videorov
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Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2016 12:13 am

Which tomato seeds are best for west coast Fla

I have grown lots of different veggies in my large garden about two acres but not tomatoes. I just built some raised beds
up by the house 40ft x 4 eight of them. I put some moskvich Heirlooms in I grew from seed but the heat and rain is tuff
on them right now. I'm going to now try the Heatmaster tomatoe and see how it does in the heat. Suppose to be good for heat.

I have grown a few Solar Fire that are suppose to be good for heat but were not that great.
I would like to grow alot in rows 160ft long and maybe about 20 rows I have room for but wonder what the best way would be
to plant them. Using plastic mulch with mulch attachment laying machine on tractor or just use my tiller between the rows to keep
grass and weeds down. I read the plastic is a pain to pull back up. One reason I was growing other veggies where I would
just use my tiller to control weeds. I work by myself so try to keep it easy as I can.

I would like to sell good tomatoes on my road stand if I can grow some good ones. I don't know what the farmers grow around here, I guess hybrid I bet. I wonder what the best tomatoes would be to plant here on west coast 20 miles inland just east of
I-75 in Bradenton,Fla. Is it possible to grow some good ones without getting into the plastic mulch stuff.
I have the room and the tractor to help me.
I would save the raised beds for special stuff or maybe herbs if I get a good crop of tomatoes going in the back field.
Any help would be real helpful.

imafan26
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I had good luck with brandywine. They are a fussy tomato though, it is a big plant and needs to have weekly fungicide. It is not the best producer but they are the best tomato. They can be sold locally but they do not keep very long

Pruden's purple is close of Brandywine but more productive

Early Girl is reliable and a good producer that does well. It will stop producing in temps higher than 90.

Heatmaster is supposed to be a good producer with good flavor

Souix and Arkansas Traveler are heirlooms that can take the heat.

Cherry tomatoes will do better in the heat. Sungold, sunsugar, blush and sweet 100's are not really affected by the heat. Black cherry is tasty but not the best in production.

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

I have a friend in Pensacola area who has declared that her SPRING tomato season is over as of last week.

She says she has two short seasons -- late winter to late spring and late summer to early-mid winter. She has best production from early maturing determinates in spring. It's nearly impossible for her to grow late maturing varieties, but she has better luck in the fall-winter season if the frost holds off or in case of mild winter.

videorov
Newly Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2016 12:13 am

Thankyou for all the replies and info. I'm going to give the heatmaster a try right now and see how it takes the heat.
If I find a real good producer I might plant lots of them in the back field.

videorov
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Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2016 12:13 am

I'm also going to try the Husky Cherry tomatoe too.

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Gary350
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Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

I suggest you plant several different varieties to learn what tomatoes you like. Celebrity have low flavor, beef steak have a good flavor, beef steak hybrids like beef master and big beef are high produces and make larger tomatoes, brandy-wine and German Johnson have good flavor but are low producers compared to hybrids. Experiment to see what works for you. If your going to plant tomatoes to sell and you want return customers plant something that taste good, no one will return to buy tomatoes that have strange flavor or less flavor than cardboard.

I have lived in 4 different States, MI, IL, TN, AZ. I have not noticed that a certain type tomato grows best in any of those different places. Tomatoes do not like hot weather I learned to plant tomatoes in November 1st when I lived in AZ. If cold weather killed them in Feb I plants again in March. Even though AZ soil is 8 PH tomato and sandy soil plants still need pellet lime to prevent blossom end rot and sun shade to prevent sun burn. Plant in the coolest weather you can. In TN I plant tomatoes April 1st. In IL I planted May 1st. Full sun is 15 hours a day with no clouds in AZ and 15 hours a day in TN with 10% to 90% clouds. I never use mulch and no raised beds and I have no weeds or grass. Growing a no weed minimum work garden is something you need to learn, I have not spent more than 1 hour weeding my garden since it was planted about April 10th.

I often plant seeds they seem to do better than plants in trays at the garden center some of those plants in trays are 2 months old. I lost a bell pepper plant from storm damage a month ago I planted 10 seed directly in the garden it it place 1 plant took over now it is 4 ft tall and starting to have tomatoes. I planted tomato seeds were beans were 2 weeks ago. I planted tomato seeds were squash was yesterday. Every time I dig up onions for the kitchen I plant tomato seeds or more squash or something else in their place until Oct 1st. Aug 15 is my winter garden planting day, chard, kale, peas, cabbage, Napa, carrots,Spanish, beats, and more.



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