Marianna's Peace Tomatoes

[Tutter]

It would assure you a tomato, but would taste better if left on the plant, I think.

You don't grow too many tomatoes, maybe you could try wine barrels next year.....then bring the whole plant in to let the tomato ripen! (Unless, of course, you aren't interested in a hernia! Ouch! Those half barrels are heavy, when planted!)

Really though, I know how you feel. We used to go through that with our bananas. Each day we'd look and wonder if we should cut them and let them finish ripening hanging from the porch roof.

We'd hold our breath, because one day too many, and the woman with the machete who'd watch them, too, would take them in the middle of the night.....just like a big rat!

I hope everything goes well, and you enjoy the tomatoes, whichever choice you make! :happy_flower

 

[Backyard Buddies]

I can just picture the lady with the machete! The nerve of some people!

I'm going to take a chance with this tomato on the vine, but maybe not past tomorrow if it's still there by then. The Stupice plant has a LOT of tomatoes, so hopefully I'll get one or two that the rat doesn't get! What I ought to do is put a rat trap right under that ripening tomato. That'd teach 'em!

In the meantime, there is so much cayenne pepper on that tomato that the rat would have to really like it hot to take that one!

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Looks like the Marianna's Peace Tomato is playing catch up real nice.

Hopefully you do get the first tomato of the season, we've been eating First Pick and Indian Moon for a couple of weeks now.

Regarding the German Pink. What are you night time temps? Day time highs? Temps under 55 or over 70 at night could prevent fruit set. No signs of any bugs right, like thrips?

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Lucky you for getting to enjoy your 'maters! Nice!

Day time temps at this time of the year are usually in the mid-70s, with night time temps are low-to-mid 60s. We did have some very warm days last week - up in the upper 80s to lower 90s but it still dropped into the upper 60s at night.

OK, I went out and did the white sheet of paper test. Two different types of bugs dropped off onto the paper. One was tiny and crawled and the other was bigger, greenish, and had wings.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

OK, I went out and did the white sheet of paper test. Two different types of bugs dropped off onto the paper. One was tiny and crawled and the other was bigger, greenish, and had wings.

Thrips kind of look like termites? And the other thing sounds like a lacewing. Were the wings transparent?

Thrips may prevent flowering. The spray with soap that I recommended should get rid of them as will a strong spray of water in the am.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

I'm not sure I'd call those little crawling things 'termite like.' I'll have to shake the bush some more and see if I can put 'em under a microscope. They were pretty tiny.

I took some pictures that I'll have to post later (I'm supposed to be working) for you to see. I'm not having any problems getting flowers, but am having problems keeping flowers.

I'll have to get a hold of some hot peppers (didn't plant them at home this year) and make up the soap spray.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

I meant setting fruit. Oops. Obviously I can't try to work and post responses.

Look forward to the pics.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Well, your mistake actually helps me feel better. It gives me hope that we'll be able to solve this one just as we have seemingly solved the Marianna's Peace. Now for the pix. . . .

Here's a picture of the German Pink plant. I couldn't get the entire plant in the picture since it's pretty big, nearly 5 ft. tall.

It starts off getting a nice cluster of flowers like this one:

Then, as is common, the flowers begin to fade:

Then, the flowers don't progress to tomatoes. Instead, they begin breaking off at the knuckle:

This plant sits exactly next to the Stupice, the one that is loaded with tomatoes. In fact, I decided I didn't want to sacrifice another one to the roof rats and picked it today. It could have used another day, but it is looking mighty tasty anyway:

Edited to add:
All of these pictures were taken today, so all of those flowers are currently present on the German Pink plant. They are not an actual progression, but rather a representation of what is happening.

 

[Tutter]

Nice set of photos, and an even nicer tomato! :coolsun

Uhm....rats regularly eat dried red pepper pieces. When my dd was a teen, her pet/show rats did....they might think you are giving them spicy Mexican food! But maybe your rats have sensitive tongues; let's hope so!

 

[Backyard Buddies]

they might think you are giving them spicy Mexican food! But maybe your rats have sensitive tongues; let's hope so!

Actually, I have a funny story about that. This tomato plant sits not too far outside my bedroom window, which was cracked open a tad. One evening as I was settling down to sleep, I swear that I heard a critter yelp out there. As I drifted off, I was snickering to myself about the surprise that critter got as they attempted to nibble on my 'maters!