James282
Cool Member
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:00 pm
Location: New Jersey

How is the taste of patio? I am tempted to get one because aesthetically the idea of tomatoes on the porch seems nice...but it seems like a variety bred to live on a patio might sacrifice taste. any ideas?

polydactyly
Full Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu May 07, 2009 10:19 pm
Location: Austin, Texas

I will be sure to let you know. I just got it a week ago, but it already has lil' guys on it, so I think it's doin' alright. I have some strong bee attractants in my yard, so I hope it does well. What kind of 'maters do you have? :)

James282
Cool Member
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:00 pm
Location: New Jersey

I have Green Zebra, Purple Cherokee( both very young, was a secondary planting), Brandywine(4 ft tall, many blossoms, no fruit yet), Old German(4 tomatoes, lots of flowers, 4 ft), Yellow Pear(5 ft, lots of blossoms, 5 fruit), Sungold(6 ft tall, too many tomatoes to count, but none ripe), and a black cherry(7 ft tall, 12 tomatoes, lots of blossoms), and some seedlings that sprouted from last year which are either 4th of July or Sweet 100, but both very small.

James

elevenplants
Senior Member
Posts: 187
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:23 pm
Location: alabama

@ James: Yes, I have grown this many before. I freeze, make (LOTS OF) sauce, and do a lot of dehydrating, both in my Nesco and in my homemade drying box. I have 2 boys still @ home, and my husband, and me, and we ALL love tomatoes and anything that can be made from them, so really, it isn't that many. Of course, if I do end up with extras, there's always somebody with a hand out. :wink:

Here's a pic of my first Yellow Pears, pulled this morning:

[img]https://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww13/elevenpictures/photo-51.jpg[/img]

I would say there are roughly 150 fruits on this particular plant. To tell the truth, all my plants are apparently in some kind of wild race now, every time I go look there are more and more. I couldn't count the ones on the big Genovese if my life depended on it, some are so well hidden. And I have three of the Genovese, the one I pictured is only the biggest. I would say it is well over 6 feet now, and growing strong. It's a real challenge keeping it tied up and off the ground!

Rebecca

:D

Haesuse
Senior Member
Posts: 168
Joined: Sun May 03, 2009 9:18 pm
Location: Birmingham-AL, USA

same here, rebecca. my plants made it through the non-stop rain of may just fine (I think superior draining, high quality potting mix, in a bucket, helped a lot there). now they are taking off. my husky cherry red is about 6 feet tall and has well over 100 fruit on it. my bush goliath is a good 5 feet tall, and has 50+ MASSIVE fruit on it. and my patio tomatoes are bushy as ever, but have 30+ tomatoes on them, too.

and my peppers are just ridiculous. I've already harvested 20+ 4" jalapenos, and there are 20 more on it now. my cayennes have 50+ peppers all just waiting to turn red. my tabascos are just under 5 feet tall (didn't know peppers would even grow that tall), and have 10 or so peppers, and 50+ blossoms. my 2 bullhorn peppers (planted 6 weeks later than the rest) are also doing fantastic in their tiny little 1 gallon pots.

!!!

elevenplants
Senior Member
Posts: 187
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:23 pm
Location: alabama

Maybe us Alabama folks just have a touch. :wink:

Rebecca

p.s. Gonna be down Sat/Sun for City Stages.

Haesuse
Senior Member
Posts: 168
Joined: Sun May 03, 2009 9:18 pm
Location: Birmingham-AL, USA

I'm still trying to decide whether to go or not. soooooooo many people, and a forecast of 90% humidity and 95 degrees, makes me think not.

elevenplants
Senior Member
Posts: 187
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:23 pm
Location: alabama

Here's a little pic of my first Genovese Costoluto ripening on the vine!

[img]https://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww13/elevenpictures/photo-52.jpg[/img]

Rebecca

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Wow elvenpants! :wink: You're climate -- AND the tomatoes -- is certainly ahead of mine! Mine are mostly marble sized, a few walnut sized. CANNOT wait!

I remember growing those GC's a while back. Deep lobes and that virtical browning and cracking was a constant problem. If you wait for full ripening on the vine, fruit flies get in. (I think now, I would just pick them when 1/2 way ripe and ripen indoors in a netted basket.) Hope yours manage OK. Hmm... I wonder extra calcium/cat facing remedy would help?

Have you been reading the thread about curled up leaves? I was speculating that maybe heirloom varieties tend to do that more -- have you seen any evidence of that in your group?

elevenplants
Senior Member
Posts: 187
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:23 pm
Location: alabama

Strangely enough, there are only two of the GVC that have that vertical scar...the first two that put on! The others are perfect. It's my understanding that the deep lobes are a trait of this variety. In fact, the only problems I see with any of the fruit on any of the plants is some cat-facing on the hanging brandywine. And the only leaf curl I have is on one beefsteak variety that's in a container. I'll be providing pictorial proof of perfection as we go along. :wink:

Rebecca



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