Mark's 2018 crop

[PureHarvest]

So two 36” will do when it hits 90 outside. I’m thinking my roll up sides would do the same when it’s that hot outside, and I don’t have to buy a fan or use electric.
I’m wondering when it is still cool/cold out in early spring but a full sun day.
I’d like to be able to leave my roll up sides buttoned down for March and part of April. Maybe even inflate the sides in early March to retain more heat at night. Will I still need two fans?
Thinking about an intake vent kit for fresh air at night too.

[PureHarvest]

Originally Posted by AKmark

If you have not tried Damsel give it a try, it is one of the best hybrids I have had in a long time.

Bought 10 seeds last week based on your comment.
Got them yesterday in the mail and sowed 4 last night.
Stay tuned...

Also sowed seeds from my first cross. hoping to see what the f1 fruit will look and taste like sometime in early October.
All I can say with certainty is that it will be large and yellow (orange)..

[Johnniemar]

Originally Posted by AKmark

I don't know where your seeds come from? Mine average about 6-8 ounces, and run up to a pound or so. The DTM seems to be around 60 days for many. Two ounces is very small, I think Bloody Butcher is bigger than that.

Good luck, keep us informed.

As the season has progressed my matsu's have gotten bigger. The heat here has been really bad until a few days ago. Still very little rain. I picked my largest matsu a couple of days ago. It was 9 ounces and the taste was as one of the best i have had this season.

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by Johnniemar

As the season has progressed my matsu's have gotten bigger. The heat here has been really bad until a few days ago. Still very little rain. I picked my largest matsu a couple of days ago. It was 9 ounces and the taste was as one of the best i have had this season.

That sounds a lot better. Mat-Su Express has really caught on up here, it is the most asked for by name tomato that I sell.

I have a couple of others that people are going to tweek over. The best I have is Bloody Butcher x Dester (pink) F4. It is amazing, it has a very complex taste and the fruit has a good shape. If I can retain what I have in subsequent generations I will kill it at the markets with this tomato. Very exciting indeed, I will grow 10 or less varieties next year, the experimenting is coming to an end.

Thanks for the report. I am growing the Mat-Su F9 seeds right now. I will send a bunch to someone like Marsha who does seed offers, so they can spread the joy. I have them pretty dialed in, more than 80 percent of 32 are on the early side, the rest are just a few days behind. I grew about 500 plants to get it it stable to my liking, so I hope they do well for all to enjoy.

[greenthumbomaha]

Originally Posted by AKmark

That sounds a lot better. Mat-Su Express has really caught on up here, it is the most asked for by name tomato that I sell.

I have a couple of others that people are going to tweek over. The best I have is Bloody Butcher x Dester (pink) F4. It is amazing, it has a very complex taste and the fruit has a good shape. If I can retain what I have in subsequent generations I will kill it at the markets with this tomato. Very exciting indeed, I will grow 10 or less varieties next year, the experimenting is coming to an end.

Thanks for the report. I am growing the Mat-Su F9 seeds right now. I will send a bunch to someone like Marsha who does seed offers, so they can spread the joy. I have them pretty dialed in, more than 80 percent of 32 are on the early side, the rest are just a few days behind. I grew about 500 plants to get it it stable to my liking, so I hope they do well for all to enjoy.

I was wondering how Mat Su performed in the heat. I had only one plant of an unspecified "F" generation and decided it should go in a container hidden from the HOA in a shrub bed. In that location it was protected from any potential calamity from squirrels, encroaching by other tomatoes, catching a disease from a neighboring plant, etc. The first tomato was to be a birthday gift to my neighbor that vacationed in Wasilla and met Mark and his wife last year.

Unfortunately, the plant met an unexpected end as it was LOADED with golf ball sized tomatoes. It had flowered early when we had a warm start to winter followed by an extended cool spring and I shook it as there were no bees yet. Later, a plumber that was trying to repair the backflow valve of the hose spigot got tangled up in the foliage and knocked the tall container over. Startled, he then stepped on the main stem. I tried resetting to no avail, too much foliage.

Looking forward to trying the new version Mat-Su Express next year. Thank you , Mark, for sharing your years of work with your audience here. It's keeping us upbeat despite all the growing challenges we are having with the weird weather this year.
- Lisa

[AKmark]

Here's a couple of pics of some outdoor determinate tomatoes. Some are in pots some straight in the dirt. They are getting fed the same tomato formula as the GH tomatoes, and get it twice a day. They like that stuff too. Some plants have more than 50 tomatoes set not counting the marbles.

[Barb_FL]

Thanks for posting those pictures of your outside tomatoes. Gives us more to aspire to. What kind of determinate tomato? and how does it taste?

BTW - I bought some Damsel seeds to grow this fall. Thanks for the recommendation.

[eyegrotom]

Hi Mark indoors or outdoors you sure know what you are doing. Mike

[efisakov]

Gorgeous fruits.

[KarenO]

phenomenal fruit set Mark. just awesome.
KarenO

[mobiledynamics]

OMG. Look at the fruit set . And look at them cheeks....perfect bottoms and tops.

I'm going to have to do MUCH more reading. Some look great, others have knarly bottoms and tops. Just had a nor-easter of a rain, and technically, it's as if it's rained for 10 days straight.

Mark's not going to tell us , but I think he lives under a glass bubble !

[righand]

Hello AKmark.....are you still running the Floranova @1350 ppm, at a 6.3 pH for the remainder of the season? cheers

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by righand

Hello AKmark.....are you still running the Floranova @1350 ppm, at a 6.3 pH for the remainder of the season? cheers

I have used it in the past, customers use it, but at 1500PPM on large plants. We have also found it is good to add 3ml of Cal-Mag to the mix.

I have also been pushing Hydro Gardens Hobby Blend. People seem to like it, good value for money spent.

I use 4-18-38, CaNO3, MgSO4, and KNO3 as recommended by HG for injectors. It is delivered by spray stakes or a hose.

pH is 6.2-6.5 on average.

[MissS]

Mark do you feed your outdoor plants the same way that you do for your indoor buckets? I am assuming that your outdoor plants are in ground.

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by MissS

Mark do you feed your outdoor plants the same way that you do for your indoor buckets? I am assuming that your outdoor plants are in ground.

They are fed the same. Some are in containers, some in the ground, both are loaded. The fruit quality looks to be very good, I hope we don't get a rainy spell, that could change it up a bit.