Setting fruit in 100 degree heat - four winners

ScottinAtlanta · July 8, 2012

One of the most important traits I am noting this summer is the ability to set fruit in intense heat. In the last two weeks, daily temps hit 94-100 degrees almost every day. Four tomatoes put on almost full trusses even during the intense heat:

Bradley
Super Sioux
Sungold Select

and surprisingly...

Ailsa Craig. Smaller round tomatoes, but good taste and they keep coming.

I watered the plants every 2-3 days - they are in raised beds, which lost water very fast as they heated up. I used the electric flosser routine a few times. Other than that, no particular care. These four tomatoes go on my annual plant list.

On the down side, I lost most of the Green Zebra and Black Krim this year to stunted growth and foliar diseases. The Cherokee Purples did very well earlier, but slowed down in the heat and are just starting to flower again. The Lime Green Salad stopped completely during the heat, but as soon as the heat dropped, they started flowering again. Prue did well earlier, but also slowed down as the heat rose.

My NOT Aunt Ginny's Purple (eBay seller, RL plant) is prolific - wish I knew what it is!

ScottinAtlanta · July 8, 2012

I should have added a question: What varieties set copious fruit for you in 90-100 degree heat? With the planet heating up, I think those are the varieties that will become increasingly popular.

Solanum315 · July 9, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

I should have added a question: What varieties set copious fruit for you in 90-100 degree heat? With the planet heating up, I think those are the varieties that will become increasingly popular.

NY here so not quite the same heat but the past few weeks have seen a lot of 90+ days. Two of my plants couldn't care less. Ildi and VC-11.

b54red · July 9, 2012

This year the plants that have set the most in the really hot weather are Big Beef, Zogola, Neves Azorean Red, Kosovo, and Zogola. I have had moderate success with Brandywine Sudduth's, KBX, and JD's Special C Tex. I don't have many plants at the stage to set fruit right now and am in the process of setting out a lot of seedlings; but the losses are very high on the plants I have set out in the past week.

Last year Indian Stripe, Dana's Dusky Rose, Spudakee, JD's Special C Tex, Stump of the World, Dr. Wyches Yellow, Lescana, Zogola, and Cherokee Purple were all good in the high heat of late summer. I am hoping to get some to live through the set out and hopefully they will do as good this year and give me a nice supply of fresh tomatoes in late summer and fall.

ScottinAtlanta · July 9, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solanum315

NY here so not quite the same heat but the past few weeks have seen a lot of 90+ days. Two of my plants couldn't care less. Ildi and VC-11.

What is VC-11?

Solanum315 · July 14, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

What is VC-11?

Noted for resistance to bacterial wilt and heat, VC-11 was used in a fair amount of research in the Philippines in the 1970s, notably by the Asian Vegetable Research Development Center. See below for an example.
http://www.apsnet.org/publications/p...o67n07_909.PDF

Here is a pic of a few greenies in my back yard. Look like they will be somewhat larger than cherries. Not super productive, but I didn't see any blossoms drop in the heat and the plant shows no signs of stress.

Father'sDaughter · July 8, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

Ailsa Craig. Smaller round tomatoes, but good taste and they keep coming.

Scott, thanks for that bit of info. I received Ailsa Craig as a bonus pack with my order from Tania's last winter, and since my son's name is Craig, I squeezed one plant into my garden plan. It's been setting quite a bit of fruit, but they're still all green. Now I'm really glad I made room for it!

ScottinAtlanta · July 8, 2012

Hey, I got mine the same way. Thanks, Tania.

jerryinfla · July 8, 2012

Thanks for the info, Scott. I'm trialing Bradley this Fall. As for success I've had in the heat, Heat Wave II Hybrid was the first to set fruit last Fall for me. The taste is nothing special though.

Tania · July 13, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

Hey, I got mine the same way. Thanks, Tania.

Thank you Scott! I am happy to see that many folks find space to grow out some of my bonus packets

. These are usually the varieties I collected TONS of seeds, which means they were insanely productive in my garden.

ChrisK · July 8, 2012

Scott,

Are you interested in Ailsa Craig with the tangerine mutation for next year?

TGRC accession: LA3183

http://tgrc.ucdavis.edu/Data/Acc/Acc...sionNum=LA3183

Happy to send you some, if so.

ScottinAtlanta · July 8, 2012

Chris, would love it. I wasn't particularly focussed on Ailsa Craig until I saw it perform in the intense heat, at which time my interest was amplified. The tangerine sounds lovely - I will pm you. Thanks!

Cole_Robbie · July 8, 2012

What were your highest nightime low temps in which you were setting fruit?

ScottinAtlanta · July 8, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

What were your highest nightime low temps in which you were setting fruit?

The highest night temps in that period were low 80s, and the lowest were high 70s.

JamesL · July 8, 2012

Good post, Scott (and all) I enjoyed reading it!
Also interested in the answer to Cole Robbie's question.
Do you think nighttime temps played any role or were they also high?

July 8, 2012	#9
jerryinfla Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Central Florida Posts: 377	Thanks for the info, Scott. I'm trialing Bradley this Fall. As for success I've had in the heat, Heat Wave II Hybrid was the first to set fruit last Fall for me. The taste is nothing special though. __________________ Jerry - You only get old if you're lucky.

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July 8, 2012	#2
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	I should have added a question: What varieties set copious fruit for you in 90-100 degree heat? With the planet heating up, I think those are the varieties that will become increasingly popular.

July 9, 2012	#4
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	This year the plants that have set the most in the really hot weather are Big Beef, Zogola, Neves Azorean Red, Kosovo, and Zogola. I have had moderate success with Brandywine Sudduth's, KBX, and JD's Special C Tex. I don't have many plants at the stage to set fruit right now and am in the process of setting out a lot of seedlings; but the losses are very high on the plants I have set out in the past week. Last year Indian Stripe, Dana's Dusky Rose, Spudakee, JD's Special C Tex, Stump of the World, Dr. Wyches Yellow, Lescana, Zogola, and Cherokee Purple were all good in the high heat of late summer. I am hoping to get some to live through the set out and hopefully they will do as good this year and give me a nice supply of fresh tomatoes in late summer and fall.

July 8, 2012	#11
ChrisK Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 1,448	Scott, Are you interested in Ailsa Craig with the tangerine mutation for next year? TGRC accession: LA3183 http://tgrc.ucdavis.edu/Data/Acc/Acc...sionNum=LA3183 Happy to send you some, if so.

July 8, 2012	#13
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	What were your highest nightime low temps in which you were setting fruit?

July 8, 2012	#15
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Good post, Scott (and all) I enjoyed reading it! Also interested in the answer to Cole Robbie's question. Do you think nighttime temps played any role or were they also high?