Fall tomatoes in Texas - Page 2

VORTREKER · July 7, 2010

Attended a seminar this am by a local (Lake Texoma) Master Gardener with 40+ years experience in this area and he recommended:

Celebrity
Cherokee Purple
Caspian Pink

But they should go in the ground now. (as 4-6 week old transplants)
I will try next year

BlackestKrim · July 9, 2010

I am in Austin and my most productive non-cherries have been Nyagos, Green Zebra, and CP. I have a hybrid called Cluster Grande which is the most productive of all, but its flavor, while not bad, does not compare to the succulent juiciness others. Also, Heidi, Black Sea Man, and Black Krim have done very well. Abraham Lincoln Improved has done well, but not as well as the others.

I only tried a few cherries this year; my most productive was a little orange called Sun Drop. My Snow White cherry, while tasty, had lackluster production. Next year I will try one of those Sungold Selects, Black Cherry, Reisentraube, Green Doctors, and will let you know how those do.

We added peat moss to my garden's heavy clay soil and that was the most help of all in my garden. While it doesn't add nutrients, the peat lightened clay that would otherwise have turned cement-hard. The peat allows the soil to hold a larger amount of water per cubic foot than just the clay. Also, soaker hoses + egg-style water timers are too die for.

maryserv · July 9, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackestKrim

I am in Austin and my most productive non-cherries have been Nyagos, Green Zebra, and CP. I have a hybrid called Cluster Grande which is the most productive of all, but its flavor, while not bad, does not compare to the succulent juiciness others. Also, Heidi, Black Sea Man, and Black Krim have done very well. Abraham Lincoln Improved has done well, but not as well as the others.

I only tried a few cherries this year; ... Next year I will try one of those Sungold Selects, Black Cherry, Reisentraube, Green Doctors, and will let you know how those do.

We added peat moss to my garden's heavy clay soil and that was the most help of all in my garden. While it doesn't add nutrients, the peat lightened clay that would otherwise have turned cement-hard. The peat allows the soil to hold a larger amount of water per cubic foot than just the clay. Also, soaker hoses + egg-style water timers are too die for.

I wish I still had Black Krim producing - I'm holding out hope as I can't find my seeds I saved from the beginning of the season. I loved my Sun Gold and it is still hobbling along, hoping that the suckers I rooted will produce come cooler temps... I've noticed that no one has mentioned coffee grounds to loosen the clay soils. I worked hard this year and made them part of both my lasagne beds and the existing beds. The earthworms love them, which goes toward loosening the soil more. They also add just a bit of N to the soil, but not too much. I also use the soaker hose as well as mulch to water when I have to use the irrigation system. Otherwise, I've set up water collection barrels (built, not bought) to get rainwater on the plants. I just wish we could have had a season somewhere between last year (bone dry) and this year (cold and wet).

maryserv · July 9, 2010

I'm wondering what has worked for those who have planted in the same spot for their fall tomato crop. I have marigolds growing, and didn't have a diseases to speak of that I can ID. I've been using coffee grounds and partially composted horse manure to prep beds with soil atop. I still have leaves I collected and some grass as well as compost ready. I figure bone meal for P & K, anything else?

When the ground dries out from our recurrent tropical storms I need to get in there and clear out my toasted vines, prep the bed and plant. Thinking about co-planting some beans up the trellis, but wonder if that will invite all the leaf-footed bugs and stink bugs (that aren't out there) for a feast.

Such an abrupt end to the season is leaving me quite sad. My first of many good ones I hope, but too short.

desertlzbn · July 9, 2010

I am getting ready to plant my fall tomatoes but I am waiting for the new moon on Sunday. I will plant my seeds on Monday. I don't know if it really works to plant by the moon cycles, but I am willing to give it a try.

feldon30 · July 9, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by maryserv

Such an abrupt end to the season is leaving me quite sad. My first of many good ones I hope, but too short.

When I first got to Houston, I thought "woo hoo! I'll have a super-long season to grow tomatoes." Then reality sunk in. In actuality, our tomato season isn't much longer than that of Alaska or parts of Canada. If people take one piece of advice away from SETTFest, it's that waiting 10 days can mean the difference between a fantastic season and a so-so season.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackestKrim

I only tried a few cherries this year; my most productive was a little orange called Sun Drop. My Snow White cherry, while tasty, had lackluster production. Next year I will try one of those Sungold Selects, Black Cherry, Reisentraube, Green Doctors, and will let you know how those do

If you can get seed for it, Sweet Quartz F1 was amazing for me. Most red and pink cherries fail to impress me, but Sweet Quartz is SWEET and ZIPPY, and you harvest a handful a day when they're at their peak.

b54red · July 9, 2010

Feldon, our climate here in LA is almost identical to that in Houston and I used to feel the same way about the length of the season. I used to be completely through with tomatoes by mid July. Now I usually have tomatoes through the whole summer and into the fall. I started staggering my plantings from the very earliest I could set out in the spring right through early September. It doesn't always work very smoothly because sometimes a whole planting will die or make very few fruits but in general I will have some that will set no matter how bad conditions get. I always set out a variety of plants each time because you can never tell which will succeed. Last year I even had an Omar's Lebanese that was set out in mid July make a lot of tomatoes. It's rare to make many off that variety even in the spring. This year my second plantings of Stump of the World, Cowlicks, KBX, and Ramapo are doing much better than my first planting. The plants I set out in May that are doing better are Rostova, German Red Strawberry and Marianna's Peace. I didn't have any spaces for plants in June but will be making another planting this weekend and again in August. I may put a few out in September but that is usually pushing my luck but we have had a few winters that don't get here til December. The disadvantage of staggering is that you don't make that huge crop all at once which is a blessing to me. I find it easier to work with fewer plants at a time although it can get busy around the end of June through mid July when the first and second planting are making at the same time. The rest of the summer is a much slower pace due to the heat, humidity, diseases and pests keeping the number of
productive plants to a very manageable level.

Dewayne mater · July 9, 2010

B54 - that is fascinating, I've only seen folks talk about spring and fall vs. staggered planting before this. What is your average first fall freeze date? Do you baby the plants you put out in the July and August time frame and if so, how? Finally, what is your trick to getting the beefsteak varieties set out late (August) to ripen before first freeze? I'm guessing you have plent of room too, whereas I got very little and end up yanking the spring plantings and following them right back up with fall plantings.

b54red · July 9, 2010

First off I definitely don't baby my plants that are to go out in the heat of summer, just the reverse. I abuse them pretty badly. I want them tough before they hit the garden. I leave them on a table in the sun for at least a week or two and let them get too dry at least twice. Once the stems are so tough I can just yank them out of the cups without breaking the stem or the root ball they are ready to plant deeply. I like to plant just before a good rain or just after and if that isn't possible I plant them late in the day to give them a little time to adapt.
I can't tell you when our first frost date is because it is different every year. I don't worry too much about a mild frost anyway, just a hard freeze.
I frequently don't get the beefsteaks planted after early August to the ripe stage but usually have a good number blushing. If not I have a lot of fried green tomatoes.
I have 8 raised beds 4X from 10 ft to 40 ft.
Last year the tomatoes that did best for me in the fall were 1st Prize, Big Beef, Balls Beefsteak, Marianna's Peace, Brandy Boy, and Champion. I didn't care for the taste of Champion and wasn't wild about Ball's Beefsteak. This year I am going to try a lot of different ones and see what works this year.
I'm going to try some late tomatoes which may not have time to ripen along with some that are much quicker like Indian Stripe, JDs Special C Tex, Carbon, Black Krim, Kosovo, Jet Setter, Mortgage Lifter, and Limbaugh's Legacy. I will also be trying some that I know have done well in the past and some that I have no idea how they will do.

Dewayne mater · July 14, 2010

I wanted to tack onto this thread that if you live in the Dallas area, I just spent my lunch hour at Northhaven Gardens and was pleased to find numerous healthy looking transplants ready to plop in the ground now. I let my vacation schedule and general busy summer get in the way of growing from seed for fall this year in a timely way. (I think you have to get them in the ground in the next week or two to have a chance) Northaven saved me.

I got cherokee purple, black krim, black cherry, improved porter and Matt's Wild Cherry. They also had Constentulo Genovese, another heirloom red plumb type, A white heirloom beefsterak , and a yellow heirloom (sorry, the names didn't stick with me), and all the usual commercial varieties like Supersweet 100s, Celebrity, BHN 444, heatwave, etc. All in all, I think there were about 20 varieties. No, not as many varieties as you could have if you'd planned better than I did and started your own seed, but still, I was quite pleased to have the selection I did under the circumstances. Sizes varied from as small as 4-5 inches, to over a foot tall and in larger pots. Get em if you need em.

bigbubbacain · July 14, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by feldon30

If you can get seed for it, Sweet Quartz F1 was amazing for me. Most red and pink cherries fail to impress me, but Sweet Quartz is SWEET and ZIPPY, and you harvest a handful a day when they're at their peak.

You're right on the money about Sweet Quartz! Mine are still producing in spite of the splits from our deluge of hurricane related rain 2 weeks ago. It impressed me way more than Sungold.

bigbubbacain · July 14, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by VORTREKER

Attended a seminar this am by a local (Lake Texoma) Master Gardener with 40+ years experience in this area and he recommended:

Celebrity
Cherokee Purple
Caspian Pink

But they should go in the ground now. (as 4-6 week old transplants)
I will try next year

Well heck, I'm still trying to get beyond the fact that you have a Master Gardener in your area willing to recommend heirlooms. That's quite commendable, and I'd listen to him. I wish the Master Gardener "powers that be" in my area were as enlightened. I'm glad you have experts who think outside the box.

feldon30 · July 15, 2010

That's why I never bothered with Master Gardener certification. I would be expected to accept and absorb a lot of information I don't agree with, and be required to dispense that advice to hundreds of home gardeners calling in and asking for help.

I just wouldn't feel right about telling a bunch of callers that Celebrity or BHN444 is the answer to all tomato problems.

b54red · July 15, 2010

To me a master gardener is someone who has a consistently great garden, growing a variety of plants. A master gardener is also someone who has learned to adapt their growing methods and the varieties they choose to the local growing conditions.

hornstrider · July 15, 2010

b54red........feldon30.........bigbubbacain....Dew ayne mater..........Very interesting approaches to fall mater growing.....I started seeds for 12 plants back on June 26th in the greenhouse, and only 3 germinated( Cherokee Purple, big beef). I was able to get 3 cuttings to root, and they are happy in a 6" pot. I am taking b54red's advice (plant abuse). I did bury the pots in the tilled soil to help the plants retain moisture. I also picked up 4 Celebrity plants last weekend, and I hope to find some heirlooms (Cherokee Purple) this weekend. All of the big plants will go into the ground next week, and the seedlings will go into the ground a week later. Thanks for all of the imput!!

July 7, 2010	#16
VORTREKER Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Pottsboro Texas 7B-8A TRANSITION ZONE Posts: 77	ft Attended a seminar this am by a local (Lake Texoma) Master Gardener with 40+ years experience in this area and he recommended: Celebrity Cherokee Purple Caspian Pink But they should go in the ground now. (as 4-6 week old transplants) I will try next year __________________ Have you gardened all of your life? Not yet.

July 9, 2010	#19
maryserv Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Richmond, TX Posts: 21	soil amendments prior to fall planting I'm wondering what has worked for those who have planted in the same spot for their fall tomato crop. I have marigolds growing, and didn't have a diseases to speak of that I can ID. I've been using coffee grounds and partially composted horse manure to prep beds with soil atop. I still have leaves I collected and some grass as well as compost ready. I figure bone meal for P & K, anything else? When the ground dries out from our recurrent tropical storms I need to get in there and clear out my toasted vines, prep the bed and plant. Thinking about co-planting some beans up the trellis, but wonder if that will invite all the leaf-footed bugs and stink bugs (that aren't out there) for a feast. Such an abrupt end to the season is leaving me quite sad. My first of many good ones I hope, but too short.

July 15, 2010	#28
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	That's why I never bothered with Master Gardener certification. I would be expected to accept and absorb a lot of information I don't agree with, and be required to dispense that advice to hundreds of home gardeners calling in and asking for help. I just wouldn't feel right about telling a bunch of callers that Celebrity or BHN444 is the answer to all tomato problems. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

July 9, 2010	#17
BlackestKrim Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 147	I am in Austin and my most productive non-cherries have been Nyagos, Green Zebra, and CP. I have a hybrid called Cluster Grande which is the most productive of all, but its flavor, while not bad, does not compare to the succulent juiciness others. Also, Heidi, Black Sea Man, and Black Krim have done very well. Abraham Lincoln Improved has done well, but not as well as the others. I only tried a few cherries this year; my most productive was a little orange called Sun Drop. My Snow White cherry, while tasty, had lackluster production. Next year I will try one of those Sungold Selects, Black Cherry, Reisentraube, Green Doctors, and will let you know how those do. We added peat moss to my garden's heavy clay soil and that was the most help of all in my garden. While it doesn't add nutrients, the peat lightened clay that would otherwise have turned cement-hard. The peat allows the soil to hold a larger amount of water per cubic foot than just the clay. Also, soaker hoses + egg-style water timers are too die for.

July 9, 2010	#20
desertlzbn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Tucson Posts: 659	I am getting ready to plant my fall tomatoes but I am waiting for the new moon on Sunday. I will plant my seeds on Monday. I don't know if it really works to plant by the moon cycles, but I am willing to give it a try.

July 9, 2010	#22
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Feldon, our climate here in LA is almost identical to that in Houston and I used to feel the same way about the length of the season. I used to be completely through with tomatoes by mid July. Now I usually have tomatoes through the whole summer and into the fall. I started staggering my plantings from the very earliest I could set out in the spring right through early September. It doesn't always work very smoothly because sometimes a whole planting will die or make very few fruits but in general I will have some that will set no matter how bad conditions get. I always set out a variety of plants each time because you can never tell which will succeed. Last year I even had an Omar's Lebanese that was set out in mid July make a lot of tomatoes. It's rare to make many off that variety even in the spring. This year my second plantings of Stump of the World, Cowlicks, KBX, and Ramapo are doing much better than my first planting. The plants I set out in May that are doing better are Rostova, German Red Strawberry and Marianna's Peace. I didn't have any spaces for plants in June but will be making another planting this weekend and again in August. I may put a few out in September but that is usually pushing my luck but we have had a few winters that don't get here til December. The disadvantage of staggering is that you don't make that huge crop all at once which is a blessing to me. I find it easier to work with fewer plants at a time although it can get busy around the end of June through mid July when the first and second planting are making at the same time. The rest of the summer is a much slower pace due to the heat, humidity, diseases and pests keeping the number of productive plants to a very manageable level.

July 9, 2010	#23
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	B54 - that is fascinating, I've only seen folks talk about spring and fall vs. staggered planting before this. What is your average first fall freeze date? Do you baby the plants you put out in the July and August time frame and if so, how? Finally, what is your trick to getting the beefsteak varieties set out late (August) to ripen before first freeze? I'm guessing you have plent of room too, whereas I got very little and end up yanking the spring plantings and following them right back up with fall plantings.

July 14, 2010	#25
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	I wanted to tack onto this thread that if you live in the Dallas area, I just spent my lunch hour at Northhaven Gardens and was pleased to find numerous healthy looking transplants ready to plop in the ground now. I let my vacation schedule and general busy summer get in the way of growing from seed for fall this year in a timely way. (I think you have to get them in the ground in the next week or two to have a chance) Northaven saved me. I got cherokee purple, black krim, black cherry, improved porter and Matt's Wild Cherry. They also had Constentulo Genovese, another heirloom red plumb type, A white heirloom beefsterak , and a yellow heirloom (sorry, the names didn't stick with me), and all the usual commercial varieties like Supersweet 100s, Celebrity, BHN 444, heatwave, etc. All in all, I think there were about 20 varieties. No, not as many varieties as you could have if you'd planned better than I did and started your own seed, but still, I was quite pleased to have the selection I did under the circumstances. Sizes varied from as small as 4-5 inches, to over a foot tall and in larger pots. Get em if you need em.

July 15, 2010	#30
hornstrider Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hutto, Texas Posts: 230	b54red........feldon30.........bigbubbacain....Dew ayne mater..........Very interesting approaches to fall mater growing.....I started seeds for 12 plants back on June 26th in the greenhouse, and only 3 germinated( Cherokee Purple, big beef). I was able to get 3 cuttings to root, and they are happy in a 6" pot. I am taking b54red's advice (plant abuse). I did bury the pots in the tilled soil to help the plants retain moisture. I also picked up 4 Celebrity plants last weekend, and I hope to find some heirlooms (Cherokee Purple) this weekend. All of the big plants will go into the ground next week, and the seedlings will go into the ground a week later. Thanks for all of the imput!!