How are Things in the Tomato Patch?

[digitS']

We had quite a thread earlier this year on the different tomatoes we are growing: Name Your Heirloom Tomatoes For This Year! I am curious how things are turning out for these and your hybrid varieties.

I don't really have anything to report - there isn't one fruit with even so much as a blush out there. But, if you don't mind, I'll be back in a few weeks to say something about the varieties in my garden.

The plants look pretty good. This may be another season like a couple of years ago when a cool, wet June was followed by a real good year in the tomato patch. I was happily surprised that year!

So, how are things in your tomato patch?

Steve

 

[hoodat]

I only planted two varieties this year. My Purple Cherokee are huge and I should have the first ripe ones in a couple of days. Looks as though I'd better get out the canner. There are more coming along than I can eat. I was beginning to wonder about my Mortgage Lifters. They kept getting taller but not setting fruit but now that they have started setting I should be well supplied with slicers if nothing goes wrong.

 

[bid]

I am picking San Marzanos and Sweet 100's every other day right now. I have only had 2 Rutgers ripen so far, but plenty of fruit set. Unfortunately, one of those had a fruit worm inside...it reminded me of that scene in the movie "Alien" when I cut it open ...oh well, the chickens appreciated that one. The Beefsteaks show no signs of ripening yet. All in all it seems as though it will be a good year for tomatos this year. I know that the last few weeks I have been "harvesting" a bumper crop of horn worms.

 

[chris09]

Well The 3 "main" types of tomatoes we planted this year are doing great, considering we had a late start this year do to all the rain had in May. The plants didn't get in the ground till mid to late June and know has tripled in size (at around 2 1/2 foot tall) All the tomatoes are loaded with blossoms and should be setting fruit soon know..
We planted 40 Roma VF plants, 24 Ox heart plants and 24 Celebrity VFNT plants then we planted 1 Japanese Black Trifele tomato plant.

Chris

 

[Ariel301]

Awful, here.

My storebought cherry tomatoes are doing great, they've got a decent amount of fruit and some starting to turn red. But my heirloom tomatoes are sick. They got huge, they bloomed a ton, and only one made anything--three pitiful tomatoes, which succumbed to blossom end rot before even getting very big. Either the heat is killing them or they are sick with something, they look terrible.

 

[digitS']

Ariel, I put Keith Mueller's hot weather tomato list on your tomato thread.

Chris, it is good to see you here on TEG. That is a lot of tomato plants!!

Bid, this is the 1st year in many, many that I don't have Large Red Cherry. We are going strongly with Sweet 100's & Sweet Chelsea this time around. I've grown them quite a few times and feel good about these hybrid red cherries.

Hoodat, I can hardly believe that I'm joining you with a Purple Cherokee relative: Gary O Sena. My understanding is that Keith Mueller stabilized at least 3 crosses of the Cherokee & Brandywine. Dora and Liz Birt are the others. It looks like he has encouraged earliness along with other traits with these crosses. My Gary O Sena, and I've only 1 plant, may be the earliest slicer this season!

I should have tried Purple Cherokee, I suppose, it isn't supposed to be a late tomato. But, Brandywine has always looked like a choice that was beyond my climate.

Steve

 

[journey11]

I've got lots of nice big GREEN tomatoes out there. Almost can't contain myself waiting for that first ripe 'mater!!

I planted 56 tomatoes this year, 8 different varieties (all heirlooms, but one). WAY too many for my needs, even with canning, but I know lots of older folks and widows I will be giving the extras to.

I made a twine trellis for my Genovese Costolutos thinking they were determinates like the San Marzanos, and of course they've all fallen over, which bummed me out. They're so loaded with green tomatoes I'm afraid to try to pick them up and organize them without harming them more. I'll still get plenty, so I'll just leave them alone.

I'm going to go take a stroll around the garden here in a bit. I'll look again to see if they're ready. I'm ready!

 

[hoodat]

Steve I think I lucked into just the right strain of Purple Cherokee. The ones I have get a main stem almost as big as my wrist and only get around four feet tall with huge fruit. It's almost a semi determinate but very heavy bearing. I got the seed from a tomato I bought in the organic section of the market. I'll sure save the seed on this one.

 

[Whitewater]

Well . . .

ALL of my tomatoes, heirlooms and hybrids alike, are still green. Really green. But around here, we're a bit late, the early varieties *should* have begun ripening a couple weeks ago -- my Early Girl tomato is still merely yellow, not red, though hopefully that will change soon.

In general, the hybrids (Early Girl and Bonnie's Best) are doing better than the heirlooms in terms of how *many* tomatoes they have, though I have noticed that the heirloom tomatoes *look* better than the hybrids, they seem more healthy.

The exceptions to the productivity are the San Marzano tomatoes which are producing like gangbusters -- every time I go out there I see new baby tomatoes forming -- and my Mortgage Lifter, which after dealing with some transplant stress (and ongoing blossom drop, a problem I've noticed with most of the heirlooms) has settled in, hit its stride, and is now carrying a good half-dozen tomatoes, possibly more. They're all green, of course, and small, but I anticipate good times in about 6-8 weeks!

At the other end of the scale is my Purple Cherokee heirloom, which has a grand total of TWO tomatoes on one plant and no other blossoms, at least, not so far. They and my Mr. Stripey plants are by far the least productive. There are 4 Mr. Stripey tomatoes on 2 plants, the first one of which was badly eaten by worms, so the chickens will get that one when it ripens, which shouldn't be long even though it's still green right at the moment. Too bad about that, the tomato was nice and big and really looks good -- until you turn it over.

The Black Krims are somewhere in the middle of all this. I have 2 plants and they each have 2 or 3 beautiful-looking tomatoes.

The biggest issue I've had with my heirlooms has been blossom drop. The hybrids are totally unaffected, but on the heirloom plants, I'm lucky to get one in six blossoms to turn into a tomato. Not sure what to do about blossom drop, is it caused by anything other than the weather? Haven't had any issues with end rot or blight or wilt or anything, yet, crossing my fingers.

I am pretty excited to try the Black Krim and Cherokee Purple tomatoes, though, they are beautiful on the vine and I find myself very attracted to them I am also looking forward to trying the Mortgage Lifters!

Somebody on here said 'I've got heirlooms for flavor, and hybrids for production' and that's certainly been my experience. I wouldn't have any extra at all if I went with straight heirloom plants! None for salsa or fresh eating, nada. Might be able to make a couple jars of sauce, but nothing near enough to get through the winter!

I am glad I included the two varieties of hybrids. At least now I'll have plenty of tomatoes for what I want to do!


Whitewater

 

[obsessed]

Mine heirlooms caught blight or mildew or something and had to be pulled. I didn't have any success last year with late season so I won't plant any more. But I am totally loving the creole tomatoes from the farm stand. I would grow them next year. They are famous here.