Spring's comin' a callin'

[Mantis]

Good news on the fruitset. Had snow in Ballarat yesterday only 2 weeks from summer
The greenhouse is a jungle big time now. The potted and selfwatering tub plants are going beserk.
GMG has about 10 fruit on that are swelling nicely.
My Box Car Willie looks like it will be the real deal this year with round fruit swelling quickly.
Berkely Tie Dye has a few fruit on but is stingy with flowers but Brads Black Heart is loading up with fruit.
Best outside plant so far is Black from Tula which is setting some very good looking fruit.
Livingstons Favourite is a mystery. A small bushy plant with small (so far) round fruit. Whats the goods on this one Grub. What is it supposed to look like?

[Spatzbear]

Thanks for this uplifting report, Mantis. Glad your patch is rockin' and rollin'.

[Grub]

When it doesn't rain I want it to rain. When it rains like now it makes me depressed. Go away rain. I'm cold.

I'll second on the uplifting report. Bewdy. Grub's Green Butttt...

Livingstons Favourite is a mystery. A small bushy plant with small (so far) round fruit. Whats the goods on this one Grub. What is it supposed to look like?

Sorry, Mantis. Doesn't sound right at all. LF is a big wonderfully symetrical Christmas tree of a plant, dense RL foliage, that sends out suckers like there's not tomorrow. Mine is doing this again. Fruit starts out small and ends up about Nepal sized. It's no giant on that score.

All I can think is a cross. its neighbourrs were Red Brandywine, Lucky Cross Pink F4, Rose Quartz Miltiflora with (Janet-esque) nipple.

[Mantis]

It certainly is sending out a lot of leaders and has very dense foliage. Maybe its just my border soil in the greenhouse as others are smaller and less thrifty than they normally are as well.
Might give them all a boost with some liquid fert.

[Grub]

Apparently Dr Livingston used plant as opposed to fruit selection to refine his progeny. What this means I'm not sure, but those of his I have grown are very strong plants and lovely to look at.

The fruit on Livingston's Favorite are red-brandywine sized, 6-8oz, red, uniform and smooth, very good flavour (*to use the common superlative scale), prolific, long cropping, with good shelf life, marketable perhaps.

I think it's a good mainstay. You shouldn't be without a medium red for most of the season.

[Mantis]

Home now and have had a good look in the greenhouse. I think I am comparing the border soil plants with the potted and SWT plants which I said before are monsters.
So, I will be more patient and see what comes. I mean, I was two weeks away from picking my first fruit at this time last year.
Todays harvest: 3 Kimberlys, 1 Stump and 2 Aunt Ginnys

[Grub]

Just take us through the reasons behind having Aunt Ginnys, such a large fruited one, so early again, please. And having Stump.

Kimberly will have lost some of its early gloss for sure.

And are the big earlies tasting how they should?

Oh, and congrats. Great to see such early samples?

[Mantis]

A greenhouse Grub, and because I can
Seriously, I think maybe just one large fruited type sown this early next year. The plants are suffering somewhat and have stopped flowering.
As to flavour, I havent grown any of them before but they taste bloody good to me.
I know even this early the mistakes of this year and next years plan is formulating.

[Grub]

You remind me of a great saying: if you're not living on the edge you're taking up too much space.

Nice work, especially in a cold spring.

And do save a few seeds for Aunty G. I need to try this one

One green-with-envy Grub.

[Mantis]

Seed saving as we speek. M in the UK and LL in OZ have already asked and all will be rewarded LOL.
The old Aunt is a fine tomato for sure.
BTW the JF's and Kimberlys have been just super on crackers and cheese. The eldest daughter is even getting into these snacks
The youngest just likes growing them

[Mantis]

Brads Black Heart, loading up nicely


Berkeley Tie Dye


Gregoris Altai , can't believe this one. So many fruit


Grubs Mystery Green


Azoychka


Arkansas Travellor, with much bigger fruit than last year


Momotaro, also with much bigger fruit than last year


Opalka, can't wait

[Spatzbear]

Lovely, Mantis. Great pictures. You must be happy!

I'm growing Aunty Ginny this year, too. Grew it last year, but because it was such a miserable season I didn't get any fruit on it (just like many other varieties last year).

[Worth1]

I’m starting to give this green house thing some serious thought
I already have a large amount of ¾ rigid conduit and some of it I have bent to make a rather large green house.
I just need to put the thing up.

With this sorry weather we have it might just be the thing to insure some kind of crop.

Nice plants!!!!!

Worth

[Mantis]

Thanks
Go for it Worth. They are fantastic. I wouldn't get many tomatoes here without a greenhouse thats for sure.

[Grub]

Thanks for the piccies Mantis.
As Big Kev would say, I'm excited.