Picked my first ripe tomato this season today

acorn · May 20, 2011

It was a Stupice and I just had to share. Everything seems to be loaded up with fruit right now so looking forward to trying some of the other varieties. Most of the plants are already 5' tall in my main garden. This year I have planted:

Stupice
Cherokee Purple
Yellow Pear
Sweet 100 cherry
Orange Ox-Heart
Box Car Willie
Mortgage Lifter
German Johnson
Caspian Pink
San Marzano
Brandywine
Another Paste tomato

and a couple other varieties I cant think of the name of right now.

started with 23 plants in the ground and lost 2, one to Curly top (Mr. Stripey), and another one I pulled looked like it had septoria that I got from the nursery (Mortgage Lifter). Most everything went in the ground around March 25th btw. I will try to get some photos up if anyone is interested.

- Aaron

SaberTooth · May 20, 2011

Hi Acorn,

Thanks for the post. All mine went into the ground about one month later and I have a few of the varieties you are growing (Cheerokee Purple, Mortgage Lifter and Box Car Willie). My plants were a little leggy when I set them out but they seem to be thickening up their main stems (70 plants of 11 different varieties). I haven't grown any of the varieties I've planted this year and I am concerned about the overall yield I'm going to be getting. I have some blooms and fruit is starting to set and I would say on average that most of the plants are approaching 3 feet. Maybe seeing some of your pictures of the above varieties would give me some peace of mind.

tuk50 · May 20, 2011

Would love to see pics ... I haven't grown stupice in years, but had good luck with it while I lived it town.. German Johnson was another one that was very prolific with large tomatoes.. we now live out north at the base of the mountains and the nights are very cool with mine just now setting good on all of them.. the night temps are cold out here.. just checked and my thermometer shows 48degrees just before sunrise. Last week the night temps were in the 67-68 degree range. The tomatoes are getting schizophrenic... LOL.

acorn · May 20, 2011

Thanks, I will try to get some pics up. I took a few at planting time and at 1 month so this should be helpful for seeing how much they are growing. One of the Yellow pears has just gone crazy and is taking over one whole end of the planting bed.

- Aaron

acorn · May 23, 2011

Here are a few pics. First one is right after plant out on 3/26. Next 2 pics are at 1 month on 4/26. Last 2 pics are from the same positions on 5/21

- Aaron

tuk50 · May 23, 2011

Great looking maters ...
planted mine first week in April and they look way behind yours, but it looks like my night temps are going to stay in the upper 50's, if so they will come on like gangbusters... got my first greenbeans this morning and picked the last of the turnips and radishes till this fall.

Qweniden · May 24, 2011

We have had two ripe sunsugars. That first bite of the season is always a treat!

BSue54 · May 25, 2011

Just finally got a change to check out the forums - work has been wicked busy and then the constant watering, since we've had a whole 1/4 inch of rain since I got my plants into their 'tainers on March 20... but finally got the first 3 red ones off the vine yesterday, and 2 more today. They aren't really RIPE but I was afraid to leave them out any longer because... well, because they were red LOL.... The first three were Brandywine, and the 2 today were Early Girl.

The plants in the last of my 10 'tainers to get put in also were the last to set any fruit, and now seem to be afflicted with BER. At least I'm assuming that's what made the bottom half of the fruit (on the bloom end) be ugly and dark. And they are still small and green... Any suggestions? They were planted with the same planting medium as the other 9 'tainers, and the same fertilizer and lime.... I guess I was just thinking myself into trouble when I wondered what that BER stuff was because my 'maters are right pretty - if I do say so myself.

Hopefully, I can find time this weekend when it's still good light, to take some pictures!
Bobbie in Cut-N-Shoot, TX (who's been MIA from the forum for the 2 months since I got planted out and hope everyone's doing well!)

**coronabarb** · May 25, 2011

Lucky you, Aaron! I've got a ways to go for that first tomato, since I got a late start. Stupice is a great early tomato. I can almost taste it.

May 20, 2011	#1
acorn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 25	Picked my first ripe tomato this season today It was a Stupice and I just had to share. Everything seems to be loaded up with fruit right now so looking forward to trying some of the other varieties. Most of the plants are already 5' tall in my main garden. This year I have planted: Stupice Cherokee Purple Yellow Pear Sweet 100 cherry Orange Ox-Heart Box Car Willie Mortgage Lifter German Johnson Caspian Pink San Marzano Brandywine Another Paste tomato and a couple other varieties I cant think of the name of right now. started with 23 plants in the ground and lost 2, one to Curly top (Mr. Stripey), and another one I pulled looked like it had septoria that I got from the nursery (Mortgage Lifter). Most everything went in the ground around March 25th btw. I will try to get some photos up if anyone is interested. - Aaron

May 20, 2011	#3
tuk50 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Tucson, Arizona (catalina) Posts: 413	Would love to see pics ... I haven't grown stupice in years, but had good luck with it while I lived it town.. German Johnson was another one that was very prolific with large tomatoes.. we now live out north at the base of the mountains and the nights are very cool with mine just now setting good on all of them.. the night temps are cold out here.. just checked and my thermometer shows 48degrees just before sunrise. Last week the night temps were in the 67-68 degree range. The tomatoes are getting schizophrenic... LOL. __________________ Hangin on for dear life!

May 23, 2011	#6
tuk50 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Tucson, Arizona (catalina) Posts: 413	Great looking maters ... planted mine first week in April and they look way behind yours, but it looks like my night temps are going to stay in the upper 50's, if so they will come on like gangbusters... got my first greenbeans this morning and picked the last of the turnips and radishes till this fall. __________________ Hangin on for dear life!

May 25, 2011	#8
BSue54 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Cut-N-Shoot, TX Posts: 73	Just finally got a change to check out the forums - work has been wicked busy and then the constant watering, since we've had a whole 1/4 inch of rain since I got my plants into their 'tainers on March 20... but finally got the first 3 red ones off the vine yesterday, and 2 more today. They aren't really RIPE but I was afraid to leave them out any longer because... well, because they were red LOL.... The first three were Brandywine, and the 2 today were Early Girl. The plants in the last of my 10 'tainers to get put in also were the last to set any fruit, and now seem to be afflicted with BER. At least I'm assuming that's what made the bottom half of the fruit (on the bloom end) be ugly and dark. And they are still small and green... Any suggestions? They were planted with the same planting medium as the other 9 'tainers, and the same fertilizer and lime.... I guess I was just thinking myself into trouble when I wondered what that BER stuff was because my 'maters are right pretty - if I do say so myself. Hopefully, I can find time this weekend when it's still good light, to take some pictures! Bobbie in Cut-N-Shoot, TX (who's been MIA from the forum for the 2 months since I got planted out and hope everyone's doing well!) __________________ Bobbie in Cut-N-Shoot, TX Zone 8b

May 25, 2011	#9
coronabarb Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7 Posts: 2,821	Lucky you, Aaron! I've got a ways to go for that first tomato, since I got a late start. Stupice is a great early tomato. I can almost taste it. __________________ Corona~Barb Now an Oregon gal

May 20, 2011	#2
SaberTooth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 31	Hi Acorn, Thanks for the post. All mine went into the ground about one month later and I have a few of the varieties you are growing (Cheerokee Purple, Mortgage Lifter and Box Car Willie). My plants were a little leggy when I set them out but they seem to be thickening up their main stems (70 plants of 11 different varieties). I haven't grown any of the varieties I've planted this year and I am concerned about the overall yield I'm going to be getting. I have some blooms and fruit is starting to set and I would say on average that most of the plants are approaching 3 feet. Maybe seeing some of your pictures of the above varieties would give me some peace of mind.

May 24, 2011	#7
Qweniden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Sacramento, California Posts: 267	We have had two ripe sunsugars. That first bite of the season is always a treat!