DFW, TX area people, how's everything growing? - Page 3

Mallori · May 27, 2015

At least my rain buckets are full. Maybe I will get to use that water someday.

AlittleSalt · June 2, 2015

It has been very nice with the sun out the past couple days. Temperatures are still below 90 degrees for highs. Local DFW Channel 8 (ABC) weather is still saying it is going to be a cooler than usual summer here. A lot of tomatoes keep producing up to 95F. Shading during the right time of day and ground cover/mulch/leaves/etc. can fool the tomatoes into continued production even though temps are actually in the upper 90s.

There's another thought about planting heat resistant tomatoes like these that I am trying this year:

Bradley - OP
Celebrity - Hybrid F1
Costoluto Genovese - OP
Indian Stripe - OP
Porter - OP
Porter's Pride - OP
Sioux - OP

There are so many other OPs. I no longer call tomatoes heirloom until I can get an absolute definition of exactly what heirloom means.

There are also some very good sounding heat resistant hybrids out there that catch my attention. A small list from one catalog (Tomato Growers):

Bella Rosa
Big Beef
Phoenix
Mariana
Sweet Chelsea
Sweet Million
Solid Gold

I think we can extend our spring/summer season this year in Texas. With mulching, shading at the right times, feeding/fertilizing, and water regularly.

This kind of summer happened back in 1983, if it repeats, winter will be really cold this year. 1980 was record setting heat like the summer we had in 2011. It was followed by record setting cold in winter of 1983. Are you ready?

Dewayne mater · June 2, 2015

I remember all those. 1983 sticks out for the cold winter because I remember decent sized ponds freezing completely over with decently thick ice (200 x500 yards type ponds) something I've never seen here before or since.

I hope the forecast is right because the summer slow down of tomatoes typically comes at the time the body is really weary of constant heat, daily over 100, nightly over 80 for weeks or even months on end.

If we get that type of unusually not crazy hot year, I wonder if it's better to try to nurse through spring plants or still treat things as 2 season in the usual way?

Dewayne mater

AlittleSalt · June 2, 2015

Dewayne, I'm wondering the same thing. I planted 36 tomato cells yesterday for the fall garden.

In 1983, I was 18. Our pond froze over 5 inches thick. I took an old ax (That I still have) and cut out blocks of ice and made a 4' tall wall sitting on the pond. Being that I was a mason, the wall was bonded - it looked really nice.

Fiishergurl · June 2, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Dewayne, I'm wondering the same thing. I planted 36 tomato cells yesterday for the fall garden.

In 1983, I was 18. Our pond froze over 5 inches thick. I took an old ax (That I still have) and cut out blocks of ice and made a 4' tall wall sitting on the pond. Being that I was a mason, the wall was bonded - it looked really nice.

What did you plant?

Ginny

AlittleSalt · June 2, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

What did you plant?

Ginny

What I planted in cells yesterday:

3 cells of each. Most were planted with two seeds per cell.

Carbon Copy
Coyote
Jaune Flammee
Kimberley
Mischka
Moravsky Div
Piennolo Del Vesuvio
Pink Bertoua
Rose Quartz
Rumi Banjan
Siberian
Sugar Drop

Things I started on May 5:

Pink Champagne (3 plants)
Porter (3 plants) Thrives well in Texas.
&
A mixture of seeds I got from a Tomatoville member that are either Red Brandywine or Red Oxheart (12 plants) Two of those plants are PL. Although neither Red Oxheart nor Red Brandywine are supposed to be PL.

Part of why I chose the varieties for the fall garden is earlier DTM.
I also think the shapes and colors will look very nice for fall decorations.

Edit: I forgot to add that I am fermenting Sungold and Juliet. I want to see what an F2 is like.

OzoneNY · June 3, 2015

Where did you get your porter seed from?

AlittleSalt · June 3, 2015

A mom and pop shop in Cleburne, Texas. All the seeds I saved last year came from 1 volunteer that grew about 200' from our garden.

Fiishergurl · June 3, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

What I planted in cells yesterday:

3 cells of each. Most were planted with two seeds per cell.

Carbon Copy
Coyote
Jaune Flammee
Kimberley
Mischka
Moravsky Div
Piennolo Del Vesuvio
Pink Bertoua
Rose Quartz
Rumi Banjan
Siberian
Sugar Drop

Things I started on May 5:

Pink Champagne (3 plants)
Porter (3 plants) Thrives well in Texas.
&
A mixture of seeds I got from a Tomatoville member that are either Red Brandywine or Red Oxheart (12 plants) Two of those plants are PL. Although neither Red Oxheart nor Red Brandywine are supposed to be PL.

Part of why I chose the varieties for the fall garden is earlier DTM.
I also think the shapes and colors will look very nice for fall decorations.

Edit: I forgot to add that I am fermenting Sungold and Juliet. I want to see what an F2 is like.

Looks like a nice group of plants. Curious to see which you prefer between Kimberley, Juane Flammee and Morasky Div. I grew Juane Flammee and it was extremely productive and early in my garden. Wasn't my favorite for taste but not bad and it was great in sauces. I really love that plant for earliness and productivity and decent taste (way better than grocery store). Plenty to share too.

Ginny

hornstrider · June 4, 2015

I am south of DFW in Hutto, TX. It has been a very unusual year for sure, with all of the rain, and cool temps. Until last Sunday I hd not watered my plants for three weeks. I feared the worst for my plants w/ all of the rain, but the plants have done wonderfully. Very few splits, and the leaves have held up really well. The only problem was the first fruits picked were somewhat watery tasting, but w/ the recent sunshine the taste has improved. The tomato's are huge..... I planted: Cherokee Purple, Indian Stripe, Carbon, Dester, Amish Paste, JD's Special Tex, Earl's Faux, Arkansas Traveler, Prudens Purple, and Rowdy Red

Mallori · June 4, 2015

Wow hornstrider, I am very jealous of your bounty! I have several green maters on my plants, but nothing feels like turning right now. Sad!

Mallori · June 4, 2015

Oh- what are you marking them with? Sharpie? Something food friendly?

hornstrider · June 4, 2015

Sharpie pen......bold. I usually cut the tops (core them) so I don't eat the pen id mark. Thanks for the kind works. I have another counter about as full not pictured. It has been a great year so far.........

OzoneNY · June 4, 2015

I thought to start another thread, but then on second thought I decided to just ask here. DFW area, what is your preferred cherry tomato for this part of the world?

AlittleSalt · June 4, 2015

Large Red Cherry is recommended by a lot of online sources to grow in Texas.

I'm in the process of finding out what our favorite cherry tomatoes are.

June 2, 2015	#32
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	It has been very nice with the sun out the past couple days. Temperatures are still below 90 degrees for highs. Local DFW Channel 8 (ABC) weather is still saying it is going to be a cooler than usual summer here. A lot of tomatoes keep producing up to 95F. Shading during the right time of day and ground cover/mulch/leaves/etc. can fool the tomatoes into continued production even though temps are actually in the upper 90s. There's another thought about planting heat resistant tomatoes like these that I am trying this year: Bradley - OP Celebrity - Hybrid F1 Costoluto Genovese - OP Indian Stripe - OP Porter - OP Porter's Pride - OP Sioux - OP There are so many other OPs. I no longer call tomatoes heirloom until I can get an absolute definition of exactly what heirloom means. There are also some very good sounding heat resistant hybrids out there that catch my attention. A small list from one catalog (Tomato Growers): Bella Rosa Big Beef Phoenix Mariana Sweet Chelsea Sweet Million Solid Gold I think we can extend our spring/summer season this year in Texas. With mulching, shading at the right times, feeding/fertilizing, and water regularly. This kind of summer happened back in 1983, if it repeats, winter will be really cold this year. 1980 was record setting heat like the summer we had in 2011. It was followed by record setting cold in winter of 1983. Are you ready? Last edited by AlittleSalt; June 2, 2015 at 01:10 AM. Reason: wrong season

May 27, 2015	#31
Mallori Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: DFW, TX Posts: 28	At least my rain buckets are full. Maybe I will get to use that water someday.

June 2, 2015	#33
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	I remember all those. 1983 sticks out for the cold winter because I remember decent sized ponds freezing completely over with decently thick ice (200 x500 yards type ponds) something I've never seen here before or since. I hope the forecast is right because the summer slow down of tomatoes typically comes at the time the body is really weary of constant heat, daily over 100, nightly over 80 for weeks or even months on end. If we get that type of unusually not crazy hot year, I wonder if it's better to try to nurse through spring plants or still treat things as 2 season in the usual way? Dewayne mater

June 3, 2015	#37
OzoneNY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Frisco Texas Posts: 390	Where did you get your porter seed from?

June 4, 2015	#41
Mallori Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: DFW, TX Posts: 28	Wow hornstrider, I am very jealous of your bounty! I have several green maters on my plants, but nothing feels like turning right now. Sad!

June 4, 2015	#43
hornstrider Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hutto, Texas Posts: 230	Sharpie pen......bold. I usually cut the tops (core them) so I don't eat the pen id mark. Thanks for the kind works. I have another counter about as full not pictured. It has been a great year so far.........