Newbie growing Legend tomatoes

[Talon1189]

Hello......I am new to growing tomatoes from seed. I live in Michigan. I bought some Legend seeds off the internet because I read that they are large tomatoes that are listed as a 68 day tomato with good late blight resistance. I just planted them in an old ice cube tray with Scotts lawnsoil from a bag in my garage. I am starting them indoors. I put the seeds under a high lumen aquarium light intended to grow plants in a 55 gallon aquarium. How much light should I give them daily? I intend on planting them in some Topsey Turveys in early May if the weather is warm enough. I will be growing only 4 plants as I live alone and that should be more than enough. Any other advice and suggestions to me would be greatly appreciated

[danwigz]

Welcome Talon,

I'm not sure how well your seeds will come out in lawn soil. You'll have to be careful of damping off. Typically starting seeds in a soil less mixture works best.

Typically you'll want 12-18 hours of lighting. I'm not sure how strong your lighting system is, but I would guess that that kind of aquarium light would be fine to have on 12 hours a day. I keep my seedlings around 4in away from a regular florescent light and they are doing well.

As far as other things, here's a link for a discussion about Earthtrainer growing. Instructions are on a link on the first page, and it just requires a little work to make one if you're short on space. http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=12535

Additionally here's a thread on Topsy Turvy: http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=10941

[rsg2001]

Talon,
My recommendation would be to mix it up with your seeds - grow a couple of varieties, not put lock, stock and barrel in one since you're only growing four plants. I've grown Legend here in the New York area and found it disappointing -- not very prolific, and I found it kind of on the dry, mealy side. Of course everybody's growing conditions are different and you could have a different experience. Legend is parthenogenic - ie, minimal to no seeds - and virtually all 'meat'.

If you're looking for a large red that's pretty dependable, you can go for a traditional hybrid like Big Boy or Better Boy. Or, better yet, try an heirloom. Check out tomatogrowers.com if you haven't seen that catalog.

[Talon1189]

Originally Posted by danwigz

Welcome Talon,

I'm not sure how well your seeds will come out in lawn soil. You'll have to be careful of damping off. Typically starting seeds in a soil less mixture works best.

Typically you'll want 12-18 hours of lighting. I'm not sure how strong your lighting system is, but I would guess that that kind of aquarium light would be fine to have on 12 hours a day. I keep my seedlings around 4in away from a regular florescent light and they are doing well.

As far as other things, here's a link for a discussion about Earthtrainer growing. Instructions are on a link on the first page, and it just requires a little work to make one if you're short on space. http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=12535

Additionally here's a thread on Topsy Turvy: http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=10941

Thanks for the links........looks like I will be building a couple of Earthtainers instead of the Topsy Turvy hoax.........

[danwigz]

Don't get me wrong, people have been growing plants upside down for years. You can easily find a home-made version of the TopsyTurvy that should last years online (lots of how-to's on youtube). Being as diplomatic as I can about it, I think the TopsyTurvy are made from materials that just can't handle the light and weight conditions of a good tomato plant. I also want to know how those elderly people in the commercials got their TopsyTurvy up on the stand without breaking their hips.

Any further discussion of the TT from me will be a link to this message .

In addition to what rsg said, you might try another tomato variety in addition to the one you already have. Trying a unique heirloom variety might surprise you. There are so many interesting varieties with different flavor profiles and textures, you can try a different one every year until... well you'll have to plant a few different ones if you want to try them all lol. Then you can pick your favorite you want to grow. In my case one taste of a Green Zebra last year, and now I have 11 seedlings growing lol.

Dan

[Tom Wagner]

I could not resist chiming in on this thread. I thought about posting under a new topic such as OLDIE GROWING LEGEND TOMATO GRANDKIDS but the effort to get more blight resistance into Legend and Green Zebra in particular was the reason I am posting here.

Using the Legend as the maternal seed descent I had this hybrid between Legend and Green Zebra...but I crossed this hybrid to a line that has chilling resistance, Green Grape, WV700 for PH2 genes, Green Grape again, an Israeli line, Sweet 'N Sour, Green Zebra and that hybrid crossed to NC2Cms35/10, Gamblers, Sweet 'N Sour again, WV700 again, and Blue P-20.

This hybrid has 25% Legend, 5/16 Green Zebra, 3/16th WV700, but the seedling best showing the blue genes will be put in a Greenhouse to be used in a variety of crosses and of course ....selfing or OP's.

There are multiple recombinations but I will instinctively plant about four seedlings showing traits I must have in the seedling stage hoping that I can recover some nuance of the purported resistance to L.Blight, segregate further for stripes and green flesh, flavor if I can get it, and whatever serendipity comes along.

Then you can pick your favorite you want to grow. In my case one taste of a Green Zebra last year, and now I have 11 seedlings growing lol.

Dan

After growing Green Zebra for 38 years...it is still one of my favorites. Thanks Dan for growing 11 seedlings....that is more than I can grow this year. But then again I have about 1,000 plants (minimum) of various progenies of Green Zebra this year.

As I go to one of my friends' greenhouses, I will be transplanting some more descendants of the Green Zebra and also sow some more F-2 Blue P-20 x Woolly Green Zebra. I need enough seed sown to be able to select the 1/4 that will be 100% woolly, the one quarter of less of those that show the blue genes in the stems and leaves, which means most of the plants will be discarded. I don't have anybody in my area that wants my discards and just a few that want my top selections.

Tom Wagner

[Talon1189]

Originally Posted by Tom Wagner

I could not resist chiming in on this thread. I thought about posting under a new topic such as OLDIE GROWING LEGEND TOMATO GRANDKIDS but the effort to get more blight resistance into Legend and Green Zebra in particular was the reason I am posting here.

Using the Legend as the maternal seed descent I had this hybrid between Legend and Green Zebra...but I crossed this hybrid to a line that has chilling resistance, Green Grape, WV700 for PH2 genes, Green Grape again, an Israeli line, Sweet 'N Sour, Green Zebra and that hybrid crossed to NC2Cms35/10, Gamblers, Sweet 'N Sour again, WV700 again, and Blue P-20.

This hybrid has 25% Legend, 5/16 Green Zebra, 3/16th WV700, but the seedling best showing the blue genes will be put in a Greenhouse to be used in a variety of crosses and of course ....selfing or OP's.

There are multiple recombinations but I will instinctively plant about four seedlings showing traits I must have in the seedling stage hoping that I can recover some nuance of the purported resistance to L.Blight, segregate further for stripes and green flesh, flavor if I can get it, and whatever serendipity comes along.

After growing Green Zebra for 38 years...it is still one of my favorites. Thanks Dan for growing 11 seedlings....that is more than I can grow this year. But then again I have about 1,000 plants (minimum) of various progenies of Green Zebra this year.

As I go to one of my friends' greenhouses, I will be transplanting some more descendants of the Green Zebra and also sow some more F-2 Blue P-20 x Woolly Green Zebra. I need enough seed sown to be able to select the 1/4 that will be 100% woolly, the one quarter of less of those that show the blue genes in the stems and leaves, which means most of the plants will be discarded. I don't have anybody in my area that wants my discards and just a few that want my top selections.

Tom Wagner

Like my original post stated.......I am a newbie and am learning very fast with all this information on this site I agree with the thoughts on growing a different variety. I have Legend and I need one more variety. I will donate the access other plants to a friend. I will be growing 4 plants in 2 earthtain containers. I am looking for juicy sweet larger tomatoes that should grow in Michigan's unpredictable summers. All suggestions are appreciated

[Talon1189]

Originally Posted by Talon1189

Like my original post stated.......I am a newbie and am learning very fast with all this information on this site I agree with the thoughts on growing a different variety. I have Legend and I need one more variety. I will donate the access other plants to a friend. I will be growing 4 plants in 2 earthtain containers. I am looking for juicy sweet larger tomatoes that should grow in Michigan's unpredictable summers. All suggestions are appreciated

I guess that I am getting punished for being a newbie to this site Who can answer my needs?

[dustdevil]

Welcome! The seedlings will quickly outgrow an icecube tray cell, so be prepared to transplant to cups or something similiar...maybe in about 3 weeks. Without drainholes on the bottom of each cell, you are subject to moisture diseases.

[Talon1189]

Originally Posted by dustdevil

Welcome! The seedlings will quickly outgrow an icecube tray cell, so be prepared to transplant to cups or something similiar...maybe in about 3 weeks. Without drainholes on the bottom of each cell, you are subject to moisture diseases.

So if I drill holes in my "ice cube" tray bottoms......this will be avoided?

[dustdevil]

The drainholes will let out excess water that could lead to a problem. The trick is not to over-water in the first place.

[Talon1189]

I am learning as fast as I can.......please be patient with me ....

[danwigz]

Originally Posted by Tom Wagner

I could not resist chiming in on this thread. I thought about posting under a new topic such as OLDIE GROWING LEGEND TOMATO GRANDKIDS but the effort to get more blight resistance into Legend and Green Zebra in particular was the reason I am posting here.

Using the Legend as the maternal seed descent I had this hybrid between Legend and Green Zebra...but I crossed this hybrid to a line that has chilling resistance, Green Grape, WV700 for PH2 genes, Green Grape again, an Israeli line, Sweet 'N Sour, Green Zebra and that hybrid crossed to NC2Cms35/10, Gamblers, Sweet 'N Sour again, WV700 again, and Blue P-20.

This hybrid has 25% Legend, 5/16 Green Zebra, 3/16th WV700, but the seedling best showing the blue genes will be put in a Greenhouse to be used in a variety of crosses and of course ....selfing or OP's.

There are multiple recombinations but I will instinctively plant about four seedlings showing traits I must have in the seedling stage hoping that I can recover some nuance of the purported resistance to L.Blight, segregate further for stripes and green flesh, flavor if I can get it, and whatever serendipity comes along.

After growing Green Zebra for 38 years...it is still one of my favorites. Thanks Dan for growing 11 seedlings....that is more than I can grow this year. But then again I have about 1,000 plants (minimum) of various progenies of Green Zebra this year.

As I go to one of my friends' greenhouses, I will be transplanting some more descendants of the Green Zebra and also sow some more F-2 Blue P-20 x Woolly Green Zebra. I need enough seed sown to be able to select the 1/4 that will be 100% woolly, the one quarter of less of those that show the blue genes in the stems and leaves, which means most of the plants will be discarded. I don't have anybody in my area that wants my discards and just a few that want my top selections.

Tom Wagner

Sorry to go off topic for a second, but...

Of the 11 I think I'm only going to use 6, I just don't have the space and I had no idea what the germination rate would be... I was prepared for the worst and got the best! I also have no idea how much fruit I'll get, another reason for extra plants.

I'm pretty sure many of my relatives will be getting a nice tomato plant from me as a spring gift in May.

Dan

[Talon1189]

Welp....... My own eyes are sore from reading here. I have Legend and Better Boy seeds growing in a higher powered aquarium light. My trays are 5 to 6 inches away from my higher powered aquarium light. I also have a digital temperature sensor. My temperature consistently shows between 80-85 degrees...... Is that good for seeds? I am a newbie and appreciate all advice to me.......

[Suze]

Talon - can't answer your question about the lights, because I know nothing about aquarium lights, but I like to grow seedlings at a cooler temp than 80-85F once the seeds germinate. Warmer temps favor fast (and lanky) top growth, cooler temps favor stocky plants and a good root structure. You want the latter.