Discuss your tips, tricks and experiences growing and selling vegetables, fruits, flowers, plants and herbs.
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February 8, 2011 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Canada (Zone 6b)
Posts: 119
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Cobra Tomatoes
Has anybody here had experience with Cobra tomatoes? How did they turn out for you?
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February 9, 2011 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Woodville, Texas
Posts: 520
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I believe that you might get some info on those specialized greenhouse cultivars at www.producecommunity.com. That's a forum for REAL farmers - like guys that grow 85,000 tomato plants - so I try not to interfere with their discussions (mostly about financial, legal and market matters). I don't really belong there, but they will help small growers with technical info sometimes (especially us because we're a non-profit). There are also commercial greenhouse discussion forums that they can link you to.
The greenhouse industry is taking-over the tomato business - fewer acres of field production overy year. We'd love to get into it, but the six-figure capital investment is beyond our reach - just a little! LOL. I guess up in Canada that's the only way y'all can grow them. I heard that they grow vegetables in caves up there - with gro-lights. Jack PS - no nicknames at Produce Community - everyone uses their real name, name of firm and title, etc. Very professional place. Last edited by JackE; February 9, 2011 at 04:49 AM. |
February 9, 2011 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Alaska Zone 3/4
Posts: 1,857
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I grew Cobra in my Alaska greenhouse a couple years ago. Results were just so-so. I don't remember weather conditions the year I grew it (going from memory here). As I recall, I had just one plant. I'm going to try it again this year, as it's highly recommended for greenhouse culture.
Sherry |
February 23, 2011 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Alton, MO
Posts: 5
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I grew Cobras in my greenhouse in Idaho. I was not all that impressed. They just didn't have any flavor and my customers noticed. Big Beef did much better for me, as did Early Girl. Big Beef was my biggest seller by far. I don't grow it anymore since Monsanto bought Seminis, but I still miss it!
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February 26, 2011 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Canada (Zone 6b)
Posts: 119
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Had mixed results. The 100 plants I grew outdoors on a trellis were awesome, showed hardly no cracking - while I lost 2/3" of my Big Beef crop due to cracking - a wet rainy year. Flavour of those grown in a poly tunnel did not even touch that of the outdoor grown plants.
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November 22, 2011 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Canada (Zone 6b)
Posts: 119
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This year I can honestly say Cobra was not so hot - lots of green shoulder. Arbason and Geronimo far outperformed it. The cobra plants seemed to set 4 trusses, then run out of gas, while Arbason and Geronimo did not have this problem, and both carry the uniform ripening gene.
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November 28, 2011 | #7 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Phoenix, AZ (zone 9b)
Posts: 796
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Wait.. are you saying Big Beef is no longer available.. or..?
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November 28, 2011 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ohio
Posts: 4,350
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I was going to comment pretty much the same as everyone else. Not much in the way of flavor there. They are grown to be shipped. Very good commercial tomato to sit (aka-transportation) for a long period of time before getting to the consumer. I don't grow it, but my neighbor who has a farm market does, just to have tomatoes on the counter.
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carolyn k |
November 28, 2011 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Canada (Zone 6b)
Posts: 119
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Green shoulder was another issue for me here - not good.
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