Aunt Gertie's Gold and other early observations

[Suze]

Thought this one was reputed to be stingy with the fruits, so I set two plants, just in case.

Well, one plant already has about 15 fruit set on it anywhere from lime to tennis ball sized. The other one has 10-12 fruit on it. That's just the ones I can easily see without dwelving into the foliage too deep or looking closely at recently dried up blooms that didn't drop

And I've been eating early/small fruited types for about a month now. Picked my first fruit -- Kimberly on the 11th of last month and then a Taxi a few days afterwards. Also, the Jaune Flammees, Sungolds, Galinas, Sugar Lump, Green Grape, and Black Cherry have been recently contributing to my modest, yet sufficient harvest. Most days I've had enough to add to a salad and even add to the all-important snack platters for my Sat night Rook games.

However, I have yet to pick any large fruited tomato, though several look like they may be ripening soon. The plants are just loaded, but are taking their time.

This is a new experience for me to have this actual separation between earlies and mid/lates (And I'm really enjoying and appreciating it quite frankly). I'm used to having every thing ripen pretty much at once in a mad rush.

How's everyone else doing in the warm zones?

Hope your fondest tomato wishes are coming true. :wink:

[carolyn137]

Suze, I can't contribute anything to warm zone progress, far fromn it since in three days here we're getting about 4 inches of rain and the temps are in only the 50's and 60's.

But I have never been one to say that Aunt Gerties Gold was shy on fruits. Never, but never, from the first year I grew it from seeds from Chuck.

Well I remember several years ago when I had two plants at the end of one row and from those two plants I picked almost a full bushel of fruits at one picking.

AGG won't win any beauty contests but it sure has captured my tastebuds.

[shelleybean]

So far my AGG just has open flowers but I'm encouraged by what I've read here today. I'll report back later with my own progress.

[Suze]

CP with a little genovese/lemon/red rubin basil. Who could ask for anything more?

[jermen]

suze..
you are killing me here...
cherokee purple was one of my favorites last year...

this year,..i only have one CP ... and it's stunted...
i can not understand what is going on with that plant..it's the only one that is just sitting there.
needless to say, i'm disapointed.

next year ...i plan to follow your example...plant early..and lots.

there is hope though...i will get some new to me types.
carbon
aunt gerties gold
orange heirloom
lillians yellow

and several others..

great pics of your CP...thanks for posting it.

jeri

[Suze]

jeri, thanks for the kind words. Try giving the stunted CP plant a foliar feed with seaweed emulsion. Maybe that will help perk it up.

And I bet you'll enjoy Carbon. It's pretty similar to CP.

Looking forward to Aunt Gerties too. Many fruits set, but not a pretty one in the bunch. I don't care though, as long as it tastes good.

[Mantis]

And about time too. We downunder folk have been waiting for a shot of a ripe, cut, juicy, wonderful tommy. Great stuff, keep them coming eh.

[jermen]

suze...
i live in the boonies..i don't know when i'll be able to find some seaweed emulsion.
would fish emulsion work in the meantime?

and thanks for the advice!

jeri

[Suze]

Originally Posted by jermen

i live in the boonies..i don't know when i'll be able to find some seaweed emulsion.
would fish emulsion work in the meantime?

Sure it would. But it could possibly attract animals, and cause them to dig and such, so be aware of that. That's why I tend to use the seaweed emulsion instead.

[peppereater]

It's 100 degrees outside here in wonderful Oklahoma. Some of my plants are getting some good blossoms, some have had them for a week or more. The heat is supposed to continue throughout the week, and I'm betting it's going to be one long, hot summer. I'm sure I'll get some fruit, but once this heat really settles in, that's it. I'm hoping that my Arkansas Traveler will produce fairly well, but I'm not sure if the other varieties will take this kind of heat.
How much good would shade cloth do me, and how soon should it go up? Some of my plants are well over a foot tall and bushy, but many are still on the small side.

[peppereater]

Oops! Sorry. I meant to start a new topic. I'll try again under the topic "Heat wave."

[Earl]

I'll bet you're confusing AGG with Yellow Brandywine, which is late and stingy with fruit production, but worth growing for the flavor.

[barkeater]

YB is late and stingy? I'm have one growing to compare against Aunt Gerties Gold. Now I'm wondering if I should just plant both my Aunt Gerties and forget the Yellow BW.

[carolyn137]

Adirondack,LOL, YB is very late, but so is AGG for me, but I've not found YB to be low yielding as grown by me where I live.

But for many years I've grown only that Platfoot strain I got from Gary Platfoot in OH and it has always yielded better than the other YB I grew before that.

Carolyn, noting that the sponsors of the Bark Eaters Ball in Glens Falls ran a notice in the Post star thanking everyone for the HUGE success. I'm hopeful that my ortho surgeon's donations of a canoe, heritage woven back pack and road kill pelts brought him enuf tax deduction money to keep he and his family in "Twinkies" for at least a year.

[nctomatoman]

And, yet, in some seasons, Yellow Brandywine comes in midseason for me - all depends upon the weather when the fruit is setting. And, for me, YB is not a straggly plant at all, but really very vigorous and good yielding. I find Yellow Brandywine, Aunt Gertie's Gold, Elbe, and Potato Leaf Yellow all very, very similar - I really must grow all 4 of them side by side some season to do a good comparison.