Marianna's Peace Tomatoes

[Tutter]

I've been watching this thread, and just wanted to pop in with 2 things.

First, there are pretty good home soil test kits out there if you want to get a basic idea of what's going on. We do ours, even though we also have it done, and it is always on enough for us to correctly amend, if needed.

Secondly, I just had to tell you how pretty the chamomile is! I have some growing as well. There are a lot of good reasons to, but if there weren't, I would anyway!

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Tutter - Would you mind PMing me with the name brand of the test kits with which you've had good luck? Thanks! Do you make chamomile tea with your flowers?

Oakland - Thanks yet again for your terrific guidance! Yes, the thicker stem is the one that had the flowers and the most growth. And yes, it's always painful to remove potential tomatoes!

Please help me understand *why* you've selected the two stems for removal so that I might take in some of your wisdom. The little one that's hidden in the back seems logical - it's small, fairly new, and has little growth. Makes perfect sense. I've already taken that one out.

But, as for the other two, I can guess a couple of reasons, but I'd like to hear your thought process in your reasoning so that I fully understand. Here are my guesses -

The one you've chosen to keep is in the middle, so it could conceivably replace the middle stem. Yet, it's base is further up the main stem than the one you've selected for removal. It has lots of new growth, but the growth is still quite small.

The one that you've selected to remove is further to the left, so if it were kept, it'd leave nothing in the middle of the plant, with no clear middle stem. Yet, it's lower on the main part of the stem than the one you've elected to keep. And, it's also thicker. It is also taller than the one you chose to keep, with bigger leaves, but less new growth.

When I trim off the next stem, I'm going to attempt to root it. I had great luck with that last year, so if I'm as lucky with this, I'll get an opportunity to grow a Marianna's Peace WITH a proper middle stem!

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

With you notes and upon closer inspection I may make another determination.

My initial response was because yes, the smaller one that was hidden is small and should go. My decision to remove the *far-left* stem was because it was lower on the plant and seemed to be smaller.

After your further description I think, that perhaps you should just remove the smallest stem at the base and perhaps the second smallest stem which seems to be the other *center* stem in photo number 1. Basically, you want to remove the newest and smallest stems since the will take more energy to grow as tall as the others and begin to produce fruit. The tallest, strongest stems with more growth need to be your priority.

Honestly, you still have lots of time in your growing season and I would trim the very smallest and give the plant a few weeks. Continue with care and if the plant still seems to be struggling then remove the second one. At that point, the plant should either take off nicely or continue with it's current growth.

Who knows, you may just have gotten one with bad genes. This happens. It skips around generations too. Unfortunately, the one thing that we give up by not using hybrid tomatoes is the perfection in the plant, which I don't mind. The best thing you can wish for is to save seeds from the fruit you will get and replant next year.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Thanks Oakland! The smallest of the stems is gone, so I'll keep a watch on the plant to see how it's coming along. With your great advice, I would think that I'll know fairly soon which direction would be the best way to go. Your help has been fabulous and I've learned a lot! To be continued later. . . .

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Thanks Oakland! The smallest of the stems is gone, so I'll keep a watch on the plant to see how it's coming along. With your great advice, I would think that I'll know fairly soon which direction would be the best way to go. Your help has been fabulous and I've learned a lot! To be continued later. . . .

I don't know if it's great advice, just what I would do. It works for me and always has (until I learn something new) so I'll just pass that along. Just think if our parents and grandparents wouldn't have passed on what they knew. Where would we be?

I'm sure your tomatoes will be great and good luck with them.

Keep us posted.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Just think if our parents and grandparents wouldn't have passed on what they knew. Where would we be?

Keep us posted.

Well, I WISH that the Grands had passed along their knowledge! I'm told that my gg-grandmother and her second husband were really big into tomato experimentation and came up with all kinds of new varieties. Had they passed that along, perhaps I'd be telling you the what-fer's of tomato growing!

Will do on keeping you posted.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

It happens that way. My great grandparents used to come up with their own rose crosses. Where as I can't seem to grow a rose. I have 2 mediocre looking bushes that I've been fighting to keep alive.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

LOL. Well, with 4 sets of g-grandparents, perhaps that skill got bred out of you! Oh well, you must have gotten the tomato genes from somewhere else in your gene pool!

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Oakland -

It's time for the Monday report!

All the plants are progressing well. Last week, I gave them another round of egg shells.

Stupice grew the least - no height gain - but now has well over 40 tomatoes on the plant. (I had heard this about the Stupice!)

German Pink grew 15% and has tons of flowers. I've not seen any 'maters yet.

Anna Russian and Howard German each grew 22%. Howard German has quite a few tomatoes on it and Anna Russian still has very few flowers.

The Marianna's Peace grew 47% and the tallest branch is now 22" tall, while the other two are about 14". All three stems are beginning to form flowers. The flowers on the largest stem are the furthest along, then the middle, then the stem to the left.

Do I pinch flowers again? What say you about the concept of removing one of the smaller stems?

Thanks again!

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Nice progress!

Stupice is known to increase the flavor with the later fruits, btw.

At this height I would not pinch the flowers because it seems like the little plant is really taking off.

What say you about the concept of removing one of the smaller stems?

This would probably help with pushing the other 2 stems to grow faster and larger but it looks like the plant is starting to take off. I honestly would leave it and let it grow because I'm sure that it will do just fine.

Keep us posted and good luck!