How Were Your Tomatoes This Year?

[ninnymary]

Steve, I've am slowly getting rid of early girls. Next year I will plant only 1. They've been my insurance against my heirlooms but my heirlooms have always done good. Fingers crossed that I don't jink myself for next year.

Mary

 

[digitS']

Right ... right.

What I've found is that the hybrids are more resilient, Mary.

This was a good year for my heirlooms. I feel justified in having put up with them when they haven't done well. I've gone a few extra yards for some, all because when they are good, they are very good ...

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

I've heard it said that it's hard to grow heirlooms in Alameda. Well, I've never had a problem. Perhaps it's because I amend my soil and they face south against the fence.

Mary

 

[Jared77]

@digitS' yes Early Girls still have a role in my garden. I've yet to find a replacement for them. As Ninnymary said they are insurance. Plus for a base "bulk tomato" for recipes like chili base or many sauce bases its nice to have. I typically go 1/2 EG and 1/2 or more with heirlooms in my recipes I make so I get the heirloom flavor but still have a plenty to make to sustain me through the off season. Mind you that's for canning recipes. If it's a fresh recipe like sauce for dinner that night it's 100% heirlooms, especially if we have company.

DW is another driving reason I keep planting them too. She swears by them and given how reliable they are it's tough to say no. High yield, plus respectable flavor. She likes that she can use a whole tomato for her sandwiches. She'd rather have some smaller slices for a sandwich than 1 big slicer that may or may not have too much core. Add avacdo, sprouts, and toast the bread and she's a happy camper.

Besides EVERYBODY carries them so it's not like I can't find them. It's just a matter of buying some somewhere and getting them in the ground. That's part of how I can justify trying so many different heirlooms because the production doesn't suffer.

EG I think is to stay honestly.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

It was the heat and the lack of proper water, with our restrictions, Steve, that made all those tomatoes not produce. Even throwing shower water on the beds from the third floor didn't help. So many days of 100+ and only being able to water 2 x a week. Sigh.

 

[barefootgardener]

My tomato season ended a few weeks back. I had a great tomato year and I grew out many, many heirloom varieties and had a couple hybrids. This is my second year growing Big Beef and while last year was a flop, this year they did pretty well. Production was good, but not as good as some of my heirlooms. The flavor is better than a supermarket variety, but again, not even close to the flavor of most of the heirlooms I grow. Big Beef does show good disease tolerance. Not sure if it will be back next season.. But, for a hybrid it did really well once summer got going. And of course I grew Sungold for my grandson, and Beefsteak. You know, that cheap packet you buy at the big box store, from American Seed Co., and who knows what kind of beefsteak they are? They did well, pretty productive, but the fruits averaged 8-10 ounces. Most were small to med. in size.. Wont grow next year.

Once the tomatoes started producing mid summer I had to pick some on the green side once they started to blush. I had a problem with birds pecking at my tomatoes. Also we started the summer with a drought, and then mid-way through we had weeks of rain, so I picked them and let them ripen in my GH. I did not want my maters watery and mushy..All in all, I did not have much of a problem with any leaf disease issues until the end of summer.. I have lots of pictures of whole tomatoes and sliced, but will post a few shots for now..

 

[barefootgardener]

I was exhausted by mid/late summer. With all the seed starting, transplanting, watering, weeding, picking, seed saving/ fermenting and canning and processing etc.. I am cutting way back next season. I love it, but the older I get the harder it is, and the less enjoyable it gets. I also grow other vegetables and fruits, so I am finally thankful the season has ended for the most part. Now I can enjoy the fruits of my labor when I open those jars of sauce and use my dried tomatoes etc..

Ginny

 

[thistlebloom]

You grow an incredible amount of tomatoes @barefootgardener !
Do you grow them for your own use or do you sell at farmers markets too?

 

[digitS']

And, what shots they are, @barefootgardener !

I recently recommended your Pantano Romanesco to some gardeners in this neck of the woods as a true-tomato flavor variety, I think was how I described it.

The last couple of years, I have had several plants in containers in my backyard. I find that some do remarkably better there than in the open garden. Not everyone puts plants in such an exposed environment around here.

I should say something about @marshallsmyth 's Amy Sue, again. I'm leaving for the garden in a few minutes and may be able to get a picture of one if there are any still on the plant. Marshall described it as a survivor. Based on 1 year and 1 plant, I can agree! It really shows little sign of any difficult conditions.

Marshall crossed Marianna's Peace with Giant Syrian to get Amy Sue. I have often thought about growing Marianna's Peace. I understand that Marianna herself was a survivor ... Anyway, that plant had a good year.

Steve

 

[barefootgardener]

You grow an incredible amount of tomatoes @barefootgardener !
Do you grow them for your own use or do you sell at farmers markets too?

I grow them for my own (family) personal use and I give plants and fruits away to family, neighbors, friends and the senior center.