A Very Early Tomato

[digitS']

It is Kimberley and the little plant has just been moved into a good 5 gallons of soil. I took the fruit and flowers off since I am expecting it to do some growing instead of just moving to ripening that fruit.

No doubt, the reason the flowers were able to set fruit was because Kimberley here has led a sheltered 12 weeks of life.

If it had gone in this much soil a month ago, it might have continued a growing phase instead of blooming. Still, I think that little Kimberley would have given me a very good chance of having ripe tomatoes in less than 5 months from sowing seed.

Steve

 

[mydogdory]

Lucky!! How long did it take for you to see a tomato? (I'm a new gardener)

 

[digitS']

Hi, @mydogdory !

There are only 4 Kimberleys. They all began to develop 1 tomato each, about 10 days ago.

There are flowers in all stages, also. I try to get all the flowers/fruits off when the plants are set out but miss a few. Something like Sungold will have a few cherries for picking in about a month.

Kimberley isn't a cherry but the fruit is so small that I can usually cram 1 in my mouth all at once. That is, if nobody is looking . . .

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

Hey, that's great Steve! ( I mean that you'll have some early fruit, not that you can make Kimberly a one bite experience.)

Is it Kimberly you're using for a cross with...that other tomato?

 

[digitS']

It is.

Buisson is also a nice little tomato, fruit and plant. It has regular foliage so Marshall assures me that I will know if I've actually achieved a cross, after sowing the seed from potato-leaf Kimberley.

Bloody Butcher is also back in a pot in the yard. I trimmed off flowers on each of these. Hopefully, the plants will be more vigorous this year with a couple more gallons of soil to grow in.

I'll be able to transport pollen from the veggie garden plants if I need to but I want to keep Moma Kimberley here at home.

Steve

 

[buckabucka]

Oh!..... What time should I arrive for the salad?
I don't have tomato blossoms yet, but some of the peppers I put in yesterday have little tiny peppers on them.

 

[Lavender2]

I usually don't see blossoms at planting time, but this year I moved about a dozen plants up to gallon pots at about 6 weeks. I'm hoping it doesn't affect production too much, but I have tomatoes on a couple of Early Girls! I will compare production to those that went in at the usual size with no blooms. These were planted out May 23.

 

[digitS']

I've got some tiny super chili pods. I think I will be out there today and will need to decide if they should come off. I don't ever remember having that much development on peppers before! Having a flower is unusual.

Those are real nice looking tomato plants, @Lavender2 ! Are those from the 1 gallon pots?

I could go to 8" easily enough. Well, I say "easily" but a flat of those are heavy and, that is quite a bit more potting soil to buy. Still, I give the plants the same 8 plants/flat amount of room when they can leave the greenhouse for the other protected growing "structures." They don't look nearly as good right now! Root-bound conditions and a lot of nights in the 40's, high winds, severe sunlight . . . other abuse . . .

Those are the conditions for the peppers, too. (Except, the have been in the garden less time.). Gotta decide how I might make things better for them.

Steve

 

[Lavender2]

@digitS' - the front 2 were in gallon pots, and a few in the back, I gave some to the kids. Yes, it was not fun lugging them in and out for hardening-off, but I wanted to see if I could get some to produce a bit earlier. That's the problem I have with trying to hold them in 2 1/2" pots - starting them so early, they grow too fast - a 3' plant in a small pot can't be the best thing... and that's what I end up with. I can't do them all in gallon pots, but I think I will continue to do some of them. I will admit, except for a bit too much rain, our weather has been perfect for tomatoes since about May 20, very unusual for here! I hope your weather is improving!

This is the first year that I up-potted all my peppers to 2 1/2" pots. Almost all had blooms, some had peppers... I usually leave them on at planting unless the plants are very small. Best year ever for the peppers so far...

 

[digitS']

My 3' tall plants (2', anyway) . .

. aren't so great in 3 1/2" pots, either. Just acceptable.

We may be getting to perfect tomato weather. Going above 80 again! Must have been warmest morning of the year at 52°!!
Steve