Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

BZZZZZ. Merry Early Christmas. Barb are you getting one too?

Ginny

Mine is an early birthday present from my daughter. I've been using it for about a week now.

[kayrobbins]

I am glad you got to open it early. It would have been such a waste to have to wait when all those tomato blooms are just waiting for your buzz. So now there are three of us that have these wonders. I still have to laugh when I went from thinking this was the silliest thing ever to being a total convert as soon as I started using it.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by kayrobbins

I am glad you got to open it early. It would have been such a waste to have to wait when all those tomato blooms are just waiting for your buzz. So now there are three of us that have these wonders. I still have to laugh when I went from thinking this was the silliest thing ever to being a total convert as soon as I started using it.

It's on the charger now. Just finished buzzing with my cheapo OralB. One other advantage I can think of right away is no bristles, so with smooth parts there is less chance of getting accidental cross polination.

[Barb_FL]

Marsha - it comes charged. Try it and report back.

Kay - aren't you surprised how dirty yellow the wand is after buzzing?

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Marsha - it comes charged. Try it and report back.

Kay - aren't you surprised how dirty yellow the wand is after buzzing?

For some reason mine wasn't charged, and I tried it first.
Has it been raining a lot by you today, Barb?

[kayrobbins]

I got the cheaper version that only has one speed and uses batteries but am very happy with it. The yellow on the wand was surprising at first. I keep those little alcohol wipes like Drs offices use with my gardening stuff and wipe it down after use. I am trying so hard to make myself do that with all my pruning tools too so I don't spread anything when I cut off bad looking leaves.

[kurt]

I saw the sales presentation video,does anyone use the collection spoon?If not is it worth the while to save pollen for later experimenting(freezing?) and or even use in con★★★★★★★★ with the sticky traps as a lure?Maybe include the pollen in seed exchanges if it stays viable.

http://www.actahort.org/books/908/908_33.htm

[kayrobbins]

I don't use the spoon because all I want to do is have the pollen released enough to create the tomato. I guess using it the way it is shown would be added insurance that it got pollinated but from what is happen on my plants that is just not needed. If I were wanting to do my own crosses the spoon would be very useful.

[kunosoura]

Greetings Florida tomato experts -

I am looking to conduct an experiment this spring using a custom-blended complete hydroponic-style nutrient liquid (a la the highly-esteemed FloraNova Bloom, but more in line with the UF-recommended nutrient concentrations) that would be constantly fed through my SWCs.

This phase of the experiment would address the optimal total concentrations of nutrients delievered. Once I work that out then I may start to play with nutrient ratios in future work.

Anyway, for now I need to select a good tomato variety for conducting this experiment. I would need to start a plant, then clone it 3-4 times using cuttings so that I have genetically-identical plants with which to work. I would like to select an OP indeterminant that typically produces fruits in the 12 oz + range. Naturally I would love for them to taste great. Since this experiment will likely stretch into the end of spring/early summer, I would like something that tends to tolerate warmer conditions with respect to fruit set.

Do you all have any recommendations on what variety I should grow? I should have planted seeds for this a good 4-6 weeks ago in order to have sufficient time to sprout, grow, clone, grow, set out and grow, so I need to select a variety and get it going ASAP.

Thanks for your help!

[kurt]

Tasti Lee,BHN Seeds,and the Garden Gem(UNFlorida)Garden Treasure(UN Florida) varietys are all Florida bred and tested.I grow the BHN maters everyyear(Johnnys Selected).These might be a good start.Canadian sourced Kumatos(store bought) work well and are sweet,medium sized and last a long time after picking.

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by kunosoura

Greetings Florida tomato experts -

I am looking to conduct an experiment this spring using a custom-blended complete hydroponic-style nutrient liquid (a la the highly-esteemed FloraNova Bloom, but more in line with the UF-recommended nutrient concentrations) that would be constantly fed through my SWCs.

This phase of the experiment would address the optimal total concentrations of nutrients delievered. Once I work that out then I may start to play with nutrient ratios in future work.

Anyway, for now I need to select a good tomato variety for conducting this experiment. I would need to start a plant, then clone it 3-4 times using cuttings so that I have genetically-identical plants with which to work. I would like to select an OP indeterminant that typically produces fruits in the 12 oz + range. Naturally I would love for them to taste great. Since this experiment will likely stretch into the end of spring/early summer, I would like something that tends to tolerate warmer conditions with respect to fruit set.

Do you all have any recommendations on what variety I should grow? I should have planted seeds for this a good 4-6 weeks ago in order to have sufficient time to sprout, grow, clone, grow, set out and grow, so I need to select a variety and get it going ASAP.

Thanks for your help!

I'm certainly not an expert by any stretch but I am always doing experiments including cloning (testing different media)

You are only growing dwarfs right now, correct?

Since you are behind schedule anyway, have you just considered going to Lowes and buy a plant to cut up? The last time I was there they had several OP/heirlooms.

Why does it have to be OP? The best clone I recently created that meets your size criteria is Big Beef (hybrid), NAR (Neves Azorean Red), PBTD.

I didn't get good clones from Garden Gem or Garden Treasure. Both rooted fine; maybe I put them in the sun too soon, but neither did well in the sun.

My Garden Gem is definitely acting determinate and doesn't meet your size criteria.

I will check on the other clones tomorrow (in daylight).

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

For some reason mine wasn't charged, and I tried it first.
Has it been raining a lot by you today, Barb?

No rain today; beautiful day-really windy now though. Weather finally feels a little cooler. Only 1 day of rain in the last 4 weeks.

Originally Posted by Kurt

I saw the sales presentation video,does anyone use the collection spoon?If not is it worth the while to save pollen for later experimenting(freezing?) and or even use in con★★★★★★★★ with the sticky traps as a lure?Maybe include the pollen in seed exchanges if it stays viable.

I don't use the spoon to collect pollen but sometimes use it under the flower because aphids sometimes come out of the flower when I'm buzzing and they go on the spoon if it is there (easier to crush).

[Kay, Ginny, Marsha]

How do you buzz the big fat thick flowers they are upright or parallel (not facing down)?

What % of open flowers do you think produces a tomato?

I don't think I got one tomato from the first cluster of ANY plant. The flower never dropped; still there unless I cut if off,

[Barb_FL]

I forgot to mention, I ate my first Garden Gem tomato today.

I picked 2 yesterday (just in case squirrels got them first).

I was surprised how good they tasted. I'm going to update the GG thread with a picture.

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by kunosoura

Greetings Florida tomato experts -

I am looking to conduct an experiment this spring using a custom-blended complete hydroponic-style nutrient liquid (a la the highly-esteemed FloraNova Bloom, but more in line with the UF-recommended nutrient concentrations) that would be constantly fed through my SWCs.

This phase of the experiment would address the optimal total concentrations of nutrients delievered. Once I work that out then I may start to play with nutrient ratios in future work.

Anyway, for now I need to select a good tomato variety for conducting this experiment. I would need to start a plant, then clone it 3-4 times using cuttings so that I have genetically-identical plants with which to work. I would like to select an OP indeterminant that typically produces fruits in the 12 oz + range. Naturally I would love for them to taste great. Since this experiment will likely stretch into the end of spring/early summer, I would like something that tends to tolerate warmer conditions with respect to fruit set.

Do you all have any recommendations on what variety I should grow? I should have planted seeds for this a good 4-6 weeks ago in order to have sufficient time to sprout, grow, clone, grow, set out and grow, so I need to select a variety and get it going ASAP.

Thanks for your help!

While I am familiar with a number of F1 varieties that seem to meet you requirements, such as Big Beef and Parks Whopper, I am not familiar with many OPs. I grew Mortgage Lifter and it was fairly productive and certainly tasted good but it is said to be a bit larger than 12 oz. Given my limeted experience I would say Mortgage Lifter.
Good Luck, Larry

[kayrobbins]

Kunosoura, the hardest part of picking a tomato that meets your specifications is the size. Tomatoes in the 12+ ounce size seem to have more trouble with our heat and humidity than smaller tomatoes.

If you were willing to settle for one in the 8 ounce range I would recommend Arkansas Traveler. That plant is such a workhorse that does not mind our climate and is usually the first and last tomato on my plants that full size tomatoes. Black from Tula has done well for me but not as bullet proof as AT. Sweet Scarlet dwarf produced 8-10 ounce tomatoes and stood up to the heat and humidity too.