Pics of my 2013 Gardening Season in NJ.

[efisakov]

Great job!

[Alfredo]

Good Morning Tomatovillians, some more pics:

IMG_1269.jpg Dwarf Sweet Sue tomato plant.

IMG_1270.jpg Cut flower arrangement.

IMG_1271.jpg Canadian heirloom Sophie's Choice tomato plant toward the right foreground, Rosita Eggplant in the background.

IMG_1272.jpg Canadian heirloom Sophie's Choice tomato.

IMG_1273.jpg White Zinnia.

IMG_1274.jpg Heirloom Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory.

IMG_1275.jpg French Heirloom Jaune Flamme growing with Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories.

IMG_1276.jpg Double Knock-Out Rose.

IMG_1277.jpg Double Knock-Out Rose.

IMG_1278.jpg Double Knock-Out Rose.

IMG_1279.jpg One of my Lemon plants grown from seed.

IMG_1280.jpg Yes...this is what I actually water the entire garden with. I see it as some light exercise every morning ok .

IMG_1282.jpg Back patio/bistro table area overlooking the raised garden bed.

IMG_1283.jpg "California Dreamin" Rose.

IMG_1285.jpg Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories.

IMG_1286.jpg Grandpa Ott's Morning Glories.

IMG_1287.jpg Dwarf Sweet Sue tomatoes.

IMG_1288.jpg Dwarf Sweet Sue tomato. Love how this tomato looks. I'm thinking about including several of these plants in a "Moon Garden" for next season.

IMG_1289.jpg Scarlet O'Hara Morning Glory in the windowbox.

IMG_1290.jpg Canadian heirloom Sophie's Choice tomato.

IMG_1291.jpg San Marzano Redorta tomatoes.

[efisakov]

How good is the taste of Sweet Sue?

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by efisakov

How good is the taste of Sweet Sue?

Hey Ella,

It has a pretty good lightly sweetened taste to it. Better flavored than a "Great White" tomato in my opinion. The tomatoes have been averaging 10-14 ounces and the plant shows no sign of any diseases. Dwarf Sweet Sue has been the tallest of the dwarf varieties i've grown (the others being Dwarf Rosella Purple, Dwarf Wild Fred and the heirloom New Big Dwarf) but it's still easy to give support to in comparison to some of the larger growing heirloom indeterminates. Will grow it again for sure next year.

[NarnianGarden]

How large did your Sophie's Choice grow? I thought it's a very small (even dwarf) variety.
I'm planning to sow it next year, as I'll try several container-specific varieties alongside with the larger types..

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

How large did your Sophie's Choice grow? I thought it's a very small (even dwarf) variety.
I'm planning to sow it next year, as I'll try several container-specific varieties alongside with the larger types..

Hey NarnianGarden,

It is a pretty small tomato plant, much smaller than any of the dwarf varieties that I've grown (i.e. Sophie's Choice grows smaller than Dwarf Rosella Purple, Dwarf Wild Fred, Dwarf Sweet Sue and the Heirloom New Big Dwarf) . The four Sophie's Choice tomato plants I grew this season all grew less than 2 ft. You don't have to necessarily stake them, though a few of the bigger fruit will weigh down the stems to the ground.

So depends on you really if you want to give them some added support using a short stake/bamboo/cage. Sophie's Choice does really well in a container...and three out of the four plants I have are still growing/pumping out tomatoes (one was pulled out, but it was an area of the garden that doesn't get as much light as other parts do).

Since you mentioned container-specific varieties, I would highly recommend/suggest trying out the Heirloom New Big Dwarf , or from the Dwarf Tomato Project...Dwarf Rosella Purple and/or Dwarf Sweet Sue. All three grow very well in containers, and they produce some good sized tomatoes.

[Alfredo]

And some more pics...

IMG_1292.jpg Dwarf Sweet Sue tomato.

IMG_1293.jpg Dwarf Sweet Sue tomato, this one weighing 14 1/4 ounces.

IMG_1294.jpg Dwarf Sweet Sue tomatoes.

IMG_1297.jpg One of my favorites for roasting, San Marzano Redorta tomato.

IMG_1298.jpg Some saved seed from a Kosovo tomato.

IMG_1299.jpg Bistro area in the back porch.

IMG_1300.jpg One of the Guatemalan Blue Banana Squash.

IMG_1301.jpg Rosita Eggplants.

IMG_1302.jpg Wildflower garden/vegetable garden area.

IMG_1303.jpg Royalty Purple Pod Bush Bean flowers.

IMG_1304.jpg

IMG_1305.jpg Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans.

IMG_1306.jpg Aha! Found a slug feasting on one of my hosta plants during my routine garden walk-through earlier this morning. Guilty as charged!...Although I found his shell quite pretty/ornamental I disposed of him pretty quickly...Exiled to the neighbor's garden who sprays insecticides/herbicides/weedkillers! Good luck in that barren wasteland .

IMG_1307.jpg Then I found that #1 villian in any tomato garden, one who has eluded capture for many a season, the dreaded "Tomato HornWorm!" (insert dramatic background music here) DUN DUN DUNNNNN.
Caught "casually lingering" right next to a still developing San Marzano Redorta tomato.

IMG_1308.jpg Heirloom Pruden's Purple tomatoes.

IMG_1309.jpg My daily early morning garden walk-through.

IMG_1311.jpg What say yee Mr.Tomato HornWorm? Guilty of trying to attack my tomatoes? Exiled to the bottle heading toward the local recycling center!

IMG_1312.jpg Tomato HornWorm.

IMG_1313.jpg Kentucky Wonder Pole beans.

IMG_1314.jpg "California Dreamin" Rose.

[efisakov]

Now, keep in mind those butterflies do not lay one egg. Take few more walks about, look for stems with missing leafs. As they get bigger, they eat fruits as well.

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by efisakov

Now, keep in mind those butterflies do not lay one egg. Take few more walks about, look for stems with missing leafs. As they get bigger, they eat fruits as well.

Hey Ella I actually found two more tomato hormworms. I'm on a lookout for them now.

[Alfredo]

Some more pics:

IMG_1315.jpg Dwarf Sweet Sue tomato.

IMG_1325.jpg French Heirloom Jaune Flamme tomatoes.

IMG_1329.jpg Royalty Purple Pod Bush Beans, Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans and Jaune Flamme tomatoes.

IMG_1330.jpg Dwarf Sweet Sue tomato.

IMG_1332.jpg Jaune Flamme, Dwarf Sweet Sue, Sophie's Choice, San Marzano Redorta tomatoes.

IMG_1333.jpg Heirloom Pruden's Purple tomato still ripening on the vine.

IMG_1335.jpg Heirloom Pruden's Purple tomato.

IMG_1336.jpg Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory.

IMG_1337.jpg Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory.

IMG_1341.jpg Hosta flowering.

IMG_1342.jpg Hosta flowering.

IMG_1404.jpg Rosita Eggplant.

IMG_1405.jpg Rosita Eggplant.

[ginger2778]

Alfredo, those 2 pictures of the Jaune Flamee, and the morning glory with the light and shadows are magical. I also love how you arranged the colors and shapes of the beans and Jaune Flamme in that basket photo.
Its really art.
I am really enjoying this thread.

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Alfredo, those 2 pictures of the Jaune Flamee, and the morning glory with the light and shadows are magical. I also love how you arranged the colors and shapes of the beans and Jaune Flamme in that basket photo.
Its really art.
I am really enjoying this thread.

Thanks Marsha .
Glad you're enjoying the photos of my growing season. I hope it's not too many photos.

How's your garden doing? What varieties are you growing this year? Have any favorites?

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Alfredo

Thanks Marsha .
Glad you're enjoying the photos of my growing season. I hope it's not too many photos.

How's your garden doing? What varieties are you growing this year? Have any favorites?

Well, i have a 72 variety grow list, so its long to post. Just sowed all my seeds Sat and Sunday for a plant out mid August. So I am just officially kicking off. My standouts last season were KBX, Captain Lucky, Sungold F1, Indian Stripe X Possibly Daniels, Opal's Homestead, Cherokee Purple, (which the rats liked best!), Black Cherry, and from traded seed, supposed to be Lucky Cross, but ended up solid pink. I saved the seed and will be growing 2 of those, they were scrumptious and very productive.
In my garden, Dester ended up being not so special.
Thanks for asking, Alfredo.

Marsha

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Well, i have a 72 variety grow list, so its long to post. Just sowed all my seeds Sat and Sunday for a plant out mid August. So I am just officially kicking off. My standouts last season were KBX, Captain Lucky, Sungold F1, Indian Stripe X Possibly Daniels, Opal's Homestead, Cherokee Purple, (which the rats liked best!), Black Cherry, and from traded seed, supposed to be Lucky Cross, but ended up solid pink. I saved the seed and will be growing 2 of those, they were scrumptious and very productive.
In my garden, Dester ended up being not so special.
Thanks for asking, Alfredo.

Marsha

Hey Marsha,

Oh wow 72 varieties?! That's big! Very nice.
You're in Florida so you can grow year round right? How do you break up your seasons then? You said you just started your season so I'm just curious how you break the year to year growing season up. I'm used to only growing from spring through summer into fall, then the garden goes dormant for winter...and that feels too long sometimes to wait to garden again.

I'm going to grow out Black Cherry next year, so I'm glad to hear that it was a standout for you already. Looking forward to trying it out. I already have my seeds that came in the mail the other day ( I started ordering all my seeds for next year earlier this time around).

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Alfredo

Hey Marsha,

Oh wow 72 varieties?! That's big! Very nice.
You're in Florida so you can grow year round right? How do you break up your seasons then? You said you just started your season so I'm just curious how you break the year to year growing season up. I'm used to only growing from spring through summer into fall, then the garden goes dormant for winter...and that feels too long sometimes to wait to garden again.

I'm going to grow out Black Cherry next year, so I'm glad to hear that it was a standout for you already. Looking forward to trying it out. I already have my seeds that came in the mail the other day ( I started ordering all my seeds for next year earlier this time around).

Hi, yes Alfredo, we can grow all year here in south Florida, but almost nothing will set fruit except maybe okra, in the summer. Our overnight temps don't go below 70 F until about mid october, and by about mid April they rise above the 70 degree mark again. Of course most tomatoes and other nightshades wont set fruit if the overnight temps are not cool enough, maybe except the heatset varieties(yuck!), so it pretty much leaves summer out.
So now after all that longwindedness from me, heres what I do, I start seed in late August for a mid or late October plantout into my Earthboxes ( too many Root Knot Nematodes for the ground).
I start a second round of seed in early December for a plant out in January so that gives me tomatoes usually from December until early July. I predict you will love Black Cherry.
This season I am really excited about trying Neves Azorean Red, Dixiewine, Cherokee Lemon, and Cherokee Lime Stripes, Brandywine from Croatia, Brandywine Cowlicks,
Liz Birt, and Black Krim, all new for me.
I can't wait, i keep checking my seeds like every hour!

Marsha