Starting FFF N Seeds Today

AlittleSalt · January 23, 2018

1-23-18

As many of you already know, I have Fusarium race 3 and RKN in our garden soil. Today I'm starting tomato seeds to try to grow in that soil. They are:

Amelia VR Hybrid VFFFNTSt Packet (10 Seeds) 75 days Determinate

Dixie Red VFFFNAStTswv Hybrid Packet (10 seeds) 70 days Indeterminate

Mountain Merit Hybrid VFFFNTswvEbLb Packet (10 seeds) 75 days Determinate

Skyway VFFFNTswvTylc Hybrid Packet (5 seeds) 78 days Determinate

I want to get two plants of each to try out in the garden. I'm hoping the cold weather spells where it stayed below freezing for several days did some damage to the RKN population. I will be starting some cherry tomato seeds too. They will be planted in EarthTainers or the best containers we can afford.

These are RKN and Fusarium threads that I started. RKN http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=42190

Fusarium Wilt http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=45168

Nan_PA_6b · January 24, 2018

Good luck there, Salt! This year will tell you a lot about whether you can grow any tomato in-ground or if you'll become a 100% Container grower. I hope they're tasty for you.

Nan

AlittleSalt · January 24, 2018

Nan, thank you. I didn't expect any replies. This is my other thread started yesterday, http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...526#post679526

b54red · January 25, 2018

Salt, I think you will find that those varieties fare much better and will be productive if you can keep the pests and foliage diseases under control. I too tried a variety of the super hybrids with lots of fusarium and nematode resistance and they were productive for the most part but I found the taste and texture not to my liking so I went to grafting heirlooms onto different root stock that had that same high level of resistance. Besides root stock specific seed I also used some of the hybrids as root stock for grafting. The root stock specific seed did much better as grafting stock.

Good luck,
Bill

AlittleSalt · January 25, 2018

Bill, that productivity is what I am hoping to see like you have experienced. Of course, it would be nice if they taste at least like grocery store tomatoes. I will be planting some cherry tomatoes to grow in the same garden to compare with. I sowed a lot Porter cherry tomato seeds. Porter was developed back in the 1920s in Stephenville, Texas to grow in this area of Texas. We live around 60 miles east of Stephenville. Porter has no Fusarium or nematode resistance. Porter did grow and produce well here before 2015.

The rest is getting them started and eventually planted out. After that, take good care of them and see what happens.

beetkvass · February 25, 2018

I just ordered some Mountain Merit today myself. I hope these all do well for you! I'm also going to try grafting some this spring as well. I have to admit I'm overwhelmed though and putting it off. lol

HudsonValley · February 26, 2018

Crossing my FFFiNgers for you, Robert!

AlittleSalt · February 26, 2018

lol, thanks fffor crossing your FFFingers - it's working so fffar. They're growing like weeds.

beetkvass, I am a little overwhelmed when it comes to grafting too. This year, I don't have an area to do it correctly. Our son and family moved in and there went our extra space.

Salsacharley · February 26, 2018

I wonder if the root stock resistance will degrade over time like various antibiotics do.

MissS · February 26, 2018

Good Luck Robert. I hope that you find something that grows well for you AND something that you like.

AlittleSalt · February 27, 2018

Patti, thank you for what you wrote, and the seeds.

I am going to grow them in the ground that does have RKN and Fusarium race 3. That is my test/experiment with the super hybrids. Just see if they will grow and produce. Taste is a secondary thought at the most. I just want to see how they do. That could shape how I grow tomatoes in the future, If they don't work out - I can say I gave it my all. Even with that result - I'll be happy, and will adjust.

b54red · February 27, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Patti, thank you for what you wrote, and the seeds.

I am going to grow them in the ground that does have RKN and Fusarium race 3. That is my test/experiment with the super hybrids. Just see if they will grow and produce. Taste is a secondary thought at the most. I just want to see how they do. That could shape how I grow tomatoes in the future, If they don't work out - I can say I gave it my all. Even with that result - I'll be happy, and will adjust.

I did the same experiment a few years back and it resulted in me getting into grafting. Seeing those plants grow large and healthy in my soil and not dying early of fusarium was wonderful to see. The only drawback was they tasted so much like tomatoes from the grocery store that it forced me into trying grafting. Now that I have been doing it for a few years I don't find it particularly difficult but it is time consuming and requires starting my tomatoes much earlier in order to allow for the lost time that the plants undergo when healing up. I am now free to grow varieties that were impossible to get fruit from in the past due to them dying before they could even make the first ripe fruit.

I hope your experiment goes well. Just a little tip. Some of the super hybrid varieties like Amelia are fairly vegetative and indeterminate so they will require some pruning to stop them from making too many stems that will result in small fruit. Most of them will be determinate tomatoes which will not require much pruning.

Bill

MissS · February 27, 2018

Robert I do hope that your experiment is successful. I also like Bill's idea of grafting onto resistant root stock. It sure opens up doors for you. Could you not find some space in the sewing room for just a little ole growing chamber? If you can find the space and you think that your hands can do the work, I will sponsor you for these efforts...

AlittleSalt · February 27, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissS

Robert I do hope that your experiment is successful. I also like Bill's idea of grafting onto resistant root stock. It sure opens up doors for you. Could you not find some space in the sewing room for just a little ole growing chamber? If you can find the space and you think that your hands can do the work, I will sponsor you for these efforts...

Thank you Patti

That is a generous offer.

The sewing room is storing a houseful of furniture and household stuff. We even had to move all the sewing stuff out of it.

OzoneNY · April 2, 2018

I grew Amelia last spring. Tough plant, middle of the road tomato. Good but even a Celebrity was better but still, produced fairly well. My problem is thrips. It never did fall from TSWV but the thrips damage was clear from the blossom damage.
Anyway, hope your experience is better than mine, and I have to say, mine was not so bad

January 23, 2018	#1
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Starting FFF N Seeds Today 1-23-18 As many of you already know, I have Fusarium race 3 and RKN in our garden soil. Today I'm starting tomato seeds to try to grow in that soil. They are: Amelia VR Hybrid VFFFNTSt Packet (10 Seeds) 75 days Determinate Dixie Red VFFFNAStTswv Hybrid Packet (10 seeds) 70 days Indeterminate Mountain Merit Hybrid VFFFNTswvEbLb Packet (10 seeds) 75 days Determinate Skyway VFFFNTswvTylc Hybrid Packet (5 seeds) 78 days Determinate I want to get two plants of each to try out in the garden. I'm hoping the cold weather spells where it stayed below freezing for several days did some damage to the RKN population. I will be starting some cherry tomato seeds too. They will be planted in EarthTainers or the best containers we can afford. These are RKN and Fusarium threads that I started. RKN http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=42190 Fusarium Wilt http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=45168

February 26, 2018	#10
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,150	Good Luck Robert. I hope that you find something that grows well for you AND something that you like. __________________ ~ Patti ~

February 27, 2018	#13
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,150	Robert I do hope that your experiment is successful. I also like Bill's idea of grafting onto resistant root stock. It sure opens up doors for you. Could you not find some space in the sewing room for just a little ole growing chamber? If you can find the space and you think that your hands can do the work, I will sponsor you for these efforts... __________________ ~ Patti ~

January 24, 2018	#2
Nan_PA_6b Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 3,194	Good luck there, Salt! This year will tell you a lot about whether you can grow any tomato in-ground or if you'll become a 100% Container grower. I hope they're tasty for you. Nan

January 25, 2018	#4
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Salt, I think you will find that those varieties fare much better and will be productive if you can keep the pests and foliage diseases under control. I too tried a variety of the super hybrids with lots of fusarium and nematode resistance and they were productive for the most part but I found the taste and texture not to my liking so I went to grafting heirlooms onto different root stock that had that same high level of resistance. Besides root stock specific seed I also used some of the hybrids as root stock for grafting. The root stock specific seed did much better as grafting stock. Good luck, Bill

February 25, 2018	#6
beetkvass Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Georgia Posts: 40	I just ordered some Mountain Merit today myself. I hope these all do well for you! I'm also going to try grafting some this spring as well. I have to admit I'm overwhelmed though and putting it off. lol

February 26, 2018	#7
HudsonValley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Hudson Valley, NY, Zone 6a Posts: 626	Crossing my FFFiNgers for you, Robert!

February 26, 2018	#9
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	I wonder if the root stock resistance will degrade over time like various antibiotics do.

April 2, 2018	#15
OzoneNY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Frisco Texas Posts: 390	I grew Amelia last spring. Tough plant, middle of the road tomato. Good but even a Celebrity was better but still, produced fairly well. My problem is thrips. It never did fall from TSWV but the thrips damage was clear from the blossom damage. Anyway, hope your experience is better than mine, and I have to say, mine was not so bad