Applestar's 2016 Tomatoes (& peppers & eggplants)

[JayPoc]

Looking great. I don't always chime in on your threads, but I do very much enjoy looking through them!

[pepperhead212]

I just planted my first 6 tomatoes in EBs, under WOWs. I'll let you know how they do.

[applestar]

I found a variegated plant among my Copper Penny seedlings.

Copper Penny is believed to be an accidental cross out of Faelan's First Snow. It was found by gixxerific when he grew out a non-variegated plant. Instead of "purple" fruit ( in tomato terms, that's a clear skinned fruit with dark dark pink to red interior flesh and green gel), his plant produced orange fleshed fruits with green gel. (I can't remember if they had clear epi/skin or yellow epi/skin).

Anyway, growers starting finding Copper Penny with variegated foliage last year. I had two but they didn't make it to maturity due to severe TRM and early blight infestations. So I'm really happy that one of this year's Copper Penny seedling is variegated:

-- now I can't wait to find out what kind of fruits this one will produce.

[applestar]

This one looks to be my best looking Faelan's First Snow

I'm going to uppot it in a larger container than the others....

[JayPoc]

I'm thinking this through....the white areas clearly are devoid of chlorophyll. This means no photosynthesis happens in those regions. Do those plants grow and produce as well as no variegated?

[applestar]

I'm thinking this through....the white areas clearly are devoid of chlorophyll. This means no photosynthesis happens in those regions. Do those plants grow and produce as well as no variegated?

Intuitively, what you are saying should hold true -- less chlorophyll => less solar energy production for the plant. Of course the breeders who are hoping to eventually sell these things are rather cagey about making that kind of declaration.

IF my limited observation of my different levels of variegated Fish pepper plants is any indication, then the variegated types/segregates will be shorter and less productive. In the past, variegated foliage houseplants I've grown -- like spider plant, peperomia, rubber plant, ficus benjamina, monstera, etc. -- needed brighter light and more feeding than non-variegated of the same species. With tomatoes, I think I might be seeing more susceptibility to foliage disease and pest infestation -- which makes sense if pests tend to go after damaged and/or stressed plants.

If I remember correctly, the previously existing or known variegated tomato varieties like Splash of Cream and Variegata, I think, only produced small spitter fruits (but this is just my impression, I might be wrong) -- and I don't know exactly the circumstances or origin varieties of those, so Faelan's First Snow with possible Cherokee Purple origin and type of fruit has a huge genetic advantage.

This year, I'm hoping to grow Faelan's First Snow to its potential -- not in a small container or mistakenly selected mediocre garden location -- so it will be interesting to see what kind of production I get. Hmmm maybe I'll try putting one in a SIP

[applestar]

Some of the tomato seedlings are getting more outside time. Some stayed out all night last night, they all got a little rained on this morning, but were moved out of the afternoon shade to catch the westering sun and breeze so they could dry out before being moved inside for the night since overnight forecast is in the low 40's.

[Lindsaylew82]

I was reading in a post you responded to earlier:

I'm also growing naturally hanging basket type varieties with stems that tend to hang down rather than try to gro upwards.

Have you notice Cream sausage doing this? We have planted Green Sausage in every garden we've had. It's a rambler. Wispy foliage that isn't happy being tied up onto stakes. I was thinkin of trying it in a hanging basket or a bucket, but it just gets so hot here, and I get super lazy with watering things like that with the regularity they require. I have some seed from last year. I may try it. Btw, green sausage is the man's favorite! And they look so cool! They would be so happy in your container gardens!!!

[applestar]

YES! I did hear that Green Sausage is a sprawler and works well in hanging baskets and tall or above ground containers like window boxes. I wondered about Cream Sauage and tried it last year

Subject: Applestar's 2015 Tomato (and Pepper and Eggplant) Garden

Cream Sausage in White Sauce Garden hanging basket --

[Lindsaylew82]

You need some Green Sausage!!! I know someone who saved seeds!

I sowed Turhune, Rebel Yell, Gma Oliver's Chocolate, another Green Sausage (because I'm feeling inspired!) another Coyote, Miss. Rose, and Not Purple Strawberry, today! Very excited to try the ones from you!

No clue WHERE I'm going to put them! I'm having a bit of trouble with asparagus beetles this year, so I may interplay them with the asparagus. The bed is already well mulched. Only problem is that it's against the back side of my shed and it doesn't get sun until after 12p....

[KitchenGardener]

An awesome thread! So impressed with your diligent efforts and attention to detail!

Now what kind of wonderful things do you do with all your tomatoes, Applestar?

[applestar]

Thank you! I'm still experimenting, but definitely freeze some, can some, dehydrate some.

Here are some update photos. I need to take inventory and match up the lists to actual plants because I realized I'm allocating some plants to the planting maps without checking to see what stage they are and how well they are doing.

...you can see some of them are struggling. Partly TRM (tomato russet mites) and aphids , partly me getting overwhelmed and running into trouble -- not keeping up with uppotting and letting the overgrown ones dry out too much Some of them are simply not thriving -- maybe some goofy error in blending the planting mix.

[applestar]

Sample tomato seed starting log:

[applestar]

I think I finalized the planting map for the HBR (Haybale Row -- this year's extra tall indeterminates, mostly hearts)

Started to plant yesterday, but then it started to rain buckets and today it was still too wet.

5.21 Alonzo's Medals (Purple Elgin x Sgt. Peppers) F2
Berner Rose
Bychye Serdtse (Bull's Heart)
Faelan's First Snow +var 2014 lessvar
Fishlake Oxheart
Gary'O Senna (Brandywine X Cherokee Purple)
Great White
Gregori's Altai
Homer Fike's Yellow Oxheart
Oranzikaas Suda
Pervaya Lyubov "First Love"
Sgt. Pepper's F5
T.CL?F2 {Terhune x (maybe Captain Lucky)} F2
White Beauty pink BE
5.21 Wes
Xanadu Not Surpriz Ellie's striped antho GWR BICOLOR



* The map for RBFR+ (Raspberry Fence Row Plus -- this year's new sentinel cherry tomato bed) is still under consideration so don't pay too much attention to that.

[applestar]

Well, I got the HBR planted, finally.

You know how I mention that there are earthworms everywhere I dig? Well, I tend to post about that after experiencing it, so it's really true, but some days go by and then even I start to think that may be I was exaggerating... just a bit. ...I was thinking like that today, when I started out, but OMG there WERE earthworms everywhere I dug.

Every hole I dug for a tomato plant exposed not just one but two really big earthworms, some looking fat and pregnant, and 2-3 more small ones. Then practically every cup of tomato seedlings I popped out had a worm entwined in the roots.

You know I love them and I handle them regularly bare-handed, but even I was getting a bit creeped out.

I was digging the last hole for the last plant and at first there was no earthworm. And I was thinking -- wow, yeah, it DOES feels like something is wrong, looked away to measure out the Tomato-tone for the hole, and poured it in without looking, ...and realized I sprinkled the fertilizer all over a worm that had just come out of nowhere, and a 2nd one was rapidly making an exit out of the hole.

[rainbowgardener]

You are just amazing, applestar! I don't know how you do it - planting and maintaining hundreds of tomato plants (AND of course all the other stuff you grow, corn, beans, squash, peppers, and a zillion other things), keeping your incredibly detailed charts, maps, spreadsheets, etc. Writing for THG daily. Cooking, canning, dehydrating, and otherwise preserving all this food you grow. And doing what seems like (from the glimpses we get) a delightful job of raising your daughters and providing a loving family home for them....

Thank you so much for taking time out from your busy life to share it all with us!

[applestar]

Aw thanks, Rainbowgardener -- you make me blush (I'm not sure if I'm actually living up to everything you are giving me credit for ) but it's nice to be acknowledged and to feel appreciated though.

[applestar]

...a couple of very exciting volunteer tomato "weeds" I found this morning among the VGD radishes...

[applestar]

I keep thinking they don't look like true regular leaf... I have no clue which variety these might be, though I can certainly list all of the variegated varieties I've grown to fruit before. The kicker is there was a whole clump of tomato volunteers -- like they had grown from dropped fruit -- here ...and I pulled most of them at seedling stage ... I did prep this bed with unfinished compost.

[applestar]

Part of the reason I was so excited to find the variegated volunteers is because my tomato seedlings have been nosediving. I started with OVER 200. But am now scrambling to save enough to plant in the limited spaces I have for them.

But, onward! I might as well show what's been happening. As sad-looking as they are ---
Here's a bit I wrote in my veg garden show thread that explains some of what's been going on.

Subject: Applestar's 2016 Garden

Everything looks so beautiful! Wondering, how did you get rid of the mite infestation on the tomatoes?

THANK YOU!

Mites -- Pest mites are my nemesis. Overwintered tomatoes and lately even seedlings started in late winter when the mites are at their worst due to heat-dried indoor air are infested with one kind of mite or other. One year, I had (never before seen or heard of) two-spotted mites on a tomato in one bedroom, nowhere else. I tried to save it but couldn't. After that, I realized I had better things to do with my time than to try to kill invisible pests and save the plants.

Even before that, the quintessential houseplant pest -- red spider mites -- had been an occasional problem. And every single time, if I could just keep the plants alive until it was warm enough in spring, all I had to do was to acclimate and put them outside, and they recovered. Now I have TRM's (Tomato Russet Mites) and possibly Broad Mites, too? I can't see them without going to the trouble of using the microscope or other magnifying gear? BAH forget it.

~~ If I can just get them out where they can be found, the Invisible Garden Patrol will get to work, eradicating the near-invisible pests. ~~

It's the same for these tomato plants. Once hardened off and planted in the ground, most of them will turn around. It's the ones that are still in tiny seed starting containers that are still suffering. Too much stress and I think the appropriate Garden Patrol can't find them as easily. I do put the seedling flats on the ground among flowers that they like, and I was trying to uppot them and turn them around and get them to grow back enough to plant, but I'm seeing signs that that's a wrong way of thinking. They won't turn around unless I plant them in the ground. Some I planted as nothing left but sticks are now starting to re-grow.

~~ This is why I won't use pesticides of any kind unless for very limited use with limited group of plants. I don't know what I'm doing, but THEY DO. ~~

I planted a few more "nothing left but sticks" We shall see.... If the humid/muggy season with accompanying fungal issues, and high temps and drought will hold off a little longer, they might be able to make it even if they have been considerably set back. Once they settle in after planting and the root system find good soil and earthworms and the rest of the soil foodweb become integrated and established, hopefully they will take off.

...now let's see if I can upload some pictures as attachments. I need the higher res stuff so you can zoom in and see details. If I can't right now, I have to wait until Flickr fixes the Bad Panda problem they've been having since yesterday.

...OK good! Here we go --

[applestar]

Two of the Indeterminates in HBR (Haybale Row) have recovered so well that they were trying to fall over and needed another tomato clip to support the stem. One variety that I thought had mostly died ...segregating cross from a blunt heart shaped fruit with antho... --one remaining out of four plants -- I found a seedling in a tray that had been down to a single leafless, russetted stem which had managed to grow a beautiful new side shoot. So I went to plant it to replace the ones that had died.... Only to find out that only one was dead and two others were coming back strong right behind the one that I knew had recovered. I used the tiny survivor to replace the one dead plant. This one had dark purple roots.

I thought about taking pictures, but forgot the iPad back on the seedling table... And I was already getting too tired to go back and forth.

A dozen or so others in the seedling trays are showing tiny new side shoots, another dozen or so growing strong. I dunno, maybe they are going to survive this and recover....

I did plant som of the recovering micro and dwarf varieties in containers. We shall see....

[applestar]

HBR and '16 Cherry Lane Tomatoes update:

They have survived the TRM's and are FINALLY recovered enough to look presentable -- well most of them. Pervaya Lyubov (not Justyna as I thought) has gone down and so has Oranzikaas Suda. I thought Sergeant Pepper's had gone down but it is still there, just barely. Charlie Chaplin, Xanadu are still hanging on.

Fish Lake Oxheart is blooming as are a couple of my crosses M.CF.F2.1F and M.ZM.F2.4B, but I believe this would mean fruits won't be ready until beginning of August, so significant delay.

First the map of HBR:


HBR walking around counter-clockwise, starting with Faelan's First Snow at top left of the collage and looking at the photos from left to right in rows. (That sounds confusing. Maybe I should match the collage to the map... Hm.)



...yeees, I sowed some okra in the HBR because it looked like many of the tomatoes weren't going to make it. And yes, I anticipate some problems harvesting if they all go on growing....



'16 Cherry Lane



The couple of empty slots are being occupied by potted backup plants at the moment, but I intend to plant a couple more tallest peppers in there -- trying to decide from --

Peppadew 120cm
Ali Pineapple 100cm
Golden Habanero 100 cm

-- anyone have experience with these? I'm actually looking for 4-5 ft peppers to plant here.

I also have these as possible candidates --

Madame Jeannette 85cm
Jaloro 76-90cm
jalapeño 75-120 cm

[applestar]

I believe Peppadew is going to get one of the slots.


Other tomato plants in recovery -- the cut off stems provide an indication for how big they had grown before infestation brought them down. Once all of the growing tips and potential buds are blasted, they can only grow back from the base. So it's like starting all over again, but they do have a more established root system so they can grow back faster. But the new fragile buds and shoots are vulnerable to other pests like aphids, fungal attacks and sun scorch.




Other plants including peppers and basils and bunch of other stuff need to be planted.

[applestar]

They are really taking off. We are in drought again, but if we get some rain, it will probably arrive with vengeance, and if that happens, these flimsy temporary poles will be knocked down flat. So I decided to take care of the tomato supports today -- Basically Florida weave:




Also pruned and tied up the tomatoes in the '16 Cherry Lane. I still have to wire the spiral stakes together and secure to the end T-posts.

[lakngulf]

Looks good. Hope the florida weave does the trick. Plants look great.

[applestar]

Thanks @lakngulf
I did leave the poles in place and sandwiched them between the strings, too, but I'm thinking I'll use the tomato clips to string-clip the poles as well, that will make sure they won't go over side-ways....

[applestar]

Remember these?

-- They have recovered and I'm going to need to work on their support system

[applestar]

Some of these are trying to come back --- yeah are they a SAD sight or what? I'd just about given up on them and had left them on the ground under the picnic table bench. When I moved them there were earthworms all under the web trays and climbing into the rice milk carton flats.

[applestar]

The peas in the hanging baskets lasted for a surprising amount of time. I harvested the last of them today. I think it helped that the ladybug larvae had crossed the bamboo trellis bridge from the cherry trees and went to work on all the aphids.



I planted these TRM survivors (Floragold Basket) after clipping off the pea vines.

[applestar]

FINALLY! first green babies have been spotted in the '16 Cherry Lane

[applestar]

BST Ladybug pepper -- still small due to suffering TRM or possibly Broad Mite attack -- purple peppers seem to be particularly susceptible, but coming back. (The little reminder that it MUST NOT FAIL helps to keep it going )


Pasilla Basio from last year -- overwintered in various places until it settled down on the kitchen window bench with the eggplants. Starting to come back and bloom.


An unknown volunteer in the Spiral Garden. STRONG growing potato leaf plant and blooming -- looking forward to finding out what it is.


TOP LEFT: Faelan's First Snow has lost almost all signs of variegation since the weather has turned hot. But my Whippersnapper x Faelan's First Snow F3 is still displaying some pretty variegation

[applestar]

This one is someone else's cross breeding project -- Orange Pixie x Orange Strawberry F3. The last of several seedlings I tried to grow fought off the TRM attack after having been reduced to this tiny seedling in the inset photo. I wonder what characteristics it will turn out to have?...



...with chamomile, catnip, and nasturtium as companions, it should get plenty of protection from the Garden Patrol.

[lakngulf]

This one is someone else's cross breeding project -- Orange Pixie x Orange Strawberry F3. The last of several seedlings I tried to grow fought off the TRM attack after having been reduced to this tiny seedling in the inset photo. I wonder what characteristics it will turn out to have?...



...with chamomile, catnip, and nasturtium as companions, it should get plenty of protection from the Garden Patrol.

Wow, it certainly transformed into a healthy plant from that little seedling. Looks great.

[Lindsaylew82]

Amazing! The resiliency they possess!

[applestar]

I'm still waiting on the garlic in the Outer Apple Guild, but decided to go ahead and plant these peppers in the Inner Apple Guild bed



...Aji Pineapple, Red Monster Bell, Black Brant, Jaloro and Yellow Giant, Jalamundo, Jalapeño...

[applestar]

First indeterminate greenies

Bull's Heart
FIsh Lake Oxheart
Berner Rose



...as you can see, some of them are still suffering the TRM onslaught. Not sure if those fruits will make it. FLO fruit on the left is growing on a clean offshoot growing from the base of the affected stem. I've been pruning the badly affected ones to the bottom, but this one seemed like it was outgrowing with good green growth, then this happened.

I wonder if I should just chop that entire vine off and get rid it, and encourage the healthy unaffected vine to grow out more sucker shoots....

[Duh_Vinci]

Always good to see the greenies!

Regards,
D

[applestar]

I'm having problems with tortoise beetle infestation in the potato foliage. These two beds were pretty badly affected, and the potato foliage had been demolished, so I decided to pull the plug and put the beds to good use.

I'd already robbed some of the tubers before -- harvested this much more today:


Planted the remaining hot pepper seedlings here where it's NOT fenced, hot and dry:

(Maui Purple, Fish, Czech Black, and Hanoi Market were overwintered from 2015)

...and remaining sweet peppers here in the Sunflower & House where it is tree-shaded in the morning and tends to be more watered:

... Of course I found two more that I forgot to plant ...

[applestar]

So weird to be harvesting eggplants before tomatoes or peppers

These could get bigger, but they were weighing down the still-small plants and they are both loaded with more blossoms that have set fruits.


green - Hari -- g2 (saved seeds) started on Jan 20, 2016 in VGB PSHRB
white - White Comet -- overwintered from 2015 in SIP

Kamo has started to bloom, too. The old bird feeder tube seems to be helping.

... The small green pepper is from the mystery overwintered pepper plant from WWL.

[pepperhead212]

I also got several eggplants before my first bunch of ripe tomatoes. Except all of those sunsugars - I don't count those!

Has your pea EP started flowering yet? I just noticed a few clusters on 7-8. The plant is over 5' tall, and in its own 18 gal. SIP.