2015 Tomato Starts?

[rainbowgardener]

The marking is important. After several years of getting tomatoes mixed up, this year I decided I will put a masking tape strip on each pot and mark on that what is in the pot.

[Garf]

Being in Miami, Things are radically different for me. My seed starting date is early October. No need for heat, we have plenty of that. Heavy rain can destroy me. We almost never have a frost. Not even in mid winter. Here, summer kills everything. I only had one plant survive summer this year and it wasn't by much. It now has a few blooms. I have a massive amount of seed, but have started only seed from supermarket tomato this year. It is working better than I would ever believe possible.

[McKinney88]

What are your plans for tomato starts for 2015? This will be my second year starting tomato plants from seeds. Last year was pretty successful I think growing a handful of different varieties. My major plan is growing a Roma type for making sauce, I will still have a few other to try that are new to me and a two I grew last year I liked and will bring back.

When do you start your seeds under grow lamps? I am looking to start all my tomato seeds around Valentine's Day this year. Maybe a week later.

How many do you plant? My sauce tomatoes I'm thinking maybe 20 plants but I really don't know yet. Everything else will be 2 - 3 plants.

What is your process--from seed to garden? I start them in a Jiffy seed starter try and once they get the second set of leaves I transplant into clear plastic drinking cups that have holes in the bottom. The cups are big enough till I can get them outside and the clear cup allows me to watch the root development. Once they are about a foot tall I will start to harden if the weather allows and hopefully two weeks later they will go into the ground. I plant my tomatoes to where the lowest set of leaves on the stem will be an inch or two in the ground.

What varieties do you start from seed? I will be growing these as of right now: Tomatillos, Sweet Aroma Tomatoes, Big Rainbow Tomatoes, Cherokee Purple Tomato, Virginia Sweet Tomato, Eagle Fork Big Red, Kellogg's Breakfast Tomato, Steakhouse Tomato (3lb Burpee Exclusive). Only Cherokee Purple and Virginia Sweet are returning from last year. All the others are new to me.

[lakngulf]

I test planted some seed some time ago. Germination was good and now I have plants. Decided it was time to up-pot them on Friday. Some good roots on the little plants

[Garf]

The first 2 tomatoes from the 18 gallon tub have a bad case of blossom end rot. I just examined the whole lot today. They are the only bad ones. Very disheartening.

[Mian5]

What are your plans for tomato starts for 2015?
This is my second year as well starting from seeds and first year in the garden instead of containers. This year I'm trying a mixture of early, mid and late season varieties.

When do you start your seeds under grow lamps?
I'm starting my seeds early to mid March.

How many do you plant?
I haven't decided. Ideally I want 3-4 of each.

What is your process--from seed to garden?
Seed starting mix in seed cells and peat pots. Once they have several true leaves, I transplant them to larger pots until the weather warms up and I can harden them off.

What varieties do you start from seed?
I didn't save any seeds from last year. This year will be my first.
In the garden - Beefsteak, Cherokee purple, Paul Robeson, and Roma
Container - Baxter bush cherry and glacier

[lakngulf]

Mid-February Starts

Fantastic, Lush Queen, Brandywine, Fantastic and Better Boy -- can you tell which is which?



Also, started a flat with Bell Pepper, Multicolored Bell and Egg Plant. I put it over a heat pad since peppers are slow to start. I placed the tomato flat in a south window to serve as its heat pad. I have a few plants couple inches tall but these cool temps do not offer the best growing weather. I will be gone for a few days and plan to crank up the greenhouse heater when I return. Time to get serious with 2015 tomato crop.

[lakngulf]

Not sure I got an early a start this year as in the past but I have some tomatoes in different stages of growth.

Some babies. These are Lush Queen from saved seed.


Some a little larger. Several varieties of tomatoes on right, egg plant and pepper on the left. Using the heating pad for the peppers was a big help. Also, the fluffy seed that I mentioned in another thread seem to germinate well.



And some that might go in the ground soon (probably too early but I always have enough to give them a try)

[Garf]

My plants are declining in the Miami heat. The last 3 backup plants are holding their own except for leaf miner. I am thinking about trying a few heat resistant varieties. I don't know if it's worth it.

[digitS']

The tomato seedlings, etc. went out for a daytime greenhouse visit, today.

Those are the peppers to the left. It's about time to go out to bring all of them in for the night. There are more tomato seeds just now popping up in the kitchen. I'll have those containers uncovered and in the South Window tomorrow.

Very, very soon - the furnace in the greenhouse will have to be turned on in the mornings. The South Window will not accommodate all the plants. The next step will be from fatigue and I won't be bringing them back in the house at night. Sure hope that the furnace will be able to fire up and do its job ...

Steve

[lakngulf]

The tomato seedlings, etc. went out for a daytime greenhouse visit, today.

Those are the peppers to the left. It's about time to go out to bring all of them in for the night.

Looks like you have some good germination and plants look healthy.

I have all my plants in the greenhouse now, and hope I will not have to use the propane heater. Temps for the next couple weeks look great. As you can see in the picture below I have a large greenhouse door that can be opened for the plants to get direct sunlight.

[digitS']

Here are the ones just out of the warm kitchen, this morning.

The first seedling batch were a bit leggy. They had to show up just as we had several rainy days. It is supposed to rain tomorrow but it should only be one sunny day "lost."

A couple varieties haven't emerged. The lid will go back on and they will spend 1 or 2 more nights in the kitchen.

Steve

[lakngulf]

Tomatoes in Various Stages

Either the weather is being nicer earlier this year or I am behind in my tomato seedling production. But that is fine as I have been way ahead of schedule in years past. I do have a few seedlings with some size, and with the warm temps we had mid-March I could not resist the temptation to put a couple in the ground. Had to cover them on March 27th and 28th but they made it so far and are doing well. Good healthy dark green. Brandywine on left, Amos Coli on right.


I hope to get a few of these in the ground today or tomorrow. Plants are still not as large as I like but should take off in the soil mixed with some barnyard dirt.


And here are the little guys that I just up-potted in the last week or so, many of them just yesterday. My Mother always wants the temps to be very warm before we plant her tomatoes. In years past the plants have gotten too large before she was ready. These should be planting size mid to late April, and should be just right


Varieties for this year:
Better Boy
Fantastic
Believe It Or Not
Gary O'Sena
Cherokee Purple
Lush Queen
Amos Coli
Indigo Apple

And here is some pretty Wisteria, to let us know spring is among us

[lily51]

I find my tomatoes do best if I start them in trays, transplant to cell pack, then to individual pots and keep up potting if needed. The trays stay covered with "domes" and on heat mats until they germinate, then I transfer the trays to grow lights until large enough to transplant and then they go to the greenhouse.
I started my patio tomatoes Better Bush and Bush Goliath Feb. 16. The are now in individual 3" pots, large and healthy and ready to transplant into still larger pots, probably gallon size. I transplant into pots as you would do outside, with the stems down into the soil, not sticking way up out of it.
The first round of the 14 other tomatoes varieties I started 3/31. They are now up out of the soil and under lights.
They get planted in the garden once the danger of frost is well over, lots of time not till the end of May. They seem to do better if not stressed by the changing temperatures in Ohio spring.

[lakngulf]

They seem to do better if not stressed by the changing temperatures in Ohio spring.

I totally agree with this, and that is the reason my Mom will not let me plant tomatoes for her early. Me = I have so many little tomato seedlings that it is worth it to see if I can get a jump start if we have decent early weather. But there have been times when the warm planted tomatoes shot right above those that had been in the ground early.

[lakngulf]

My first two plants survived the cold temps and have jumped at the recent spring temps



Several others are not in the containers on the pier and show that "Hey I really like this rich soil" color of green.

[digitS']

What are your plans for tomato starts for 2015?
.......
What is your process--from seed to garden?
....

These plants have been in an unheated hoop house through the daylight hours, lately. It's evening, so they are back in the heated greenhouse.

It is now time to move some of these out of the 4-packs, 48 plants/flat, into 3 ½" pots, 18 plants/flat.

Rain in the morning with a temperature in the 30's (maybe a little snow with that rain ). It should be a good day for a little work in the greenhouse.

Steve

[imafan26]

I finally have my three tomato tubs planted with beefsteak, which is already fruiting, red cherry (old reliable) and I kept one of the wild tomatoes in my third pot.

[lakngulf]

Hi,

I let the seeds soak in water for a day or two until I see a little green peaking out Them I place them between wet napkins. This way it will stay wet and sprout faster instead of having it try to break through the soil. Once it is a few millimeters, I start planting them in starters "soft' soil in a small green house to keep them warm!

And you?

I have soaked some seeds before (mainly okra) but do not do so for tomatoes. I am sure the process works great, but so far my germination rate has been good. I fill the seed starting flat with potting soil, water it a bit and let sit. Then I gently push the small tomato seed into the soil with the point of a knife, water again and put under grow light.

[digitS']

I soak 1½" to 2" of the soil mix in those community containers, thoroughly. It sits in a basin of water for about an hour then moves out to drip for a couple of hours, or overnight.

Then, I line up seed right out of the packets on that wet soil mix. Dry potting soil goes over the top. The containers are then moved into the kitchen. The moisture in the containers is good for about 2 weeks.

If I have problems with germination, I can usually blame the delay on old seed. Having both old and new in the same container can get me into trouble but that is my own fault ... so is crowding.

Steve

[lakngulf]

Pruning

This year I hope to prune lower limbs/leaves of at least some of my tomato plants, hoping to avoid some issues caused by soil contact. What is the process? What should I prune? All lower limbs, or just suckers?

Here are two plants that could be candidates for pruning. What should I remove?





I remember going to Calloway Gardens with my parents and we were amazed at their tomato crop, running up on bailing twine. They had cut off everything about the plant except the main runner. My Dad thought about doing the same thing, but as a cattle farmer with big hay crops, there was just not time to spend on pruning in the garden, especially when those plants were producing great tomatoes every year by just letting them grow full in cages.

[PumpkinBlythe]

I have at LEAST 30+ good size tomatoes but it just has not gotten hot enough to turn them red yet. My tomato plant is taller than my corn right now. I had to put a bamboo stick in there because it was flopping over into my giant sunflower.

[lakngulf]

Heirloom Farm

At my Mom's house I planted 6-8 tomato plants each year, along with some pepper, cucumber, okra, eggplant and radish.
She is 90 and still enjoys helping the plants along and seeing that they reach their potential in production.

Her garden soil is excellent, so I plant some extra tomatoes there as well. This year I have a Heirloom experiment going, to see how well several different types will produce in that soil. These are plants from seed that I have collected from various sources, including the Helfulgardener See Giveaway last year. Here are the plants I have going this year:



Included are:
Brandwine
Cherokee Purple
Gary O' Sena
Lush Queen
Amos Coli
Indigo Apple
Believe It Or Not

And I have some Better Boy and Fantastic for comparison. Looking forward to the results.

[digitS']

Of those, I used to grow Fantastic each year and came to know it well.

I have had Gary O Sena each of about the last 5 years. You realize, Lakngulf, that it isn't quite a heirloom but isn't a hybrid ... It is a stabilized cross of the first two on your list, Brandywine and Cherokee Purple. (I'm just saying this because others reading may not know .)

I like Gary O a lot. I was wondering if it does real well in my garden because of its hybrid vigor but how many generations must it be from the original cross - 10? 20?

It came through some real bad windstorms last year with good vigor and real nice fruit! This year, the plants have blooms early. I won't have to worry that it won't have enough time to ripen fruit like happens so often with beefsteak varieties in my garden. Fantastic even had problems some years with ripening a crop.

Your gardening environment must be just about the opposite of mine here in the Wild West. I'll be curious how Gary O comes through for you this season.

Steve

[lakngulf]

Your gardening environment must be just about the opposite of mine here in the Wild West. I'll be curious how Gary O comes through for you this season.

Steve

I will post some updates along the way. It is already interesting to see the growth characteristics and rate of each variety. The Lush Queen is the shortest but lots of full growth. The Gary O has a unique stem structure that is different from tomato I have grown.

I have grown Brandwine for several years and like it a lot. Last year my favorites were Lush Queen and Amos Coli.

[lakngulf]

My "home" tomatoes are doing well but seem not to be setting fruit very fast this year. I expect that to change. Also, I had to sneak in a picture of my hydrangea in full bloom on the bank beneath the garden.

[lakngulf]

You realize, Lakngulf, that it isn't quite a heirloom but isn't a hybrid ... It is a stabilized cross of the first two on your list, Brandywine and Cherokee Purple. (I'm just saying this because others reading may not know .)

Steve

Well, aren't all the heirlooms sorta "crosses" of multiple? Will saved seeds from the Gary O be productive? and true?

[digitS']

Well, aren't all the heirlooms sorta "crosses" of multiple? Will saved seeds from the Gary O be productive? and true?

They have been for me, Lakngulf.

Again this year, the plants are uniform and there have been no surprises.

Steve

[lakngulf]

Compare growth of the heirlooms in eight days:

Eight days ago:


Today:


I may have had the soil too rich and the plants just decided to grow and not so much fruit. We do have some good temps now with full sun so maybe a lot of blooms will become nice tomatoes.

[applestar]

Looking great! I really have to finish planting the rest of mine

[lakngulf]

Heirloom plants are healthy and loaded. One of these days they are going to get ripe. My Mother is ready!









Cherokee Purple by far the biggest producer, with Brandywine and Lush Queen just behind.

[lakngulf]

I have a few tomatoes in containers behind my house. Sun is there early in the spring so I try to get a head start. Sometimes it works. Well, there are a few plants back there that have the absolute best tasting tomatoes, in my opinion, AND in the opinion of the resident backyard squirrels. I decided to put netting around those few plants to protect my favorite tomato. Well, with 7 or 8 plants unprotected, with green fruit for the taking, the squirrels are still trying to get into my netted section for the good tomatoes. I am sure they will win the battle but so far they just knock the tomatoes off the vine and were not able to take them. Notice the tomato on the ground, and one on the edge of the container

[lakngulf]

[applestar]

SAVED! From the squirrels!

[lexusnexus]

Heirloom plants are healthy and loaded. One of these days they are going to get ripe.

Sometimes it feels like they won't ripen until October. Mine have started to ripen over the past week. Cherokee Purple is the epitome of the perfect tomato plant, with one exception, it is susceptible to early blight. They are sweet, juicy, and have what we consider to be the perfect tomato flavor. They were also our first main cop tomato to ripen.

[lakngulf]

SAVED! From the squirrels!

Yes, I got these before any animals attacked. BUT, not at my house, these are from what I call my "Heirloom Garden" at my mother's house. It has been very successful.

Picked these on Friday July 10th:


And Picked these on Wednesday July 15th:


Biggest produces = Fantastic, Better Boy and Cherokee Purple. (I know the first two are not heirloom)

[lakngulf]

Sometimes it feels like they won't ripen until October. Mine have started to ripen over the past week. Cherokee Purple is the epitome of the perfect tomato plant, with one exception, it is susceptible to early blight. They are sweet, juicy, and have what we consider to be the perfect tomato flavor. They were also our first main cop tomato to ripen.

I agree that the Cherokee Purple are tasty, and MOST productive. This is my first time with them. My Mom and I like them but still prefer Better Boy and Fantastic. Maybe we are just too used to the "Red" tomato. For heirlooms, I like Amos Coli the best, followed by Lush Queen and CP.