Joe's Pink Oxheart

[SharonRossy]

Redbaron talks about that in the Rutgers thread. Does JPO have the same tendency to have lots of growth but low production? No idea. I dont think I've ever seen a tomato plant with that much growth!

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by SharonRossy

Redbaron talks about that in the Rutgers thread. Does JPO have the same tendency to have lots of growth but low production? No idea. I dont think I've ever seen a tomato plant with that much growth!

I spoke to that indirectly in my post #5 above.

I do think the performance of this variety does depend on where it is being grown, geographically,the year it was grown as to weather and how the plants were grown, what amendments were used, if any, and if so which ones, how much and when.

So no I don't think there's any genetic tendency, per se, to suggest that it's a poor producer when indeed many get excellent production, as I can see when I read the listings for it in the SSE Yearbooks.

Carolyn

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Yak54

If you decide to grow it again next year you may want to cut back on the amount of nitrogen fertilizer you use. Perhaps you will get more fruit and less foilage that way. Just sayin, it might be worth a try.

+1

I have not used any supplemental fertilizers at all. I routinely amend my soil in the fall with leaves and homemade compost, etc. NO extra nitrogen. After 8 years my soil is pretty good for all my needs. I think it is time for me to stop experimenting and decide on my go to varieties.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by JoParrott

I have not used any supplemental fertilizers at all. I routinely amend my soil in the fall with leaves and homemade compost, etc. NO extra nitrogen. After 8 years my soil is pretty good for all my needs. I think it is time for me to stop experimenting and decide on my go to varieties.

That sounds like a plan to me since home made compost can be very high in nitrogen and if you continue to use it for some varieties it may cause the same problems That JPO has shown.

If you've used that same homemade compost, well I assume you keep adding to it so it's never quite the same from year to year, I'm surprised that in past years you haven't seen any varieties that are pretty much all foliage and small fruit production.

And soils, when growing inground or same with containers depending on the mix will stay in the vegetative stage without going into the sexual stage of blossom formation, fruit set and fruit maturation if too much N.

You probably know this already and if so I apologize for bringing it up again as I have in may threads not just this one,

Carolyn

[PaulF]

Finally getting around to commenting on Joe's Pink Oxheart production. It was a part of the tomato garden here in SE Nebraska 2012-13-14. The original seeds came from Carolyn Male (if you know who that person is). From my tomato journal:

2012: plant very tall and bushy; harvest 21 tomatoes with average size 9 ounces, largest fruit 20 ounces. sweet, juicy and solid with few seeds. saved seeds.

2013: plant tall (8-10 ft.)and on the skinny side but filled the cage. 22 tomatoes at 16 ounce average, largest at 32 ounces. extremely good and sweet, solid. working it's way into the favorite heart category. saved seeds.

2014: plant big and bushy, 19 fruits for 6 ounce average* 12 ounce largest tomato. flavor still the same as other years.

*this year's production matches production of all varieties; down about 50% from previous year both in number and size.

For me here in my garden Joe's is an exceptional heart. Although it is not in this year's garden it will be as often as possible.

Well, it has been proven to me that JPO can be a productive plant, so I will concede that it has to do with my soil or location, and will sacrifice it for some other varieties. My first year last year I only got 2, but they were SO good I tried it again. My tiny garden doesn't have much space for speculating, so I sadly give up. Thanks for everyone's input.

OK- here's an update- the plant is gone- I pulled it up- there were NO signs of a tomato. Now, if so many think it had too much nitrogen, what is suggested to correct the soil for next year? Is there an organic as opposed to chemical that would be helpful, and should I work it in this fall? I am open to all help- thanks

[Fred Hempel]

Although it looks like a sunny spot -- is it? Too much shade can really dampen fruit production.

Plenty of sun... Until about 1pm,then shade from the fence. I have 60feet of garden along the fence and have good crops every year.

[Fred Hempel]

You might have a mutant Joe's Oxheart. Occasionally we have plants that do not product fruit in our fields.

Thanks... I was beginning to doubt everything I thought I know about gardening!

[Fred Hempel]

Mutations occur more often than people realize.

Which is good. It's how we got here (evolutionarily speaking)

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Fred Hempel

You might have a mutant Joe's Oxheart. Occasionally we have plants that do not product fruit in our fields.

Correct.

I used to see them in my farmer's commercial fields, but that was a function of bad F1 seed and you could see them from quite a distance b/c they were bigger and more lush than the plants around them.

But I saw just ONE mutant with this variety,

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Limmony

I was trialing it for SSE and had three plants in a row, two were OK but the third never developed even blossoms. Where I come from we call these kinds of mutants mules.

I went back and looked at the first picture shown and it's in a somewhat shallow triangular raised bed. What's in that raised bed? Pure homemade compost or what?

And I ask b'c calling that plant a mule is OK, but in the back of my brain, the smaller part, I'm still thinking perhaps too much N.

Are all of your plants in short raised beds like that or are some inground, which might make a difference as well, and again I aske since youhad asked how to decrease the N in your soil in a post above.

Carolyn

[Gerardo]

My JPOs (2 plants) have set fruit on their first three clusters. Vigorous plant, tall, long legs.

Perhaps plant corn to chew up the nitrogen.

Sawdust could help too.