Tomatoes 2020

[Artorius]

Thank you for the kind words. I have more if you like to look at photos. I have grown about 40 tomato varieties this year. My collection of tomatoes from behind the eastern border of Poland is quite large. Several hundred varieties from Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia, etc. There are thousands of varieties of tomatoes in the world, so I had to limit myself to a small part, because life is rather short and I will not check all of them. Although I would like to do it because I just like it

Zeedman, I grow tomatoes in a polytunnel. The less moisture there is on the leaves of tomatoes, the healthier they are. Many of my friends from the Polish gardening forum build only roofs over tomatoes to protect them from rain. They have great results. The pressure of fungal diseases is definitely decreasing.

I also like to swap tomato seeds. Preferably for bean seeds. If anyone would like to try it please send me a private message.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

The recent hurricane had me picking up green tomatoes. I figured that they would get fried as in fried green tomatoes or maybe used in a salad or something even like a relish because I did not think they would turn red. And sure enough they were hanging out green as could be on the countertop. I remembered how ethylene is a agent of ripening processes and decided to intermix ripe tomatoes and the green ones. Normally we have them separated by age to use up the ripest ones first. Suddenly they all turned. Now I want to know was it me, Doctor Who, or would they have turned on their own?

 

[ducks4you]

I have been ripening green tomatoes that I harvested before the freeze. Here are a few that I put on dehydrator trays. I pulled them in from the porch bc they were all starting to turn. It took 4 days for them to ripen, then I canned them AFTER we ate one with burgers, and four in our salad. Almost 2 quarts worth.

 

[Zeedman]

I still have green tomatoes turning that were picked October 5th. All of the larger green tomatoes ripened within 2-3 weeks. The paste tomatoes (in my unheated garage) are lasting longer, but should be either ripe or spoiling by the end of the month... we've gotten a lot of use out of those.

As for cherry tomatoes... we had a cross show up in the Elfin grape tomatoes. Normally I eliminate crosses, but DW liked these, so I let it grow. It turned into a MONSTER, we had to cut branches off twice just to clear the pathway! It was also crazy productive; DW ate a lot, we gave a lot away, and still have a lot left. They still show no sign of spoilage. In retrospect, I wish I had taken a cutting from that plant before the frost killed it.

"Elfin" cross

 

[baymule]

Wow! That's a bunch of tomatoes! Maybe save seed and see what you get?

 

[ducks4you]

It is wonderful @Zeedman , that we are both salvaging the late harvest.
NEXT YEAR, I am starting early, put out early "tomato soldiers" covering Early and getting Earlier harvests!
I am Not happy (with myself) that 3 years in a row I have depended upon late harvested green tomatoes to fill up my canning larder after they turn.
Definitely NOT thanking my past self for this.

 

[Artorius]

Paste tomatoes 2020

My favorite Auria
The bottom of the plant ...

...and the top.

Auria's cousin - Drova / Firewood dwarf tomato.

Tamoninskiy

 

[Dirtmechanic]

Paste tomatoes 2020

My favorite Auria
The bottom of the plant ...
View attachment 37454

...and the top.
View attachment 37455

Auria's cousin - Drova / Firewood dwarf tomato.
View attachment 37457
View attachment 37459

Tamoninskiy
View attachment 37460
View attachment 37461
View attachment 37462

Those plants look brilliant!

 

[Artorius]

Kubinskiy Pertsevidniy Cherniy / Kuban Pepper Black - looks like a pepper in the Bhut Jolokia type.

Morskoy Konek / Sea Horse

Stakany Minusinskiye Krasniye / Minusinsk Glasses Red

 

[Zeedman]

Kubinskiy Pertsevidniy Cherniy / Kuban Pepper Black - looks like a pepper in the Bhut Jolokia type.

You grow some really interesting tomatoes, @Artorius - especially your paste tomatoes. To me, a walk through your tunnels would be like a trip to Tomato Candyland.

Coincidentally, I grew Black Pepper this year as well. I was fortunate to receive it in a swap (along with a similarly-colored variety called "Snickers"). Unfortunately, weeds choked them for much of the summer - and pulling those large weeds out may have damaged the root system. The bushes recovered, but only about a dozen tomatoes ripened before frost (which at least allowed me to replenish my seed stock). They keep poorly, so DW & I made the decision to leave the green ones for the frost. Probably my biggest tomato disappointment this year, because I love their flavor & had looked forward to mixing them into sauce with San Marzano Redorta. The bushes were very vigorous with heavy leaf cover; the foliage is a very dark shade of green, almost bluish.