My first tomatoes!

awsumth · January 28, 2013

This is the first year I've gotten tomatoes from my plant. I'm so happy. It's hard growing tomatoes in Florida because of nematodes, whiteflies, and the advice on all the seed packets is wrong.

This year I decided to try growing Money Maker, and I got my seeds from Winter Sown for free (another bonus). I did a lot of research! After failing to grow them in my own soil, I tried growing them in Miracle Gro Moisture Control and it really works great in my climate.

Saturday I got to try my first tomato. First good one in such a long time!

Redbaron · January 28, 2013

Beautiful pics and so glad you found a method that works for you!

Deborah · January 28, 2013

Yes, really pretty !

bluebonnets · January 28, 2013

Congrats!

checkerkitty · January 28, 2013

Lookin' tasty!

kath · January 28, 2013

Welcome and congrats...whatever works!

Calcat36 · January 28, 2013

We eat first with our eyes... nom nom nom!

KarenO · January 28, 2013

very nice!

PA_Julia · January 28, 2013

YAY!! Excellent!! They look great and makes me jumpy to begin the 2013 season!!

Simone · January 28, 2013

These pictures makes me sad!

Wish it would be July in Germany, but the weather is awful here and these beautiful pictures did not help.

Simone

SunnyK · January 28, 2013

Awesome!! It is such a wonderful thing to be able to grow your own food. Your beautiful plant pictures make me pine for Summer...but the weather spent the day snowing, and then sleeting...still months to go before our tomato season.
But congratulations on your success!!

awsumth · January 28, 2013

There might be a few tricks to growing in the summer such as special heat-tolerant varieties, but summer is really long and really hot here; the fruit usually won't set unless there is a mild night.

Winter here almost didn't happen. I could probably count the number of hours it was below 70°F and it would total at most one week. I don't remember winter being so short or so mild.

An even bigger tomato is ripening today too! I am so excited.

doublehelix · January 28, 2013

Very happy you found a way to get a tomato on the table. Congrats.

chancethegardener · January 28, 2013

Glad that you have had tomatoes despite the diseases and pests of Florida. This winter has indeed been quite warm.
I would suggest you to be very cautious about thrips in the next few months and spray your plants as a preventative regularly. These annoying pests cause a very ugly viral disease which cannot be treated like fungal diseases. Unfortunately, they are very common in the South.

bboomer · January 31, 2013

Beautiful! My garden is frozen hard as a rock...

January 28, 2013	#1
awsumth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: South Florida Posts: 40	My first tomatoes! This is the first year I've gotten tomatoes from my plant. I'm so happy. It's hard growing tomatoes in Florida because of nematodes, whiteflies, and the advice on all the seed packets is wrong. This year I decided to try growing Money Maker, and I got my seeds from Winter Sown for free (another bonus). I did a lot of research! After failing to grow them in my own soil, I tried growing them in Miracle Gro Moisture Control and it really works great in my climate. Saturday I got to try my first tomato. First good one in such a long time!

January 28, 2013	#2
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	Beautiful pics and so glad you found a method that works for you! __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

January 28, 2013	#9
PA_Julia Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A Posts: 2,208	YAY!! Excellent!! They look great and makes me jumpy to begin the 2013 season!! __________________ Personal Best- 4.46 LB Big Zac 2013

January 28, 2013	#10
Simone Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Germany, NRW Posts: 225	These pictures makes me sad! Wish it would be July in Germany, but the weather is awful here and these beautiful pictures did not help. Simone Last edited by Simone; January 29, 2013 at 06:58 AM.

January 28, 2013	#12
awsumth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: South Florida Posts: 40	There might be a few tricks to growing in the summer such as special heat-tolerant varieties, but summer is really long and really hot here; the fruit usually won't set unless there is a mild night. Winter here almost didn't happen. I could probably count the number of hours it was below 70°F and it would total at most one week. I don't remember winter being so short or so mild. An even bigger tomato is ripening today too! I am so excited. Last edited by awsumth; January 28, 2013 at 08:12 PM.

January 28, 2013	#3
Deborah Riding The Crazy Train Again Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Marcos, California Posts: 2,562	Yes, really pretty !

January 28, 2013	#4
bluebonnets Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: TX Posts: 178	Congrats!

January 28, 2013	#5
checkerkitty Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 239	Lookin' tasty!

January 28, 2013	#6
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Welcome and congrats...whatever works!

January 28, 2013	#7
Calcat36 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: 6b Posts: 56	We eat first with our eyes... nom nom nom!

January 28, 2013	#8
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,933	very nice!

January 28, 2013	#11
SunnyK Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Stratford CT., Z6 or new for 2013 Z7 Posts: 126	Awesome!! It is such a wonderful thing to be able to grow your own food. Your beautiful plant pictures make me pine for Summer...but the weather spent the day snowing, and then sleeting...still months to go before our tomato season. But congratulations on your success!!

January 28, 2013	#13
doublehelix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 190	Very happy you found a way to get a tomato on the table. Congrats.

January 28, 2013	#14
chancethegardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: WV Posts: 604	Glad that you have had tomatoes despite the diseases and pests of Florida. This winter has indeed been quite warm. I would suggest you to be very cautious about thrips in the next few months and spray your plants as a preventative regularly. These annoying pests cause a very ugly viral disease which cannot be treated like fungal diseases. Unfortunately, they are very common in the South.

January 31, 2013	#15
bboomer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 67	Beautiful! My garden is frozen hard as a rock...