Lush Queen Tomato; anyone grown this one?

[sepeters]

Hello all!
We are all starting to receive our seeds from the giveaway and I don't mind being the first to ask for help!

I've got Lush Queen, Indigo Apple, and AAA Sweet Solano. I was able to find out quite a bit of specific information about the indigo apple and sweet solano varieties, but almost nothing about the Lush Queen, aside from the description offered on the Wild Boar site:
"Mid-Late, 6-12oz. Dense, Meaty, Very Beautiful Striped Pink Beefsteak. Good Production, Flavor, Improved Hang-Time, Shelf-Life. Sells very well at Farmers Market."

Has anyone grown these before? What did you think and what were the plants' tendencies? Is it indeterminate? It is mid-late maturing, so does that mean 60 or 100 days? Does it set reliably? Cold, heat, drought, crack, disease, resistance? If any. Wondering if I should wait til fall to plant them. Is it potato leaf?

Also, feel free to share if you've grown any of the others. I never have, and the more knowledge, the better, I say!

[applestar]

I believe Lush Queen is a new introduction this year.
Even Tatianastomatobase doesn't have any more than the basic info:

Lush Queen
Maturity midseason
Growth habit indet.
Leaf type
Fruit color pink, yellow, striped
Fruit shape round, oblate
Fruit size medium
Fruit type salad, slicer
Variety type open-pollinated
Country USA

https://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki ... neral_Info

FWIW, from what I've seen, "midseason" usually indicates around 75-80 days....
We'll all have to compare notes!

[sepeters]

Ooooh, a new variety! How exciting! Thanks for adding a few more pieces of info, applestar! Good to know it's indeterminate. I'm going to guess potato leaf. But, only time will tell!

I germinated 3 of each kind of seed on a wet napkin last night: 3/3 solanos had little tails, 2/3 indigos, 0/3 lush queens. All sprouters went in soil, all the rest stayed on the napkin. I am only doing a few of each because I already have so many tomatoes started and not enough space! For some reason I get the feeling I will have 100% germination with these few seeds. I've had good luck with my starts so far and the solanos give me hope!

[gixxerific]

Yes they are pretty new on the block. So any info you can add later this season would be wonderful.

I will be growing these myself.

[TheWaterbug]

I've got Lush Queen, Indigo Apple, and AAA Sweet Solano.

I got these same three, plus three more, 6 seeds/envelope. I sowed seeds on 3/2/13, left the pots outside, and here they are, more than 5 weeks later:




Are these abnormally small for their age? Most of them didn't even come up for ~3 weeks, and then they're growing sloooooowwwwwwllllly.

The weather's been in the high 60s to high 70s, and I was worried about cooking them, so I didn't close up the little greenhouse. They've been kept moist, so I don't think it was a lack of water.

How warm do tomato seed/lings like to be? How fast do they normally grow?

In case you can't tell, this is my first time growing from seed

Other than the Lush Queen, they all look very pathetic

The Indigo Apple is the one I want most! It's the smallest but I think all 6 seeds came up. It might be only 5, as one of those might be a weed.

[rainbowgardener]

They do look kind of pathetic... But some of that may be just in the slow germination time. If they were planted 3/2 and took three weeks to germinate makes about 3/23. So the plants are really only a couple weeks old or so. For that they look mildly slow, but not really bad. My tomatoes usually germinate in just a few days. Did you have yours on heat mats for germination?

Other than that, I only know to check the basics -- is the potting mix they are in fertile (seed starting mixes are sterile, without nutrients), are they getting plenty of light? I would hang in there with them, they may just be a little slow getting started.

[sepeters]

I've got Lush Queen, Indigo Apple, and AAA Sweet Solano.

I got these same three, plus three more, 6 seeds/envelope. I sowed seeds on 3/2/13, left the pots outside, and here they are, more than 5 weeks later:

Are these abnormally small for their age? Most of them didn't even come up for ~3 weeks, and then they're growing sloooooowwwwwwllllly.

Waterbug, I also had trouble with my seeds germinating. The AAA came up right away and are now big and bushy (I didn't sucker them) and flowering. My Lush Queen and Indigo Apple, however, look just like yours! Had to start and re-start the seeds 4 times to get them going! Twice I started them indoors on the heat mat under lights with my catalog ordered seeds (which are all thriving, with the exception of one variety). Once I tried it outside, since it's warm/bright enough. Finally, I resorted to just broadcasting them in the garden bed, thinking, "What can I lose, at this point?" After 2 weeks the Lush Queen's all emerged and after 4 only one Indigo came up (4 days ago)! I am worried these 2 are too late and won't survive my summer.

Perhaps I'll have to try over-summer some indoor maters? My boyfriend might leave if I bring 7 foot tall tomatoes in the house though...

In a different thread applestar theorized that USPS may be X-raying the mail. I have to wonder if that could cause such delayed germing? Or maybe night time temps were just too low and the tomatoes were feelin' bashful from all of our expectations.

For what it's worth your maters are small, but look healthy, they are not wilty or yellow at all. They all look like survivors. Try giving them a shot of vermicast tea or aerated compost tea. The Lush Queens look like they're ready to go into bigger/individual containers and could totally handle amended soil at this point.