the hoop house trellis is working wonderfully so far. I really need to start pumping some fertilizer to them. Going to be doing the chicken poo tea thing and Superthrive.
I have tones of cherry tomato plants and some where around 24 or more large beefers or I take that back, Big Boys.. I will have to watch labels as its probably both.
I need to repot some hanging baskets. I did not do tomatoes in baskets this year.
I am wondering to see everyones Topsy-turvys.. I am skeptical on those as my baskets were probably not as llush as if they were in the garden, but I am good for skimping on fertilizer due to time and size of the gardens
I just tied up my maters for their secong time. And they are all about 2-3feet tall depending on variety.
Its a BETTER BOY!
Here's one of my favorite hybrids, a Juliette ... the plant is loaded with clusters of 8-10 grape tomatoes. They're a good size, grape, too, and really tasty when ripe. But, alas, still green ...
My other hybrid, a tomato staple, Big Beef ... two plants just loaded with GREEN tomatoes (no, I don't like fried green tomatoes) ...
Super performer heirloom paste/roma: Ropreco ...
New heirloom for me this year, a Zapotec. It's a late season beefsteak, and I'm hoping for the best ... looks pretty good so far!
The first of my favorite tried and true heirloom BIG tomatoes, Great White ...
Second, Striped German ...
Three, Orange Oxheart ...
The two remaining not pictured here are an heirloom roma, Federle, and a small cool season one I call Norwegian. They're not producing up to snuff this season, as far as I'm concerned. I'm growing Federle for the first time, and it's a wispy plant with not many tomatoes, and some displaying (gasp) blossom-end rot. The Norwegian, which I had great success with last year, is not living up to its previous self. The plant looks poorly, the tomatoes are few and small. Such is life.
Cool!
Ok, I am getting maters galore but they have "crackles" or rings around the tops.. whats causing this or is it the breed?
I think it's a water issue ... too much?
Nah, I have not watered them at all, we have had good rains though...but cant say its overly abundant.
How about humidity? been beastly hot andhumid lately?
Well, yes, severe weather fluctuations cause problems ... but it may just be a varietal wrinkle ... I looked in a couple of my books and they didn't say anything specific about cracking, but some of the heirloom varieties pictured in one book definitely showed cracks , so ...
I thnk its Big Beef or Better Boy or something of that nature.. one of the old standbys. Im not havig too many tomato worms.. so far only 2 this season, but I have 24 plants. I have been pruning the leaves because they have been growing like monsters and I am tying them up to what they are climbing on. The maters seem small to me. Not like the ones I had last season. These are almost 1/2 size.
this ones in a #1500 nursery can and just climbing from there. Need to push some chickepoo tea to those. Some I have in cans like that but they are sunk into the ground. Thought I would try it that way so whenI water, the watering does a good job.
They are all going great guns though. Did my cukes the same way and also my zukes and loofas in cans too.
Here are two sites that discuss tomato cracking and the causes/remedies ...
http://www.agrisupportonline.com/Articles/cracking_in_tomatoes.htm
http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/causes_of_tomato_splitting_or_cracking
Looks like cracked or not you've got a bunch of tomatoes on your hands! Mine are still mostly green, but I've seen some flushes of color on a few, so I think next week might be the beginning of my tomato season (I hope).
Sadly, the squirrels seem to have devoured most of the Zapotecs (still green, too) ... I picked one to ripen on the counter, but it won't be the same ...
well, I got these devouring my maters.. boy they moved in with a vengence!
Wow, that's something Blossombuddy! At least you've got some natural predators there!
I was taking out some of my tomato plants, and found just one of those guys ... after all the damage that squirrels and rats did, during this coldest of all summers on record, I just said, hey, guy, go at it, have a blast!
oh no no no no... if you do that they will be back and back and back! Thats not RICE on that werm there, thats eggs! ICK, even the chickens think twice on eating these varocious greenies!
Well, I tell you, BB, that picture there just about gives me the creeps!
However, in my case, this is the first horned tomato worm to grace my plants in YEARS ..., and he'll be going into the city compost bin very soon ... hopefully, that will be that ...
I have been disappointed, again, with my tomato harvest, but planning ahead for next year. I got some black cherry tomatoes and a few super marzano this year. (At least I have saved seeds, so I can plant them again.)
What are your favorite short season tomatoes. I eat them fresh and can the extras, but also would love to have good sauce tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes have performed better for me, but none have been fantastic. To be fair, my flowers and roses get most of my gardening attention, but I would love some more fresh veggies. At a local plant/seed swap, people recommended Fourth of July.
I don't have a green house, so I have to start my seeds inside. I am setting up a light shelf for my indoor/outdoor tropicals and starting seeds, space permitting.
Im going materwerm hunting again today... them slimey critters defoliated a good part of my maters and ate some holes in the fruits. Grrrrr. Granny, wheres my can.
After I collect them I run them over with the lawnmower! Oh the humanity... green pudding everywhere, but that rice filled momma.. I know she dropped more eggs and I cant say rolling them kills the nits.
Sorry peter people, but these guys gotta go. I cant say they put out a pretty butterfly, they are not that kindof beast to my knowledge.
SCORE!!!!
BLOSSOM - 9 >>>>SA-MASHH!!!!!
GREEN MEANIES - 0
Found three more with eggs though this morning... OY! Next year I think I better pass on doing maters!
Those eggs, btw, are wasp eggs, and they are a natural predator ... the worm does turn into a hummingbird moth, which is quite fabulous ... sorry you've had such a lot of them eating up your "maters" ... sounds like you're getting even, though.
Garden Quilts, for an early, short season tomato that's bigger than a cherry and does make a good sauce, try the Norwegian type that was bred especially for short, cool seasons: Imur Prior Beta.
It is an heirloom, so you can save the seeds. I've grown it for two seasons and find it a pretty productive plant, and a decent tasting tomato. This year was the pits, however ... no summer to speak of. Surprised I got any tomatoes at all!
Fourth of July, btw, is a very nice small tomato! But, it's a hybrid, and so you can't save the seeds.
Oh rats, now I want to see a hummingbird moth.. but I sure the heck dont need the wasps I have tons of those and surely dont need getting stung. We have hornets, wasps and carpenter bees that can get pretty nasty.
Now to go look up a hummingbird moth...
Weird on those wasp eggs, they were olny laid on the smaller of the green meanies,....I wonder if "sex" of the worm is important to the wasp? or why else woudl the worms be smaller?
Oh dear, that is a pretty thing.. hmm sure wished I knew before I murdered them.....never realized they could be something so purdy! But man they got an appettite!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macroglossum_stellatarum
Im so ashamed! well not really on those wasps though...
BlossomBuddy, some wasps are our friends ... they're beneficial, and they prey on pests, like tomato worms. Paper wasps are fairly non aggressive, ground wasps are aggressive, carpenter bees are basically docile, and good pollinators ... hornets are just plain nasty. My opinion. I hope someday to actually see a hummingbird moth in person ...
Thanks for the tip on the Norwegian tomato, Imur Prior Beta.
I have to grow that one, being Norwegian-American myself!
Oh no, carpenter bees here are NAAAAASTY. They make their nests in the ground here often and have stung my horses to no end. Had one filly that got stung above her eye and it made a royal mess. Had to wrap her poor head up like an Arab wearing a turban while those pocks drained and one unfortuneately drained right into her eye causing a droop to her tearduct. Had a young stallion that got nailed about 15 times on his head too and had puss pockets like you would not beleive. No, those are nasty here....
We just anialated some waps nests made in the eavs on our house... and while they might be predators, I am not given them welcome to come into my house or attic or affix their evil little homes to which can often be massive if they get into an attic. They have been thick here. Got paper hornets nests out in our woods. Infact just harvested a nest to preserve. They come in through light fixtures, outlets, cracks through the siding and oh my.
I dont cotton much to getting stung and many folks as well as the animals are hyper-llergic. It took over a week for that one filly to heal and that poor colt, oh my. He looked like his head was popcorn! Had to "squeeze the pimples" off him and OMG, the holes he had, but he finaly healed. Had to "irrigate" him and dear Lord, that poor colt in the pain he was in, he still was pretty much a gentleman about it.
I dont mind bees. Honey bees, the lil black and yeller fellers we got are fine and there is a bumble bee too, but them carpenter bees. NO NO NO.. nastiest things if I ever saw! Maybe mine are hybridized? I doubt it, but those I steer clear if ever possible.