Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2

[Barb_FL]

Marsha / anyone - need your opinion and advice.

I grow tomatoes in EB and Root Pouches. I have 14 EB and this spring only used 8 for tomatoes; mainly because I have been doing better with the Root Pouches.

Most of my tomato EB are on my pool deck and I first thought that they were too crowded / some not getting enough sun but now there are 7 spread out so sun was not the issue.

It seems I'm really good up through First Fruit, then production dwindles significantly even though flowering is good/decent. I get this a lot:

Ginny posted a pic of her PBTD flowering; At the time I looked at mine, and the flowering was similar. I think my plants were more mature than hers, I already had ripe fruit. But on my plants, instead of 8 tomatoes develop, I would have been lucky getting one.

To be continued - want to comment after picture and don't know how within same post.

[Barb_FL]

RE: the pictures - is that a result of
1. not enough food to set fruit,
2. aphids,
3. Suck bugs

anything else?

Flowering occurred awhile back, so heat would not have been an issue.

It's too late for this season, but want to correct for fall season.

Thanks,
Barb

[ginger2778]

Same happens to me sometimes Barb. Wish I knew.

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

RE: the pictures - is that a result of
1. not enough food to set fruit,
2. aphids,
3. Suck bugs
anything else?
Flowering occurred awhile back, so heat would not have been an issue.
It's too late for this season, but want to correct for fall season.
Thanks,
Barb

Barb,
I don't mean this as advice because you are a much more knowledgeable tomato grower than I am. My approach is a constant search for varieties which will stand the difficulties of growing in my environment. Last fall except for Champion II almost every variety I grew was a failure but this spring I have found some that work for me. I've been looking for a large round tomato to grow for freezing. After growing many I stumbled on Jetsetter and First Prize both which are producing lots of big round red tomatoes. I hope to be able to pick one over the other. First Prize may taste a bit better. For an eating tomato I found very productive and very tasty Tomande. Fourth of July especially in a raised bed is a real horse of a tomato.
I have frozen 29 pints of tomatoes and I hope to get over 50 by season end.
Larry

[Fiishergurl]

Originally Posted by Allisa

Amazing pics!!! I've never seen antho hearts. Could you tell, please, where you've got the seeds of Sgt Peppers? I'm in love with heart shaped tomatoes. How do they taste?

Hi Allisa,

Its a beautiful and tasty tomato. It is for sale at Mariseeds...

https://www.mariannasheirloomseeds.c...16-detail.html

I got my seeds from someone participating in the growout of it that had permission to share them, but I dont know if I am allowed to share them but I will check.

Ginny

[Fiishergurl]

Barb,

I have that problem too. My plants will produce a ton of tomatoes early on and then at some point the blossoms dont set as well and then eventally the blossoms dont mature all the way and die before they even bloom. I think this is one of three things....

1. Imbalance of nutrients (this is what i really think is the issue)

2. Disease pressure

3. Too many stems, leaves and tomatoes on the plant so it doesnt have the ability to make any more. But I think if we could get #1 figured out and #2 under control then we would have more tomatoes. I have noticed when I stagger my plant outs, the first ones planted will eventually start to have blossoms like the ones you pictured and the ones planted out a month later will still have plenty of blossoms setting fruit, so I agree it's not the weather. I think the main issue is the nutrient imbalance and i think it builds with time and impacts the plant more with time, but when I try to read about all that stuff to figure out what we need to do differently my head starts to spin... :-)

But you are not alone. I just work to get as many set as possible early on.


Ginny

[Fiishergurl]

Originally Posted by Zone9b

Barb,
I don't mean this as advice because you are a much more knowledgeable tomato grower than I am. My approach is a constant search for varieties which will stand the difficulties of growing in my environment. Last fall except for Champion II almost every variety I grew was a failure but this spring I have found some that work for me. I've been looking for a large round tomato to grow for freezing. After growing many I stumbled on Jetsetter and First Prize both which are producing lots of big round red tomatoes. I hope to be able to pick one over the other. First Prize may taste a bit better. For an eating tomato I found very productive and very tasty Tomande. Fourth of July especially in a raised bed is a real horse of a tomato.
I have frozen 29 pints of tomatoes and I hope to get over 50 by season end.
Larry

Larry,

That is awesome! Are you growinh some of those in raised beds? I cant remember.

Ginny

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

Hi Allisa,

Its a beautiful and tasty tomato. It is for sale at Mariseeds...

https://www.mariannasheirloomseeds.c...16-detail.html

I got my seeds from someone participating in the growout of it that had permission to share them, but I dont know if I am allowed to share them but I will check.

Ginny

That is a gorgeous portrait of Sgt. Peppers. I grew one this season but no antho, and if no antho, then it's not Sgt. Peppers. It wasn't anything special in taste either. Our friend the seed enableress at another forum sent me some with confirmed antho, so I am going to try again. I didn't know it was unstable and that I had to select for it. I now have F6 seeds.

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

That is a gorgeous portrait of Sgt. Peppers. I grew one this season but no antho, and if no antho, then it's not Sgt. Peppers. It wasn't anything special in taste either. Our friend the seed enableress at another forum sent me some with confirmed antho, so I am going to try again. I didn't know it was unstable and that I had to select for it. I now have F6 seeds.

Marsha,
I wish I could do a LIKE here, because I like what you said and I certainly like Ginny's picture of her beautiful tomato.
Larry

[Allisa]

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

Hi Allisa,

Its a beautiful and tasty tomato. It is for sale at Mariseeds...

I got my seeds from someone participating in the growout of it that had permission to share them, but I dont know if I am allowed to share them but I will check.

Ginny

This picture even more astonishing! Thanks for your reply.

[Barb_FL]

Ginny - it is a beautiful tomato.

All - Thank you so much for your comments. It really helps. Marsha / Ginny - if you have it, then we're doomed.

Larry, you are so right about growing plants that do well in our environment.

My first year, bought 2-3 packs of seeds at Lowes/HD. I counted 1000 tomatoes at one time.
My 2nd season, found ParkSeed, read the descriptions, planted tons of Brandywines and others. Beyond Horrible!
My 3rd season, Found Everwilde.com; read the descriptions - bought all that were for hot/humid climates. Did great
My 4th season until now - deviated

Ginny - I also think it is a nutrition problem. Comparing to peppers,
once you have a mature pepper plant, you feed it the same when it is first mature and when it is a year old. I have plants that lost ALL their leaves (too wet, snails, ?) and come back strong with lots of large peppers.

For nutrition, doesn't it seem the directions are for either hydroponics or for in-ground planting?

I just don't have the fungal issues you guys have. Sometimes I do get a heavy rain, but a lot of time it stops in Melbourne. I think I make up for it with bug issues.

Larry - I'm growing 4th of July also; I agree a work horse and great hanging time. I give most/all of them away. What are you doing with your pints? Are they frozen whole?

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

Barb,

I have that problem too. My plants will produce a ton of tomatoes early on and then at some point the blossoms dont set as well and then eventally the blossoms dont mature all the way and die before they even bloom. I think this is one of three things....

1. Imbalance of nutrients (this is what i really think is the issue)

2. Disease pressure

3. Too many stems, leaves and tomatoes on the plant so it doesnt have the ability to make any more. But I think if we could get #1 figured out and #2 under control then we would have more tomatoes. I have noticed when I stagger my plant outs, the first ones planted will eventually start to have blossoms like the ones you pictured and the ones planted out a month later will still have plenty of blossoms setting fruit, so I agree it's not the weather. I think the main issue is the nutrient imbalance and i think it builds with time and impacts the plant more with time, but when I try to read about all that stuff to figure out what we need to do differently my head starts to spin... :-)

But you are not alone. I just work to get as many set as possible early on.


Ginny

So well said! Too late this season, but my goal is to figure it out.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Ginny - it is a beautiful tomato.

All - Thank you so much for your comments. It really helps. Marsha / Ginny - if you have it, then we're doomed.

Larry, you are so right about growing plants that do well in our environment.

My first year, bought 2-3 packs of seeds at Lowes/HD. I counted 1000 tomatoes at one time.
My 2nd season, found ParkSeed, read the descriptions, planted tons of Brandywines and others. Beyond Horrible!
My 3rd season, Found Everwilde.com; read the descriptions - bought all that were for hot/humid climates. Did great
My 4th season until now - deviated

Ginny - I also think it is a nutrition problem. Comparing to peppers,
once you have a mature pepper plant, you feed it the same when it is first mature and when it is a year old. I have plants that lost ALL their leaves (too wet, snails, ?) and come back strong with lots of large peppers.

For nutrition, doesn't it seem the directions are for either hydroponics or for in-ground planting?

I just don't have the fungal issues you guys have. Sometimes I do get a heavy rain, but a lot of time it stops in Melbourne. I think I make up for it with bug issues.

Larry - I'm growing 4th of July also; I agree a work horse and great hanging time. I give most/all of them away. What are you doing with your pints? Are they frozen whole?

Barb_ you made me laugh, and you give me far too much credit. If it can happen in my garden, it will!!!

I think we should have a few listings from all of us as to what had the most fruit set along with excellent taste this season.
Iraqi heart med large sweet pink meaty hearts with wispy foliage. Kept cranking them out.
Dana's Dusky Rose- seeds were from Dana herself. I know I got around 25 medium 6-8 oz sweet luscious fruit. For me that is a lot.
Bear Creek- after it cooled down this plant went into high gear. I had one truss with 8 fruit, opne with 6 and 4 with 3-4 fruit all at the same time. Most every blossom set fruit.
Cherokee Lime- very productive, and my favorite GWR, in my garden last 3 years, coming back in August. So doggone sweet.
Little Lucky- 3rd year in a row, about 20-25 4-5 oz fruit total.
Wild Thyme pink- outstanding production and flavor.
Rebel Yell, surprisingly, was kind of a dud this year.

[ginger2778]

Barb, do you see any bugs? I dont, but when I expand the pictures of blossoms it goes blurry.

[Barb_FL]

Marsha - that brings it in perspective. Thank you!!!!!

Actually, I am inundated with tomatoes, probably my best season since leaving Burpee.

I look at my plants and think "WHICH ONE WILL BE THE LAST ONE STANDING / Producing?"

Will be back with my list soon.