First tomatoes of the year (VA)

Duh_Vinci · May 30, 2010

Finally,

I've picked few ripe ones this morning (from L to R): Kimberly, Kalinka and Lambada (about 45 days from transplant)

Lambada is a nice burst of sweet/acid with assertive tomato flavor, favorite of the three (many thanks for the seeds, Clara!), Kalinka - milder for me, but not bad for an early tomato, little more acidic, still some sweetness, softer flesh - 2nd in taste for me. Finally, Kimberly - still MUCH more taste than anything I've had in the past 6 months from the store, just more on the acidic side.

These are grown in 10gal totes, set outside in mid April. I did have to drag them in 3-4 times during the frost - worth for having an early season snack. Never had May tomato before, so I'm excited!

Many fruits in those containers are now getting a blush, so looks like tomato indulgence season is starting!!! Main garden - just about all have fruits, but no May tomato there. Looks like Bull's Heart and Zolotye Kupola would have the first ripe fruit though, will see...

Regards,
D

matertoo · May 30, 2010

Looks great D. I don't have any pictures yet, but my wife and I have split one Bloody Butcher (DELICIOUS)last week and I have ripening 5 Big Sungold Select that I got from Carolyn's seed offer.

Just noticed one nice-sized Cherokee Purple, as well as numerous other greenies that will be brought in soon to finish ripening.

Happy Matering,

Paul

Materhead · May 30, 2010

Hey D!
I'm a new member from FL, just moved here from Culpeper. I never got any tomatoes this early in VA, but then I normally planted in-ground.

Anyway, here in FL, I harvested 3 this morning. I was very surprised when I was about to water my 4 container plants when I saw the red fruit!

But let's not get too excited. I have FAILED my plants.

I added some Tomato-Tone food to the soil (containers) a few weeks back. I hope these are the last of the casualties. I already tossed 5 green BERs when I first discovered this. Having grown tomatoes in New England for decades, this is my fist Florida crop (although I brought a container from VA in 2008.)
Is this common in FL?
Is it from too little water? These are supposed to be Big Beefs!

Sören · May 30, 2010

duh vinci,

wow you got the first tomatoes

I live in Belgium and I have only the first flowers on my tomato plants.

Greetings,
Sören

Duh_Vinci · May 30, 2010

Paul,

Bloody Butcher is definitely on my list for next year, seems that just about all who grow it - really enjoying it, and it's early!

Materhead,

You were basically just down the road from me! I'm off Rt20, in the middle of nowhere. I actually moved to FL twice (St.Pete/Tampa), and came back to VA again!

As for the BER, many studies show, that stress due to uneven moisture in the soil (specially in containers) can be a major attributing factor. Keep an eye on them, and good luck with your growing season!

Sören,

This is not very typical to have fruit this early in my area, early July is more like it. I just took a chance with containers, glad I did! Little extra work, but was worth it.

Happy growing to all!

Regards,
D

clara · May 30, 2010

D, you're not just taking pictures, you're "composing" them - I love it! And I'm very pleased that you like Lambada! I expect my first tomatoes - if I have very good luck - at the end of June... Today I found the first signs of blossoms on some varieties that need urgently to be transplanted, but my back aches so much, nearly can't move. Really a bad moment for a thing like that! Good luck for your next tomatoes! clara

david_reaves · May 30, 2010

My first tomatoes were Sweet Millions in "Season Starters." I picked a few as early as mid-May. The next were some Sungold earlier this week. Still waiting on the Sophie's Choice and Early Girl, though both have tomatoes with a little blush. I was able to pick about a pound of Sweet Million and Sungold this afternoon.

The others, mostly mid & late season OP's, are due in mid to late June. I'm waiting anxiously for the first few Cherokee Purples and Kelloggs Breakfast!

florin · May 31, 2010

My first this year was JD Black Special C picked two days ago.

Duh_Vinci · May 31, 2010

Hi Clara!

So sorry to hear that you are not so well. Hope that your son can help with the planting out! I know how much love you put into your garden, so I wish you very very best! I'd be glad to help, but unfortunately I'm nowhere near... How did that guy you used for the tree cutting work out for you?

Delighted to see that your Frue Liebe is blushing as of this morning, and Lambada looks like it's about to give me an almost full ripe cluster in a day or two (another added to the list of "Full Cluster Ripe" I'm planting next year! Stupice has it's first fruit (a day away from "ready")...

Hear so many good things about JD special, on the list for next year, along with Bloody Butcher for the earlies.
Happy growing all!

Regards,
D

goodwin · May 31, 2010

I picked our first full size tomato, a Nepal, this weekend. We'll definitely grow more of these next year.

**carolyn137** · May 31, 2010

D, it looks to me like Kalinka has gold flecking. We've been talking about this in another thread here so I was just curious about that.

I just looked at Tania's picture of it and don't see the gold flecks, but I also know that whether or not they're seen depends on the lighting, the photography and who knows what else.

Duh_Vinci · June 1, 2010

Goodwin - very pretty fruit! Taste?

Carolyn - Kalinka I grew from the seeds I got from Tania. Those little pits/flecks - they were indeed present, but mostly toward one side. I took a closer look at the fruits on the plant right now, much less flecks, maybe just because it's a first fruit from that plant?

I will take more pictures as these ripen. All though, as you mentioned - light can play a huge part on the appearance of the fine detail. I'll make sure that the light is as "natural" as I can get with greater depth of field to show more detail of entire fruit.

Regards,
D

roper2008 · June 1, 2010

Duh Vinci, When did you start those seeds , and when did you plant them
out in the garden. I started my bloody butcher seed in March and planted
out after 1st week of april. One is starting to light up in color, maybe
sometime this month it will be ripe.

goodwin · June 2, 2010

The flavor was a bit of a surprise. Usually I think of Nepal as being tangy - but these tomatoes are richly flavored and quite sweet. Must be differences in the soil and the weather this year.
It has turned warm and dry. Daytime temperatures are above 90, dropping to around 50 at night.
A week ago we had a big swing from a high of 85 to a low of 27, which is just unheard of in late May.

Duh_Vinci · June 2, 2010

Roper,

For the earlies (all in containers) - seeds were started in early February. Planted mid April. I know I took a chance, never planted anything this early, we did have few times were the temperature dropped to 30F, so containers were dragged into garage 3 times, but at the end - worth the effort!

Your last frost date should be about 2 weeks earlier than mine, right? Good luck with your first fruits, great feeling when you taste you first tomatoes, isn't it?

Today is 40 days since Noire de Crimee was planed in the same row of containers - and today, two fruits starting to blush, early enough for me (should be less than 50 days from transplant)!

At 48 days - Taxi has turned few fruits to their yellow color (few more days to be ripe), Bursztyn is showing color as of today as well, and Kimberly giving 4-5 tomatoes every day now. Life is good!!!

Happy growing all!

Regards,
D

May 30, 2010	#1
Duh_Vinci Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Locust Grove, VA Posts: 292	First tomatoes of the year (VA) Finally, I've picked few ripe ones this morning (from L to R): Kimberly, Kalinka and Lambada (about 45 days from transplant) Lambada is a nice burst of sweet/acid with assertive tomato flavor, favorite of the three (many thanks for the seeds, Clara!), Kalinka - milder for me, but not bad for an early tomato, little more acidic, still some sweetness, softer flesh - 2nd in taste for me. Finally, Kimberly - still MUCH more taste than anything I've had in the past 6 months from the store, just more on the acidic side. These are grown in 10gal totes, set outside in mid April. I did have to drag them in 3-4 times during the frost - worth for having an early season snack. Never had May tomato before, so I'm excited! Many fruits in those containers are now getting a blush, so looks like tomato indulgence season is starting!!! Main garden - just about all have fruits, but no May tomato there. Looks like Bull's Heart and Zolotye Kupola would have the first ripe fruit though, will see... Regards, D

May 31, 2010	#11
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	D, it looks to me like Kalinka has gold flecking. We've been talking about this in another thread here so I was just curious about that. I just looked at Tania's picture of it and don't see the gold flecks, but I also know that whether or not they're seen depends on the lighting, the photography and who knows what else. __________________ Carolyn

May 30, 2010	#2
matertoo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: LA (Lower Alabama) Posts: 354	Looks great D. I don't have any pictures yet, but my wife and I have split one Bloody Butcher (DELICIOUS)last week and I have ripening 5 Big Sungold Select that I got from Carolyn's seed offer. Just noticed one nice-sized Cherokee Purple, as well as numerous other greenies that will be brought in soon to finish ripening. Happy Matering, Paul

May 30, 2010	#3
Materhead Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2010 Location: Treasure Coast, FL Posts: 4	Hey D! I'm a new member from FL, just moved here from Culpeper. I never got any tomatoes this early in VA, but then I normally planted in-ground. Anyway, here in FL, I harvested 3 this morning. I was very surprised when I was about to water my 4 container plants when I saw the red fruit! But let's not get too excited. I have FAILED my plants. I added some Tomato-Tone food to the soil (containers) a few weeks back. I hope these are the last of the casualties. I already tossed 5 green BERs when I first discovered this. Having grown tomatoes in New England for decades, this is my fist Florida crop (although I brought a container from VA in 2008.) Is this common in FL? Is it from too little water? These are supposed to be Big Beefs!

May 30, 2010	#4
Sören Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Belgium Posts: 12	duh vinci, wow you got the first tomatoes I live in Belgium and I have only the first flowers on my tomato plants. Greetings, Sören

May 30, 2010	#6
clara Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Germany Posts: 1,351	D, you're not just taking pictures, you're "composing" them - I love it! And I'm very pleased that you like Lambada! I expect my first tomatoes - if I have very good luck - at the end of June... Today I found the first signs of blossoms on some varieties that need urgently to be transplanted, but my back aches so much, nearly can't move. Really a bad moment for a thing like that! Good luck for your next tomatoes! clara

May 30, 2010	#7
david_reaves Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1	My first tomatoes were Sweet Millions in "Season Starters." I picked a few as early as mid-May. The next were some Sungold earlier this week. Still waiting on the Sophie's Choice and Early Girl, though both have tomatoes with a little blush. I was able to pick about a pound of Sweet Million and Sungold this afternoon. The others, mostly mid & late season OP's, are due in mid to late June. I'm waiting anxiously for the first few Cherokee Purples and Kelloggs Breakfast!

May 31, 2010	#8
florin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cleveland Texas Posts: 3	My first this year was JD Black Special C picked two days ago.

June 1, 2010	#12
Duh_Vinci Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Locust Grove, VA Posts: 292	Goodwin - very pretty fruit! Taste? Carolyn - Kalinka I grew from the seeds I got from Tania. Those little pits/flecks - they were indeed present, but mostly toward one side. I took a closer look at the fruits on the plant right now, much less flecks, maybe just because it's a first fruit from that plant? I will take more pictures as these ripen. All though, as you mentioned - light can play a huge part on the appearance of the fine detail. I'll make sure that the light is as "natural" as I can get with greater depth of field to show more detail of entire fruit. Regards, D

June 1, 2010	#13
roper2008 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Virginia Bch, VA (7b) Posts: 1,337	Duh Vinci, When did you start those seeds , and when did you plant them out in the garden. I started my bloody butcher seed in March and planted out after 1st week of april. One is starting to light up in color, maybe sometime this month it will be ripe.

June 2, 2010	#14
goodwin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Espanola, New Mexico Posts: 608	The flavor was a bit of a surprise. Usually I think of Nepal as being tangy - but these tomatoes are richly flavored and quite sweet. Must be differences in the soil and the weather this year. It has turned warm and dry. Daytime temperatures are above 90, dropping to around 50 at night. A week ago we had a big swing from a high of 85 to a low of 27, which is just unheard of in late May.