Got my first ripe tomato yesterday
Of course, it came from one of my volunteers, not one of the several I started inside, or the few that I bought. It must be the meatiest tomato I have ever seen in my life! This sucker only has 5 pockets of gel that I could barely get my index finger in up to my first knuckle to scoop out the few seeds. I'd say out of that one tomato I only got about 20 seeds, if that. But with that much meat inside.....they'll be good for canning next year if that is the norm for the plant!!
I know exactly what these puppies are. I haven't ever had tomatoes that made this big of a fruit!
Wait...I take that back. I don't know which variety they are only because I got the first tomato from a member in a trade and they were labled one thing but clearly not that once I grew them. That member hasn't been around in a long time. Not sure if I got taken or it was a mistake. Either way, no harm no foul. They are a good tomato the do great in my garden. My only issue is I think they are determinate and I don't like that.
Wait...I take that back. I don't know which variety they are only because I got the first tomato from a member in a trade and they were labled one thing but clearly not that once I grew them. That member hasn't been around in a long time. Not sure if I got taken or it was a mistake. Either way, no harm no foul. They are a good tomato the do great in my garden. My only issue is I think they are determinate and I don't like that.
It is interesting that this unknown tomato that started self-sown in your garden is beating out the transplants, Jeff. The volunteers in my garden sometimes look fairly good and almost comparable to what I've gotten out there as starts. Still, the ones from the greenhouse come thru, as long as I've made a good selection for variety. The volunteers often can't ripen any tomatoes before frost. But, that's here.
I often save 1 or 2 just to see what I've got and usually have a couple ripe cherries, if that is what they are. Full-size fruits never make it even tho' they are nearly always from early-maturing varieties.
There were some ripe cherries on this date last year but the plants had been started very early. I had so much trouble after awhile finding room for them in the greenhouse that I won't be sowing seed that early again soon!
Determinates? I hate to see a tomato plant produce and just fade away. Still, if I can get one that will ripen its fruit during the last few weeks of the season, it can work out as well as some of the indeterminates that I grow. Right now, I only have 1 semi-determinate variety in the garden, Buisson. It produces early and doesn't ever quite quit. Legend has been one determinate that will just load itself with fruit - then ripen them all during the last 2 weeks of the season.
Congratulations on that ripe tomato, Jeff. I think it would probably be best if you didn't let that variety get away from you
. You might even decide to sow the seeds directly in the garden sometime and see how that works. Gee, I wish I had that opportunity.
Steve
I often save 1 or 2 just to see what I've got and usually have a couple ripe cherries, if that is what they are. Full-size fruits never make it even tho' they are nearly always from early-maturing varieties.
There were some ripe cherries on this date last year but the plants had been started very early. I had so much trouble after awhile finding room for them in the greenhouse that I won't be sowing seed that early again soon!
Determinates? I hate to see a tomato plant produce and just fade away. Still, if I can get one that will ripen its fruit during the last few weeks of the season, it can work out as well as some of the indeterminates that I grow. Right now, I only have 1 semi-determinate variety in the garden, Buisson. It produces early and doesn't ever quite quit. Legend has been one determinate that will just load itself with fruit - then ripen them all during the last 2 weeks of the season.
Congratulations on that ripe tomato, Jeff. I think it would probably be best if you didn't let that variety get away from you
. You might even decide to sow the seeds directly in the garden sometime and see how that works. Gee, I wish I had that opportunity.Steve
-
gixxerific
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5889
- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
- Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B
Congrats, now sit back and relax cause soon the onsluaght will come. Than you will be picking every other day or more.
Mealy ones make good sauce etc. They can all be used for something. I just threw together a meal of fresh chcken, pasta assorted veggies from the garden and 2 1/2 cups of about 7 differant variety's of tomatoes. They all mix up real good.
Mealy ones make good sauce etc. They can all be used for something. I just threw together a meal of fresh chcken, pasta assorted veggies from the garden and 2 1/2 cups of about 7 differant variety's of tomatoes. They all mix up real good.
I have thought about trying winter sowing. But idk.
I have thought from time to time, maybe I get too hung up on the varieties and such. Maybe I should just mix all the tomato seeds together and get what I get. Less important are the names of the varieties than which ones are more prolific producers in the garden. But then again, I'd probably just end up then dividing the seeds into "varieties" once I have established a few good ones for myself. And then renaming them. "big pink meaty" or "little purple lots" lol. So I suppose I may as well keep their names. But like this one, which was not a Nyagous like it was supposed to be, I am left labeling it "Big Pink '11".
I have thought from time to time, maybe I get too hung up on the varieties and such. Maybe I should just mix all the tomato seeds together and get what I get. Less important are the names of the varieties than which ones are more prolific producers in the garden. But then again, I'd probably just end up then dividing the seeds into "varieties" once I have established a few good ones for myself. And then renaming them. "big pink meaty" or "little purple lots" lol. So I suppose I may as well keep their names. But like this one, which was not a Nyagous like it was supposed to be, I am left labeling it "Big Pink '11".
-
gixxerific
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5889
- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
- Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B
I would suggest against renaming plants willie nillie. It is important to keep lines alive and named properly, there are so many different variety's and more being made up ever day. If it is a true mix that grow it out and rename it and be proud.
Nyaguos being called "big Pink 11" that's weird. Nyagous is supposed to be a small (like 4 0z or so) black fruit. What is going on there? Could it be a seed mix up?
Nyaguos being called "big Pink 11" that's weird. Nyagous is supposed to be a small (like 4 0z or so) black fruit. What is going on there? Could it be a seed mix up?
yeah it is Gix. I got the seeds (which were supposed to be nyagous) in a trade from another member the winter before last. They were most definitely not nyagous. But they made such big fruit, my feelings weren't hurt.
I wouldn't rename it unless I truly didn't know which variety it was. I call this "Big Pink '11" right now because it is very big (over 1lb some of them) and pink, and the seed is from 2011. I guess this fall it will be "big pink '12"? lol.
But yes you're right. It is a seed mix up. And now I don't know what I have other than a tomato that seems pretty happy in my yard.
I wouldn't rename it unless I truly didn't know which variety it was. I call this "Big Pink '11" right now because it is very big (over 1lb some of them) and pink, and the seed is from 2011. I guess this fall it will be "big pink '12"? lol.
But yes you're right. It is a seed mix up. And now I don't know what I have other than a tomato that seems pretty happy in my yard.
If you keep that seed line separate from whatever it was - for about 3 generations - you should just let the grandkids know that they can call it "Jeff's Own" .
If it isn't black, it isn't black.
Take your time and you may come across something described just the same somewhere like in Tatiana's Tomatobase. Then, you can order some of those seeds & grow the 2 side-by-side.
I did this with my grandmother's tomato after growing it for about 12 or 15 years. It sounded like Porters might be the same thing and both were around when Grandma started growing them back in the '30's. So, I grew the 2 of them and . . . . still don't know! Fruit is the same - plants are different!
Only thing to worry about is what you, your family and your friends think of it! Anyway, that's the way I see it . . .
Steve
.If it isn't black, it isn't black.
Take your time and you may come across something described just the same somewhere like in Tatiana's Tomatobase. Then, you can order some of those seeds & grow the 2 side-by-side.
I did this with my grandmother's tomato after growing it for about 12 or 15 years. It sounded like Porters might be the same thing and both were around when Grandma started growing them back in the '30's. So, I grew the 2 of them and . . . . still don't know! Fruit is the same - plants are different!
Only thing to worry about is what you, your family and your friends think of it! Anyway, that's the way I see it . . .
Steve