2017 Tomato and Garden Pictures

[Greatgardens]

What varieties of micros are you growing there? I've got Linda and Mohamed that I'll start at the end of this month.
-GG

[jmsieglaff]

These are experimental--they are from a cross Dan Follett did. Numbered as 19x. It is a cross between a red cherry micro dwarf and Ambrosia Orange UBX. These are 19xF2 plants from seed I collected from the F1.

[dfollett]

Great photos! They look really healthy. Do they share a container or are they in separate pots inside the picket fence? How do you fertilize them? I've not experimented much with that.

[jmsieglaff]

Thanks Dan! What is the name of the micro parent again?

They are in the same soil, about 0.5 cu ft total. I feed them with some Oscomote granular once and Miracle Grow every 3-4th watering. In ProMix organic mix with fungi.

[dfollett]

Originally Posted by jmsieglaff

Thanks Dan! What is the name of the micro parent again?

They are in the same soil, about 0.5 cu ft total. I feed them with some Oscomote granular once and Miracle Grow every 3-4th watering. In ProMix organic mix with fungi.

The micro mama was Red Robin X Rose Quartz Multiflora F4. It is a micro multiflora from a cross made by Chris Kafer (ChrisK). I was growing out the micro from that cross for Chris trying to stabilize it. (I am growing the F8s now. It is a great micro tomato.) This is a link to part of a thread ChrisK has where he discussed the original cross from which that micro came.

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=28443&page=25

It is an old and very long thread. The page that link takes you to has a photo of a cousin of the mama of these that shows the potential I think lurks inside these little things. That photo is in post #370. There are lots of other photos in that thread.

I got permission from ChrisK to use it to make crosses of my own. I've made crosses between that micro multiflora and over 55 different varieties - many of which were themselves unstable.

I grew most of the F1s last summer and and am having fun seeing what I can find in the F2s. There is absolutely no way I will ever be able to fully realize the potential that is in these crosses. That is why I'm happy, even eager to let others help with the grow-outs.

Thanks for your interest, James.

[jmsieglaff]

Well I learned something already this year. Onion seeds do not keep like tomato seeds. I sow onion seeds and like clock work 8 days and boom they start coming up. This year, I had seeds packed for 2015 and figured no problem. Well after 14 days and 1 had sprouted, I started over with seeds packed for 2017. Live and learn!

[jmsieglaff]

Another step in the right direction!!

Tonight we sowed seeds for:
Aji Amarillo
Serrano
Poblano (Ancho Gigantea)

Sweet peppers will come sometime around Feb. 10 or so.

[jmsieglaff]

Woooo!!! Micro dwarfs (2 separate plants) are blushing tonight!

[MissS]

Now that brings me a smile! Yum....

[jmsieglaff]

And there they are! Enjoyed these with my little taster and we sowed sweet peppers seeds as well!

[jmsieglaff]

Basement plants are coming along!

Photo is:
Top: lettuce broccoli and kale
middle: onions that need a haircut
Bottom: peppers, bigger ones are hot and small ones are sweet.

The cool season stuff will move out to the cold frame in a week or so.

Tomatoes will be sown in 1 week!!!

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by jmsieglaff

Basement plants are coming along!

Photo is:
Top: lettuce broccoli and kale
middle: onions that need a haircut
Bottom: peppers, bigger ones are hot and small ones are sweet.

The cool season stuff will move out to the cold frame in a week or so.

Tomatoes will be sown in 1 week!!!

When is it safe to plant outside in your area? Do you have much problem with disease?

[jmsieglaff]

I'll direct sow cool season stuff like radish, spinach and peas as soon as my soil temps start getting around 50F, usually early April. I plant out cool season starts of onions, broccoli, and lettuce around April 15-20, depending on soil temps and 5-10 day weather pattern.

Tomatoes usually get planted out May 15ish and peppers either the same or a week or so later. Last year we had one of the later freezes in a while, I managed to only lose 3 tomatoes and they were ones I knew I could replace rather easily.

By far the biggest challenge I face each year is Septoria on tomatoes, gray mold can pop up, but compared to Septoria it is a small issue. I also control powdery mildew on cucubrits starting late July/early August.

[jmsieglaff]

2017 tomato seeds are sown! Only stuff I need to sow this coming weekend are tomatillos and micro marigolds.

[MissS]

It looks like you are growing a nice variety of tomatoes this season. You ought to be having some great meals. What kind of tomatoes do have there on the counter and are they any good?