Supermarket Tomatoes

[Garf]

After hip surgery, I started a few supermarket tomato seeds and put them into 18 gallon recycling tubs and let them go. One of the older plants has 16 tomatoes on it now. So far little to no disease or insect damage, and this is Miami Florida.

[webmaster]

Oh that is very interesting. Do you think those tomatoes were grown locally, perhaps salt resistant?

FYI
There's a box titled "Disable BBCode" that was ticked when you posted your pics. That disables the forum formatting codes, including the ones for displaying photos. At some point you may have disabled BBCode in your profile. I just fixed that. All sorted now.

[Lindsaylew82]

Do you remember what kind they were?

One year I had some late winter compari tomatoes I got from the store and the seeds sprouted INSIDE the tomato. It was really strange looking. The momma tomato didn't rot or anything! I think I have a picture somewhere.....

I had 19 seedlings that I planted in TP rolls. I kept 2 and had a really great crop from them! Just like you said... No disease, big bounty. Uniform blemish free fruit... Tasted really nice, too!
ETA:
Here it is!!!


ETA2:
Hmmm....no that's not it.
Try again!

[Garf]

Oh that is very interesting. Do you think those tomatoes were grown locally, perhaps salt resistant?

FYI
There's a box titled "Disable BBCode" that was ticked when you posted your pics. That disables the forum formatting codes, including the ones for displaying photos. At some point you may have disabled BBCode in your profile. I just fixed that. All sorted now.

It's not salt, I live far from the coast. Many thanks for the posting help.

[Garf]

Do you remember what kind they were?

One year I had some late winter compari tomatoes I got from the store and the seeds sprouted INSIDE the tomato. It was really strange looking. The momma tomato didn't rot or anything! I think I have a picture somewhere.....

They were either some generic camperi or labeled "redlands" which is a farming area here in miami-dade county.

[Garf]

My wife just tasted the first tomato to ripen. She loved it. At least 16 more to go and hopefully more to come.

[valley]

They look healthy and happy. Keep it up, what ever it is. Have fun.

Richard

[Garf]

I have picked 2 more tomatoes that blushed. I have the start of both disease and insect damage. I may need to start treatment soon. Plants #3 and 4 have started blooming and have one tomato each on them.

[Garf]

Plants 3 & 4 are loaded with blooms and are starting several tomatoes. I only hope the insects don't find them.

[Garf]

Both disease and insects have found the plants. The insects are black beetles. I will try to post a pic.

[Juliuskitty]

Both disease and insects have found the plants. The insects are black beetles. I will try to post a pic.

I get those horrible things every year.

[Lindsaylew82]

Are they plum curculio?

[Garf]

Plants 3 & 4 have plum tomatoes, I have no idea what variety.

[Garf]

The latest harvest from plants 3 & 4.

[Lindsaylew82]

Plants 3 & 4 have plum tomatoes, I have no idea what variety.

I'm sorry! Those bugs looked like Plum Curculio, but tomato are not their hosts!

[Garf]

With heavy rains, half the remaining tomatoes have split. #2 plant has died. A few remain intact.

[rainbowgardener]

Summertime in Miami is just not tomato growing season/climate. But you will be growing tomatoes in November when they are a distant memory for me!

[Garf]

That should be it till October. We'll see.

[Garf]

Plant #4 has some life left in it. I have 4 green babies growing now. After #2 plant died, the remaining 2 plants are barely hanging on. I hope nothing gets these new tomatoes.

[applestar]

Good luck!
Many of mine are in limbo -- main stem and side branches died but new shoots are coming live with new blossoms. This happened last year, too with some of the indeterminates. But the first frost is only a month away. I guess if I had a longer season, new flush of growth would be a good thing....

[Garf]

As of today I have 6 green babies. There are still a few blooms left.

[Garf]

One of the 6 tomatoes on plant #4 is beginning to blush. Looks promising. Plant #3 has no leaves on it but the stems are still green, so I will leave it for now. Plant #1 has new leaves and a few blossoms on it. Temps should start falling soon so there is hope for the remaining plants survival. Remember, this is Miami.

[applestar]

It's really a different climate! You are happy the temperatures are falling, and by that you mean temperatures are becoming bearable (about the average summer temp for here) and I'm feeling anxious because it's 43°F this morning...coldest reminder of fall so far, though it's supposed to "warm up" a bit to night time temps of 50's for the rest of the week.

I hope they all start growing well and produce lots of fruits for you.

[Garf]

Plant #3 is trying to grow leaves, but they are small and distorted. I will probably soon trash the plant.

[Garf]

I finally pulled #3 plant. #4 is still alive. #1 still has a few blossoms on it. I have started 8 more seeds, also supermarket tomato seeds. I now have 8 seedlings. We'll see how they do.

[applestar]

It sounds like you did get some good harvest. Are you pleased with their performance and flavor?

I started out just trying to grow tomatoes, then embarked on a quest to identify tomato varieties that grow well in my garden and taste outstanding ....now I have seeds for hundreds of varieties.... ...and only a couple dozen varieties that I have been able to grow and identify as "great!" And maybe a handful that are returning keepers that I plan to grow every year.... I have many many more varieties still waiting to grow out and try... But will very likely acquire even more seeds for new to me varieties

[Garf]

I'm trying to find something that will survive the Miami conditions in summer. It is no problem in winter. The supermarket tomatoes surprised me. The last batch tasted pretty good.

[Garf]

Plant #1 has been pulled. The 8 seedlings are doing well. I fertilized the tub that plants #1&2 were in and will transfer 2 seedlings to it shortly.

[imafan26]

The beetles look like the Asian flower beetle. It is a type of scarab beetle. They are a nuisance but relatively easy to catch since they are slow and glutinous. They usually appear eating overripe fruit like mangoes and papaya. When a horde of them are on the papaya and they have been eating a while it is easy to just scrape them into a bag. Some of them just drop to the ground. They can fly, but usually don't when they are full. Cleaning up any over ripe fruit usually sends them on their way. They are not particular they will go after roses, corn, coconuts, as well as fruit. They usually go after pollen but they like to hang around decaying vegetables and fruits.

You might want to send the specimen to your Dept of Ag. for id. It was in Florida in the past, but according to this article there have not been many recent sightings.

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewc ... sectamundi

[catgrass]

Garf-check with the Florida Ag center. There are new varaties that have been developed to withstand heat. Heatwave and Solar Set come to mind.

[Garf]

I believe I have seeds for both, but the supermarket tomatoes beat them all.

[Garf]

MVC-002F.JPG (40.91 KiB) Viewed 653 times

This ends this thread. I will start a new one shortly for the fall/winter season. I have a new batch of 8 supermarket tomato seeds started. I already have one 18 gallon tub ready for 2 of them. I will start some others later.

[Garf]

So much for wanting to close out this thread. This is incredible. I have 2 new babies on the lone survivor of a Miami summer on a plant from the first batch of supermarket tomatoes. Is it any wonder why I'm pursuing these?

[imafan26]

Market tomatoes are bred for looks, disease resistance, and ability to ship and keep well. Of the tomatoes you trialed which ones tasted best. I know at the market they don't always say what variety they are only that they are a cherry, grape or on the vine.

Most of what you probably grew were hybrids. They won't be exactly the same as the market fruit, but they can be good too. I actually liked the sungold F2 better than sungold. Not as sweet, but sweet all the way not just when it was ripe and a lot less cracking.

[Garf]

Batch 1 was definately different than the parent fruit. Batch 2 plants are unlike anything I have ever grown. They are more like trees. Batch 3 are still seedlings. The supermarkets don't identify varieties with the exception of Tasti Lee.

[Garf]

The babies are growing.

[Garf]

I have quite a few babies on the lone survivor. I had to tie up 2 branches in different directions to keep the developing tomatoes from damaging the vines.

[Garf]

I am getting more tomatoes on the lone survivor of batch 1. These are only a few.

[Garf]

Current mater count on all 3 batches of plants total 24 including babies. I will soon be starting batch 4.

[Garf]

Rather than risk the tomato being attacked by something, I went ahead and picked the first blushing tomato of the season. It will still be 2 or 3 days till it can be tasted. This ends the head counts with the final total at 72. Even one backup plant has babies.