Tomatoes in Texas - Page 12

June 6, 2013

My tomato plants are tall and beautiful, but I looked closely at them today and they don't have a lot of fruit set compared to last year. Hopefully some will continue setting fruit after the high summer heat arrives next week as predicted.

I'm a little perplexed and a little disgusted after working so hard through March and early April to save them from the vagaries of mother nature. I don't think I will plant any tomato seed for my fall garden, but will probably root some cuttings from the plants that produce the best. It's a lot less work to root suckers than grow from seed.

I wonder which has more risk, growing tomatoes in Texas or sending your life savings to a bookie in Vegas and betting on the Dallas Cowboys to win.

As a side note, I use one of those vibrating toothbrushes to aid pollination. I keep the toothbrush in my shop for easy access to my garden. I forgot I had a new one in a drawer in our bathroom. Yesterday, my wife and I were trying to figure out where a high pitched vibrating noise was originating from in the master bathroom. After unplugging every electrical device we could think of, we were about ready to start tearing some walls out. I was standing near my toothbrush holder where the noise seemed loudest. I picked my toothbrush up which I had only started using the previous evening. Yep! It was the toothbrush vibrating in a ceramic brush holder which amplified the sound.

Ted

Dewayne mater · June 7, 2013

Ted - I'm sorry to hear that and relieved. I too have low numbers of fruit set this year. While I had some disease issue in my tainers early on, those are under control now, though a couple have some EB. My ground based plants have not had disease issues. The plants are lush, full, green, heavily canopied, but fruit set is much weaker than usual. I think it is environmental and the 3 late cold snaps hurt, especially as they typically included at least 48 hours of strong constant winds. I can come up with no other explanation.

I am hoping against hope that the cooler temps yesterday and through tomorrow are going to help us out and result in a very late and solid fruit set. Meanwhile, I'm shaking the plants twice a day with vigor.

Dewayne mater

Urbanfarmer · June 8, 2013

Fruit set for us down here has been about normal: the hybrids are heavy and the heirlooms are plant-to-plant. On one Granny Cantrell we only have 20 or so tomatoes, but they are the biggest I've seen Granny produce. I'm trying to cross it into Better Boy for a long-term experiment.

Worth1 · June 8, 2013

I have tomatoes and more tomatoes and even more tomatoes.
Best year ever and next year will be better than this year.
It just keeps getting better every year.

Worth

texasjack · June 8, 2013

Dumb Question

What is "Bolting"? A technical term or just another way of saying adios?

Urbanfarmer · June 8, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

I have tomatoes and more tomatoes and even more tomatoes.
Best year ever and next year will be better than this year.
It just keeps getting better every year.

Worth

That's the ticket!

Rockporter · June 9, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasjack

Dumb Question

What is "Bolting"? A technical term or just another way of saying adios?

First, no question is dumb
Second, here is a quick yahoo search with lots of links to the info you are seeking.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=bol...utf-8&fr=b2ie7

OldHondaNut · June 10, 2013

I pulled a couple large tomatoes this morning in fear of splitting from a good rain we had yesterday. One was half red/ half green and the rest were all green. I have harvested 3 smaller Porters and the Porters are going to do well again this year as usual. I expect a lot of late fruit and hope that I am not disappointed.

Keger · June 10, 2013

All I got to say is this.

One tough, TOUGH year. We never got a good, extended freeze last winter so the viruses, insects, other diseases, etc. never got froze out.

So I pulled determinates today, saved what I could to ripen.

I have 4 more rows od indeterminates I started in march from seed, they will be ok for week or two, then that's it. The stink bugs showed up mid May, and all the rest of it.

I know the weather up north has been worse, so I understand, and am not looking for sympathy.

But it's nasty.

Rockporter · June 10, 2013

Yeah, the weather you describe for Richmond is what we have here year round. It is really difficult to garden here.

Cindyb1969 · June 11, 2013

Definitely not looking for sympathy here even if I'm done for the summer with only green tomatoes so far. Best year yet for me, but I'm a beginner that planted a lot of seeds. A neighbor told me that I'd never be able to grow heirlooms here. If I can do what I did in this weather we've had, I can grow anything!

But as others predicted, the lower temps are over. We did miss another 90 day on Sunday with a big 2" rain, but the heat wave is arriving tomorrow,I think!

OldHondaNut · June 11, 2013

Nonsense about not being able to grow heirlooms in Dallas. Dallas would have never been settled had this been true. Let's not forget, at some time in history each heirloom was state of the art seed.

And I grow them every year including this one and while late, I expect at least 5 pounds from each plant of Porter, Amish Paste and Rutgers. If you had said "some" heirlooms I would agree. Some do not produce well here.

I don't want to come across as a know it all. This is just one where I am growing every year these heirlooms and others and then hear that it can't be done.

June 11, 2013

I grew fantastic heirlooms here last year as I do most years. This is simply a "not so good" year due to our early spring weather. I will have a decent harvest this year, but last year I was already loaded down with more tomatoes than I could give away in mid May. This year, I am still waiting for my first ripe tomato. I planted out on the same day both years.

Ted

Dewayne mater · June 11, 2013

Oh, it can be done and many of us have done it for years, with results that do vary year to year, but always with some production. The key is to go early and get things rocking before the big heat, which officially arrived yesterday with a high temp of 98, then and for the foreseeable future.

As OHN points out, variety is important as well. Some definitely produce better than others. That said, I've had years where the somewhat finicky Brandywine Sudduth strain has produced pretty darn well, between 15-20 tomatoes with a dozen of those being large tomatoes, 12 -16 ounces and several bigger than a pound.

For next season, you should consider reading up on and trying the various tomatoes that produce in heat. While they all stop producing here, tomatoes that produce in temps 4-5 degrees hotter than others can really extend the fruit set time. This was unusual with the moderate temps, then yesterday, open the blast furnace until late September. Usually, its more of a gradual temp climb and in those years, Indian Stripe and Black and Brown Boar and others definitely keep performing when wimpier varieties are done.

OldHondaNut · June 11, 2013

I have a sunmaster and the previously mentioned Porter tomatoes growing now to extend the season when it gets hot. The sunmaster seeds are not as easy to find anymore and they are in the refrigerator until used. About 20 left and that is a 10 year supply for me. Not that I am a big Sunmaster fan, just saying.

For fall I have snipped a few Sunmaster suckers and I am rooting them now. That lets me save the somewhat rare seeds that I already purchased. Danged if one of the suckers (non Sunmaster) showed signs of EB yesterday and I hope it did not contaminate the entire tray of sucker transplants. Time will tell.

June 6, 2013	#166
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	My tomato plants are tall and beautiful, but I looked closely at them today and they don't have a lot of fruit set compared to last year. Hopefully some will continue setting fruit after the high summer heat arrives next week as predicted. I'm a little perplexed and a little disgusted after working so hard through March and early April to save them from the vagaries of mother nature. I don't think I will plant any tomato seed for my fall garden, but will probably root some cuttings from the plants that produce the best. It's a lot less work to root suckers than grow from seed. I wonder which has more risk, growing tomatoes in Texas or sending your life savings to a bookie in Vegas and betting on the Dallas Cowboys to win. As a side note, I use one of those vibrating toothbrushes to aid pollination. I keep the toothbrush in my shop for easy access to my garden. I forgot I had a new one in a drawer in our bathroom. Yesterday, my wife and I were trying to figure out where a high pitched vibrating noise was originating from in the master bathroom. After unplugging every electrical device we could think of, we were about ready to start tearing some walls out. I was standing near my toothbrush holder where the noise seemed loudest. I picked my toothbrush up which I had only started using the previous evening. Yep! It was the toothbrush vibrating in a ceramic brush holder which amplified the sound. Ted Last edited by tedln; June 6, 2013 at 09:50 PM.

June 8, 2013	#168
Urbanfarmer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Freeport, Texas Posts: 134	Fruit set for us down here has been about normal: the hybrids are heavy and the heirlooms are plant-to-plant. On one Granny Cantrell we only have 20 or so tomatoes, but they are the biggest I've seen Granny produce. I'm trying to cross it into Better Boy for a long-term experiment. __________________ theurbanfarm.com

June 10, 2013	#175
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	Yeah, the weather you describe for Richmond is what we have here year round. It is really difficult to garden here. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~ Last edited by Rockporter; June 11, 2013 at 01:40 PM.

June 7, 2013	#167
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	Ted - I'm sorry to hear that and relieved. I too have low numbers of fruit set this year. While I had some disease issue in my tainers early on, those are under control now, though a couple have some EB. My ground based plants have not had disease issues. The plants are lush, full, green, heavily canopied, but fruit set is much weaker than usual. I think it is environmental and the 3 late cold snaps hurt, especially as they typically included at least 48 hours of strong constant winds. I can come up with no other explanation. I am hoping against hope that the cooler temps yesterday and through tomorrow are going to help us out and result in a very late and solid fruit set. Meanwhile, I'm shaking the plants twice a day with vigor. Dewayne mater

June 8, 2013	#169
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I have tomatoes and more tomatoes and even more tomatoes. Best year ever and next year will be better than this year. It just keeps getting better every year. Worth

June 8, 2013	#170
texasjack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Houston Tx Posts: 33	Dumb Question What is "Bolting"? A technical term or just another way of saying adios?

June 10, 2013	#173
OldHondaNut Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Zone 8a Posts: 120	I pulled a couple large tomatoes this morning in fear of splitting from a good rain we had yesterday. One was half red/ half green and the rest were all green. I have harvested 3 smaller Porters and the Porters are going to do well again this year as usual. I expect a lot of late fruit and hope that I am not disappointed.

June 10, 2013	#174
Keger Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Richmond, TX Posts: 327	All I got to say is this. One tough, TOUGH year. We never got a good, extended freeze last winter so the viruses, insects, other diseases, etc. never got froze out. So I pulled determinates today, saved what I could to ripen. I have 4 more rows od indeterminates I started in march from seed, they will be ok for week or two, then that's it. The stink bugs showed up mid May, and all the rest of it. I know the weather up north has been worse, so I understand, and am not looking for sympathy. But it's nasty.

June 11, 2013	#176
Cindyb1969 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 21	Definitely not looking for sympathy here even if I'm done for the summer with only green tomatoes so far. Best year yet for me, but I'm a beginner that planted a lot of seeds. A neighbor told me that I'd never be able to grow heirlooms here. If I can do what I did in this weather we've had, I can grow anything! But as others predicted, the lower temps are over. We did miss another 90 day on Sunday with a big 2" rain, but the heat wave is arriving tomorrow,I think!

June 11, 2013	#177
OldHondaNut Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Zone 8a Posts: 120	Nonsense about not being able to grow heirlooms in Dallas. Dallas would have never been settled had this been true. Let's not forget, at some time in history each heirloom was state of the art seed. And I grow them every year including this one and while late, I expect at least 5 pounds from each plant of Porter, Amish Paste and Rutgers. If you had said "some" heirlooms I would agree. Some do not produce well here. I don't want to come across as a know it all. This is just one where I am growing every year these heirlooms and others and then hear that it can't be done.

June 11, 2013	#178
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	I grew fantastic heirlooms here last year as I do most years. This is simply a "not so good" year due to our early spring weather. I will have a decent harvest this year, but last year I was already loaded down with more tomatoes than I could give away in mid May. This year, I am still waiting for my first ripe tomato. I planted out on the same day both years. Ted

June 11, 2013	#179
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	Oh, it can be done and many of us have done it for years, with results that do vary year to year, but always with some production. The key is to go early and get things rocking before the big heat, which officially arrived yesterday with a high temp of 98, then and for the foreseeable future. As OHN points out, variety is important as well. Some definitely produce better than others. That said, I've had years where the somewhat finicky Brandywine Sudduth strain has produced pretty darn well, between 15-20 tomatoes with a dozen of those being large tomatoes, 12 -16 ounces and several bigger than a pound. For next season, you should consider reading up on and trying the various tomatoes that produce in heat. While they all stop producing here, tomatoes that produce in temps 4-5 degrees hotter than others can really extend the fruit set time. This was unusual with the moderate temps, then yesterday, open the blast furnace until late September. Usually, its more of a gradual temp climb and in those years, Indian Stripe and Black and Brown Boar and others definitely keep performing when wimpier varieties are done.

June 11, 2013	#180
OldHondaNut Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Zone 8a Posts: 120	I have a sunmaster and the previously mentioned Porter tomatoes growing now to extend the season when it gets hot. The sunmaster seeds are not as easy to find anymore and they are in the refrigerator until used. About 20 left and that is a 10 year supply for me. Not that I am a big Sunmaster fan, just saying. For fall I have snipped a few Sunmaster suckers and I am rooting them now. That lets me save the somewhat rare seeds that I already purchased. Danged if one of the suckers (non Sunmaster) showed signs of EB yesterday and I hope it did not contaminate the entire tray of sucker transplants. Time will tell.