Typical of Dragoevo growth?

[pondgardener]

I had gotten some seeds of this variety from Carolyn and was interested if this is typical of how this plant grows or is it an anomaly? Unfortunately I only got one plant growing, and it almost didn't make it from a very late germination. The plant is about two feet tall, growing in a bed with green beans, starting out as a single stem but widening as it has grown showing what looks like 3 stems growing together. In one of the pictures you can see a lateral growing out of the center of the stem. At the top it has popped out with at least 4 or 5 blossom clusters and seems to be growing ok. Question is...is this typical of this variety or is it due to some other issue? Anybody else growing this tomato?

[pondgardener]

here are a couple of pictures showing the blossom cluster showing similar habits

[carolyn137]

It wasnt grown here at home by Freda for me,but if you want me to look up who did the seed production for it I can do that.

Maybe some others who are growing it this summer will have something to say about it when Iput up the performance thread in the Fall. Actually that's maybe the best way to go, although anyone growing it now might chime in as well.

Carolyn

[pondgardener]

Thanks Carolyn for the offer to look up who produced the seed, but it isn't necessary. I was puzzled a little bit about how the plant was growing as I had never seen anything like that. Maybe I'll drop Steve Neumann a line to see if he had any growing from the seeds I shared with him, since of anyone he would have very similar growing conditions.

And you are right about waiting until the end of the season to post growing results for varieties that have been shared. I was using this format to try posting thumbnails and per Mischka's instructions, it went pretty well.

And on a side note...are you ready to get those Rocky Ford cantaloupe that I promised to send you? Early crops are becoming available, most likely from greenhouse started plants.

George

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by pondgardener

Thanks Carolyn for the offer to look up who produced the seed, but it isn't necessary. I was puzzled a little bit about how the plant was growing as I had never seen anything like that. Maybe I'll drop Steve Neumann a line to see if he had any growing from the seeds I shared with him, since of anyone he would have very similar growing conditions.

And you are right about waiting until the end of the season to post growing results for varieties that have been shared. I was using this format to try posting thumbnails and per Mischka's instructions, it went pretty well.

And on a side note...are you ready to get those Rocky Ford cantaloupe that I promised to send you? Early crops are becoming available, most likely from greenhouse started plants.

George

George,no problem posting what you did.After my annual seed offer I put up a germination thread and then in the Fall I put up a performance thread when folks have had a chance to get mature plants and make comments on the fruits, etc.

I don;t remember you saying you'd send me some Rocky Ford melons, but I'm all mouth. Just chose some that are less than 10# each.

George knows that I spent many years in Denver and we couldn't wait until the peaches and melons from the Western Slope of CO. especially the Rocky Ford melons made it to the Dever area.

Carolyn

[pondgardener]

Well I have your address so I'll look at the various farmer's markets and hopefully get something out to you by the beginning of next week or the following week. The reason I was asking is that I had read that you were planning on some additional surgeries and I didn't want to send a box to your home and have them spoil.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by pondgardener

Well I have your address so I'll look at the various farmer's markets and hopefully get something out to you by the beginning of next week or the following week. The reason I was asking is that I had read that you were planning on some additional surgeries and I didn't want to send a box to your home and have them spoil.

Good points.

Surgery won't be this week, that I know b'c some issues have to be worked out with the staff at my urologists office, quite nasty actually, so someone is calling on my behalf.

Maybe it would be best to wait until I have a surgery date, and I know it won't be a long stay in the hospital. Surely the melon season will go well into August? Yes?

And of coure I pay for shipping, Fed Ex is out, they just drop and run, UPS is fine, Phil brings everything inside for me and opens whatever it is, and USPS is fine as well since they bring everything inside as well. My USPS Federal permit says just to the door, but the regular carrier and sub both take the extra two minutes to bring everything in, which would have to be done with large packages anyway.

Carolyn

[pondgardener]

Carolyn,

Yes I am sure the "melon season" runs well into August. Probably in the past that was the earliest that they would have anything worthwhile anyway. What is coming out now, as I understand it, are greenhouse started plants that are transplanted out in the fields to get a few weeks head start. I would think that the majority are sown and grow in the fields anyway, so I'll wait a few more weeks until you get your medical issues cleared up. Rocky Ford is only an hours drive east from me so August would be a less hectic time anyway to get what is available. Hopefully the frozen rain stays away.

George

[pondgardener]

Carolyn,

One more bit of information...I was looking at the Rocky Ford Growers Association Facebook page and there was a link to an article that I clipped the following piece...


A bright spot in the Colorado story comes out of the Lower Arkansas Valley, where Rocky Ford cantaloupe and other melons are grown.

“Production numbers for melons out of Rocky Ford are up 20 to 30 percent this year,” Schneider said. “Rocky Ford experienced no early freezes, although high winds and no rain has taken a bit of a toll. Some acreage has been stressed by wind shredding and twisting young plants, but the feeling is that due to the high temperatures the plants will bounce back and recover nicely. Projected start dates are July 25 for cantaloupe, Aug. 1 for honeydew and watermelon, with shippable volumes within a week of those dates. Also, continued hot weather could push dates up a bit. Honeydews and watermelon should go through the first week of September, and cantaloupe is expected to go until first freeze, around Oct. 1.”


So it looks like there is plenty of time...

[kygreg]

I also have only one Dragoevo plant growing, It looks pretty much like a "normal" tomato plant.

[Tania]

My Dragoevo plants are producing smallish ribbed red beefsteaks. 3-5 oz.

I thought is was supposed to be a heart? The plants are not wispy.

Tatiana

[linzelu100]

I got this tomato in the trade and grew out 3 plants. Mine don't look like that- BUT my Heidi plants look like that. I was wondering if it was a normal growth thing or if it is something bad too. I had 3 Heidi plants, but black mold of some kind was inside the main stem of one of them. My stem was wide, flat, and started to "unfurl" and crack vertically. That's how the mold got inside. I ripped that plant out, and the other 2 are fine. By fine I mean- all my plants at this point have some kind of mold, but fine as in still erect and putting out tomatoes.

As a side note- Dragoevo is a real spitter here. And I don't say that about a lot of them. I have been giving them away or composting them.

[carolyn137]

I offered Dragoevo in my 2013 Seed offer and my seeds were from Steve ( Double helix)

http://www.doublehelixfarms.com/dragoevo

I then looked at the Fall 2013 feedback thread, or most of it, and found that germination of seeds was awful, and those who did grow it did not get what Steve pictured, of the reports I saw, which leaves the possibility that someone got it, but I just don't have the time to go through that whole feedback thread.

I'm not going to take the time to go back and see who did the seed production, that won't help that much now, and honestly I don't know where or how or when the problem arose.

So I didn't offer it again in my 2014 seed offer, nor did I offer again, Cartago Pear, also from Steve.

As for the fused stems pictured, I don't know about that either, however in my experience that has happened from time to time with many different varieties that I've grown.

Best I can do for now.

Carolyn

[Tania]

Thank you Carolyn!

That's too bad that the seeds did not grow true to type. The taste is pretty horrid too.

Lindsey, what was the fruit shape of your Dragoevo? I am just curious.

Tatiana

[linzelu100]

Originally Posted by Tania

Thank you Carolyn!

Lindsey, what was the fruit shape of your Dragoevo? I am just curious.

Tatiana

Well Tania, people get pretty particular about the shapes/colors of things on here. I don't know all the vocab quite yet. I would hate to say the wrong word, so I will describe best as I can. I can take a picture, but have trouble uploading them since they have to be resized- I forget how to do that all the time. I can email it to you.

red color, green shoulders. Ripens from left to right (which is weird and I have never seen before, usually bottem to top.) The Blossom end looks like a button was sewed on too tight, and the flesh puckers up and around the blossom end. Wouldn't call it fluted though. Heart shape, but not true heart shape, as it stops before the point and flattens out. But there is a definete sloping like a heart.

I won't be growing these again, but I can save seed for you if you need them or want to try again.