I did something different this year.....

[DonnaMarieNJ]

For the first time, ever, I planted 95% "new-to-me" varieties. I have maybe 6 varieties that I have grown before. There is nothing for me to fall back on. No Sun Gold, no Cherokee Purple, no Kellogg's Breakfast, etc. (or any of my other favorites).

Last year I gave away 60 seedlings - most were requests - and I was fairly certain how each plant would perform. This year I'll be giving away blindly.

What if they are all flops?

I'm worried!

[heirloomtomaguy]

Thats the adventure of growing maters.

[Worth1]

What did you grow this year I know you must have posted it somewhere if you want you can link me to it.


Worth

[Gardeneer]

Donna, as Worth put it : "What did you grow this year ..?"

Post your grow out list and let the members review them for you.

I am growing close to 30 vars, with only 6 being repeats. But I choose mine on a lot of reviews and recommendation. So that should reduce my possible disappointments.

Gardeneer

[DonnaMarieNJ]

This is my potential seed list. The seeds are sown, but not all have germinated as yet. Some I have sown several times. My onions and peppers did not all come up (I have only 3 pepper seedlings), the spinach died quickly, and, after THREE sowings, neither my fairy tale or round mauve eggplants have sprouted.

Of my tomatoes, the Hawaiian Pineapple, Pearly Pink Orange, Rebel Yell, Strawberry Margarita, Sweet Ozark Orange, and Sandul Moldovan, have yet to germinate as of today. Some I have resown just a few days ago.

There are very few on this list that I have grown before. It will make for an interesting summer, methinks!

Row 1:

1. Alice’s Egypt
2. Blue Ridge Mountain
3 Blackberry
4. Bulgarian Triumph
5. Catwell
6. Cherokee Lime
7. Coastal Valley
8. Crnkovic
9. Daniel Burson
10. Daniel Burson
11. Audrey’s Love
12. Crimson Streak

Row 2

1. Saucy Mary
2. Fruity Cherry
3. Grightmire’s Pride
4. Hawaiian Pineapple NO
5. Hays’
6. Heatherington Pink
7. Honey
8. Isis Candy
9. Ivalde
10. Lithuanian
11. Little Lucky
12 Malinovyi Gigant

Row 3

1. Mazarini
2. Mexican Cocktail
3. Microbeicum
4. Pearly Pink Orange NO
5. Pork Chop
6. Rebel Yell NO
7. Remy Rouge
8. Shirley S
9. Strawberry Margarita 4/5 NONE. 2 soaked seeds sown again.
10. Sugar Drop x 2
11. Summer Cider
12. Sweet Aperitif

Row 4

1. Sweet Ozark Orange 4/5 NONE. 2 soaked seeds sown again.
2. Sweet Pea
3. Talavera Native
4. Tri-Color
5. Tuxhorn
6. Verde Claro
7. Virginia Sweets
8. Wherokowhai
9. Not Cherokee Green (a delicious mystery from my 2014 garden)
10. Round Mauve x 3. 4/5 NO.
11. Fairy Tale x 3. 4/5 No.
12. Sandul Moldovan 4/5 no. 2 soaked seeds sown again.

Row 5

1. Green Giant
2. Something is popping up....(no notes)
3. Cesu Agrais
4. Everett’s Rusty Oxheart
5. Margaret Curtain
6. Margaret Curtain
7. Mawlenowe
8. Mont Athos
9. Grub’s Mystery Green
10. GaryO’ Sena
11. Humph
12. Northern Lights

Row 6

1. Aunt Ruby German Green
2. New Big Dwarf
3. Lime Green Salad
4. Rufus Carrigan’s Mexican Pink
5. Cherokee Green
6. Noire Charbonneuse
7. Malakhitovaya Shkatulka
8. Verde Claro (Accidentally planted in Row 4, as well.)
9. Elgin Pink
10. Carie Claxon Yellow
11. Absinthe
12. Gildo Pietroboni

Someone correct my spelling and/or names, please!

BTW the Audrey's Love and Saucy Mary - are they called "Dwarf Audrey's Love" and "Dwarf Saucy Mary" or is the word "dwarf" not in their names? Same with "Dwarf Crimson Streak?"

[Stvrob]

I like Lil Lucky.

I found Malakhitovaya Shkatulka to do quite well in the heat, and very tasty. I didnt put it on this years list though, now Im thinking I should have.

Sandul Moldovan has excellent taste.

[DonnaMarieNJ]

I think I am out of control.....

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by DonnaMarieNJ

I think I am out of control.....

Hi Donna,
Most everyone is getting great germination with the Rebel Yell seeds, did you sow some more? Also, I have some Sweet Ozark Orange seeds, if you want to try again.

[EBCIII]

That is Quiet a List!! How many beds do you have? Or do you not use Raised Beds? Beale.

[DonnaMarieNJ]

I have three beds (one with a double row) and the rest are in containers. MANY containers.....

I tend to oversow. I get nervous when they don't sprout and plant more seed. This time, tho, I was more careful. On some of the varieties, especially in rows 5 and 6, I planted only one seed of each variety. I knew I already had enough, so it didn't matter if some did not sprout. But, then, again, I grow for some neighbors and co-workers who need very specific types of either plants or fruits. I grow for one who likes only blacks and one who has so many trees she can only grow cherries. Then I have a co-worker who only has a public walkway to grow, and her fruit needs to be small (so people won't be tempted to steal them), and the plants must be short and not wide. She does not like GWR or blacks. Then there are the people who only care about production, so I used to just give them the hybrids. It is hard to please everyone. None of my eggplants came up this year and many people loved them!

And, although my list may "look" impressive, I REALLY don't know what I am doing. Even after all these years....

[kath]

Your list is wonderful, Donna, and I'm sure you'll have lots of great tomatoes, so try to relax and enjoy the anticipation of all the many tomatoes of all different sizes and colors that will be the result of your hard work. I'm not sure how others could be disappointed unless they're paying you for the plants and/or fruits & vegetables. You're doing them a tremendous favor trying to anticipate all their many needs...if they're pleased, great, but if not, they can always look for another source for their plants next year.Enjoy!

kath

[DonnaMarieNJ]

Kath, you always know what to say. Thanks.

And I STILL envy your plants! I saw the pics of your seedlings just today. Makes mine look so puny and sickly.

I might have to go to that place you mentioned just to get a Fairy Tale eggplant or two.....

Thanks again for the kind words.

Donna

[DonnaMarieNJ]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Hi Donna,
Most everyone is getting great germination with the Rebel Yell seeds, did you sow some more? Also, I have some Sweet Ozark Orange seeds, if you want to try again.

Marsha

Well, I am not "most everyone" ha ha ha! I planted 2 Rebel Yell on 3/29; then again on 4/5 with soaked seeds this time - still nothing as of today. With SOO I did the same, first on 3/29 and again with soaked seeds on 4/5. It seems soaking didn't help for either RY or SOO.

My SOO are from 2013 - are yours more recent?

I'll take all the help I can get (begging - how sad is that? A tomato has brought me to my knees! What a cruel world! Cruel world!) OK. I'm done whining now.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by DonnaMarieNJ

Marsha

Well, I am not "most everyone" ha ha ha! I planted 2 Rebel Yell on 3/29; then again on 4/5 with soaked seeds this time - still nothing as of today. With SOO I did the same, first on 3/29 and again with soaked seeds on 4/5. It seems soaking didn't help for either RY or SOO.

My SOO are from 2013 - are yours more recent?

I'll take all the help I can get (begging - how sad is that? A tomato has brought me to my knees! What a cruel world! Cruel world!) OK. I'm done whining now.

Yes, more recent. My SOOs are from now, well about 2 months ago. But from 2013 they should be good.

Now I need to do a germination test on RY.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by DonnaMarieNJ

Marsha

Well, I am not "most everyone" ha ha ha! I planted 2 Rebel Yell on 3/29; then again on 4/5 with soaked seeds this time - still nothing as of today. With SOO I did the same, first on 3/29 and again with soaked seeds on 4/5. It seems soaking didn't help for either RY or SOO.

My SOO are from 2013 - are yours more recent?

I'll take all the help I can get (begging - how sad is that? A tomato has brought me to my knees! What a cruel world! Cruel world!) OK. I'm done whining now.

Donna, just wanted you to know that I did a germination test with Rebel Yell, because I wanted to be sure I'm not giving bad seeds to people. Sowed 6, so far 4 have root radicles, some are long. Its been around 3 days. So I'm pretty sure the seed is good. Why not start germination on a moistened paper towel folded over, then put in a ziplock sandwich bag, left where it is at least 70 degrees, but not on a heat mat. You will probably see germination in about 3 days, then just carefully transplant the infants to their first little 3-4" pots and let them grow to final transplant size. If a bit of paper towel sticks to the little baby root, just plant it with the paper towel left on it., and again, if you need more seeds, PM me and I'll send some along, as well as SOO. I want to help!