Vegetables: Tomatoes!

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shekhina
Gulf Breeze, FL
(Zone 9a)

June 8, 2008 3:40 PM

My tomatoes are getting ripe, however some have not finished getting to the size they're supposed to. Is this normal? Also, I've noticed they're not a deep red, more of an orangey-red. They're Big Boys.

Thanks!

shekhina
Gulf Breeze, FL
(Zone 9a)

June 8, 2008 3:45 PM

oh yes, i did mean to ask how to know when they are ready to harvest.. i thought color would do it, but they're not the color i anticipated, so now i'm not sure. thanks!

feldon30
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)

June 8, 2008 5:37 PM

I do not believe in leaving fruit on the vine until it is completely ripe. This is due to the insect pests, animal pests, and sometimes even 2-legged pests. :) Plus if there is unexpected rain, it can cause a ripe fruit to split open. I pick my tomatoes at first blush.

They say a blind man can pick the perfectly ripe tomato. A ripe tomato should be slightly soft on the bottom and yield to gentle pressure.

I can't comment on the color of Big Boy, I have never grown it. I grow heirlooms and a few hybrids like Jet Star and Sungold.

NatureLover1950
Vicksburg, MS
(Zone 8a)

June 9, 2008 6:42 AM

Like feldon30, I don't leave my tomatoes on the vine until they are fully ripe (for the same reasons too). I pick mine and put them in brown paper bags to finish ripening. I hate it when I miss a nice big one, it gets nice and ripe on the vine, and a bird or some other critter finds it and pecks a big hole in it before I find it.

shekhina
Gulf Breeze, FL
(Zone 9a)

June 10, 2008 1:54 PM

now i've heard that they don't 'ripen' after you pick them, although the color does change. i'm not sure whether or not this is true, just sharing what i've heard/read. i'm not averse to picking before they're quite ripe, just wasn't sure regarding the timing.

thanks!

NatureLover1950
Vicksburg, MS
(Zone 8a)

June 10, 2008 3:43 PM

I have picked mine at every stage from very first blush to half ripe and put them in the paper bags to finish ripening (single layer only) for better than 40 years.. They are always every bit as juicy and tasty and one left on the vine till it's dead ripe. Nobody who has eaten one of my garden grown tomatoes has had anything but the utmost praise for the taste. BTW, I've been growing Better Boys for more years than I can remember.

feldon30
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)

June 10, 2008 5:33 PM

Quoted:

If you use the industry definition of ripening as a change in the amount of sugar in the tomato, it is true that this will not change after picking.

But I care about the texture and overall flavor of the tomato, and that most certainly changes either on the plant or off. Again, I pick tomatoes when they are just starting to turn their appropriate color and have never had a problem with them having mind-blowing flavor. And when I occasionally find a fully ripe tomato tucked away behind a leaf, it doesn't have any better flavor than the one I prudently picked early.

shekhina
Gulf Breeze, FL
(Zone 9a)

June 11, 2008 1:04 PM

i took your advice at any rate and picked three of them.. they have a couple of green spots on the shoulders, but the rest of it is pretty red. i'll let them sit a day or so and see how it goes.

something got into my tomato plants yesterday and sheared the leaves.. stripped them bare. i have no clue what it is.. didn't see any hornworms, but that doesn't mean i didn't miss them, they sure blend in. all around the top foliage are bare stems now. will they grow back and be okay, or do i need to cut them off?

Hastur
Houston, TX

June 23, 2008 1:52 PM

We used to pick the tomatoes when they were huge and green, have a few green fried (Mmmmmm.....), and then individually wrap each one in newspaper and keep in a cool, dry place. We often had "fresh" tomatoes at Christmas time - 3 months after wrapping them. It was the most amazing thing you ever did see. Tasty too.

NatureLover1950
Vicksburg, MS
(Zone 8a)

June 23, 2008 2:26 PM

shekhina,
Your missing leaves sounds like hornworm to me. I get them here but I have lots of birds and they have found several of them before I could (they do earn their birdseed, LOL). Perhaps a bird found yours :-)

gen2026
Camden, AR

June 23, 2008 9:38 PM

Hello everyone - I am new to this forum and have a newbie question on tomatoes. I have grown tomatoes on a small scale in the past, but this year, all the tomatoes are rotting on bottom just as they are starting to turn. We haven't gotten a fresh tomato yet - have lost everyone. Does anyone know what this is? Is there anything I can do about it or should I just plow up the plants??
Thanks in advance
Genna

feldon30
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)

June 24, 2008 12:40 AM

gen2026,

First, welcome to the forums!

I would do a Search here at Dave's Garden for Blossom End Rot. It is a very common problem and exact what you describe. I would not start pulling up plants since if you take appropriate action, you can improve the situation and start getting tomatoes.

Blossom End Rot is usually caused by irregular watering which interferes with the proper distribution of minerals (including calcium) throughout the plants and fruit. Try to stabilize your watering schedule and add a thick layer of mulch around your plants (not touching the stems). Plants can "grow out of" BER problems and improve over the course of the season.

Next year, I would apply some Dolomitic Lime, which acts as a sort of buffer. But ultimately, BER comes down to watering. by the way, I don't think those sprays which "solve" Blossom End Rot actually do anything.

This message was edited Jun 23, 2008 11:43 PM

gen2026
Camden, AR

June 24, 2008 9:19 AM

Thank you for the information. I have done some extensive reading on BER now and am much more 'educated' ..... I appreciate all your help. It is a big help just knowing WHAT is wrong and that it should go away soon hopefully.

thanks again for all your help!
Genna

TXBBQ
Allen, TX

June 24, 2008 4:17 PM

Hello one & all...

I am new to this forum, and new to gardening. I was given the book "The All New Square Foot Gardening" and loved it, so now I am trying out the author's suggestions. Can someone please tell me about how long it takes for Brandywine and Roma tomatoes to harvest from seed? I planted the seeds May 25th and I don't see anything coming up yet! Should I worry? Thanks for all thoughts & direction.

feldon30
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)

June 25, 2008 8:36 AM

Tomato seeds should come up in 3-7 days.

What was your seed source? How deep did you plant the seeds? Did you start in soiless seed starting mix?

TXBBQ
Allen, TX

June 26, 2008 8:08 PM

Thanks for response feldon30. I bought seeds (Beefsteak & Romas) from Ferry-Morse. I did not start them in starting mix. It was toward the end of May, so I planted them right into my organic "Mel's Mix"...which is the custom-made soil recommended in the SFG book. I planted according to seed-packet directions, 1/4 in. for both. I may have gone to 1/2 in.

The packet said the seeds should germinate in 7-10 days, but it's been a month and I don't see anything yet! Several other plants are popping through, but nothing for either tomato plant yet. I am looking for some Tomato 444 or 640 seeds to plant as well. Also I bought some Brandywine seeds from Henry Fields. Those I want to start indoors in a potting/peat soil mix then transplant in hopes of reaping in the fall. Any suggestions for those would be appreciated.

feldon30
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)

June 27, 2008 1:13 PM

I'm guessing they probably got damping off and didn't grow. Real soil contains fungus, bacteria, and microrganisms which young tomato seedlings are not able to defend themselves against. Tomato seeds should be started in completely sterile soilless seed starting mix in controlled conditions. I start them indoors under fluorescent lights.

At 6-7 weeks they are ready to be acclimated to the outdoors and then be planted into your garden. Plants started indoors under artificial light (or even in a windowsill with partial sunlight) are not able to handle full Texas sunlight. I start bringing the plants out into full shade and then slowly with 5 minutes of sun the second day, 15 minutes the third day, etc. until after 7 days they are fully hardened off and able to handle full sunlight. You can also put the plants under a lawn chair or board or netting to protect them from the harshest mid-day sun.

I see that Allen is a suburb of Dallas. Can I just make some suggestions about dates and varieties?

Of course these are just guidelines and people have success with different times. I generally start seeds January 1-15th and June 15-21. In the spring, I start more ambitious varieties like Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, etc. In the fall, I grow mostly cherries and medium sized varieties. Except for Gregori's Altai, I have never had success with beefsteak types in the fall. Keep in mind that I use the name beefsteak as a fruit shape, not a variety. I've never heard much positive about the variety "Beefsteak", but there are thousands of tomato varieties that have that distinctive shape and produce big tomato slices perfect for a sandwich or a burger. If I had to recommend one beefsteak-type variety it would undoubtedly be Gregori's Altai. It comes in 2 weeks before everything else and has a great taste.

I realize that sometimes, Roma is the best tasting tomato in the grocery store, but I find it to be one of the least tasty varieties compared to the heavy hitters I grow like Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, Earl's Faux, and more productive but equally delicious varieties like Arkansas Traveler, Jet Star, and Gregori's Altai. If you are making sauce, then I can certainly understand growing Roma, but I wouldn't grow it based on flavors you find in the grocery store. I grew Roma my first year along with Celebrity. I gave them all away to friends and neighbors. I also don't believe the idea that "all homegrown tomatoes taste good". I know that I am probably one of the pickiest guys around for tomato flavor though!

Let me add that people usually grow BHN 444 as a means to an end. They are growing it to solve a problem in their garden. It has tolerances to Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, Verticillium, Fusarium, etc. Unless you have diagnosed or had a county extension service person identify these problems in your garden, I see no reason to grow BHN 444. Again I am very picky about the taste of tomatoes, but I think it's going to taste just a fraction better than a grocery store tomato.

This message was edited Jun 27, 2008 12:18 PM

TXBBQ
Allen, TX

June 27, 2008 7:22 PM

Feldon30, you hit it right on the head. Allen is indeed a suburb of Dallas. Also, I have clients & friends in Houston, so I am there once or twice each year.

Thanks again for your detailed insight into tomato growing. I am brand new at this, and my SFG is my first attempt at gardening. Some of the tomato varieties you mentioned I have never even heard of! LOL

As far as soil goes, the SFG soil is totally organic, made up of blended compost peat moss, and vermiculite. So, I don't have a disease issue going on. For some reason, the seeds just didn't make it, I guess.

I do have some Brandywine seeds, so I am going to start them indoors this weekend and put the out in the SFG first week of July as you suggested. AS far as the Romas go, I do make a lot of sauces...pizza, marinara, spaghetti and other Italian dishes (my big love in cooking). So that's why I am growing those. Not a matter of taste. Everything I have read about the BHN 444 seems to say they have the best taste, with Brandywine's a close 2nd.

Thanks again for the ideas and planting suggestions.

catmad
Pelzer, SC
(Zone 7b)

June 28, 2008 9:44 AM

TXBBQ wrote;"As far as soil goes, the SFG soil is totally organic, made up of blended compost peat moss, and vermiculite. So, I don't have a disease issue going on. For some reason, the seeds just didn't make it, I guess."

I'm afraid that "organic" does not mean disease free. Unless you heat sterilized it, it is full of micro-organisms, which is part of the point of organic growing, to have all that working for you. You might get better seedlings with a sterile mix.

Could you point me to where you found the info one BHN 444 having superior taste? The best I can find it rated is "good", but that's faint praise. I usually plant Heirlooms because of the taste, but I'm willing to try something new if it's comparable taste-wise.

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

June 28, 2008 9:10 PM

When the bottom leafs of a tomato plant are yellow, should they be broken off like the grooming of other plants - well, I suspect the answer is yes, and that's what I did; however, I'm thinking I should have removed from the height of the tomatoes, and I did that too. Right or wrong??

catmad
Pelzer, SC
(Zone 7b)

June 29, 2008 8:12 AM

I don't ever cut anything off the top, but then I want all the tomatoes I can get :). If they are a Determinate type, they will stop growing at a certain point, and all the fruit ripens at about the same time. Some tomatoes(often the older, heirloom varieties) are Indeterminate, which means they keep growing, and can get really big. They keep producing until frost, if the weather allows, and don't ripen all at once.

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

June 29, 2008 10:10 AM

I have two tomatoes in the shade, all the rest in a sunny location. The two in the shade are the greenest and they have the biggest, best tomatoes. I fertilized all yesterday. The tomatoes in the sun appeared parched on top, which is what I cut, the tomatoes below, shaded by the tomato leaves are doing much better and they are nice and med large, very pretty, with nice texture. I pick my tomatoes pink, if possible, as pink is the taste I prefer, as well as the firmer flesh tone of the less red tomatoes. I will make some digis. So far, the tomatoes that grew leggy, with thin limbs, have benefited from being cut back, they continue to bloom and produce and the tomatoes are larger.

catmad
Pelzer, SC
(Zone 7b)

June 29, 2008 3:48 PM

Hey, whatever works :). Do you know what kind of tomatoes you have? I'm guessing when you say you like them at the pink stage, you mean slightly under-ripe, or do you mean they are a pink tomato? I have Pink Ponderosa, which was one of my favorites last year.

feldon30
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)

June 30, 2008 11:09 AM

Just to reiterate what catmad said, 1/3 of Mel's SFG mix is Compost, which is teeming with microorganisms. I have even had trouble starting seeds in almost pure peat moss before. I now insist on seed starting mix.

The only time I have seen BHN 444 spoken positively about is very biased County Extension tomato trials where the most important aspects in their testing were shipping ability, Brix sugar readings, and number of fruit ready at any one time. I'm guessing they had no idea what type of Brandywine they were growing. It could have been mislabeled, or Red Brandywine, or one of the off-types of Brandywine that are going around out there. And I'm guessing they probably cut into it when it was still rock hard.

This message was edited Jun 30, 2008 10:12 AM

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

June 30, 2008 6:03 PM

Most of the tags were lost on my tomatoes when we had to move the garden (first year in this location, too much shade). I do know that I have one Determinate tomato, which I did NOT want or even know existed. I suppose the Determinate tomatoes were developed for short seasons, which we do not have. We prefer the Indeterminate and never even knew about the determinate until the chain stores started selling them. I have a German Queen, indeterminate, that is a beautiful, dark green plant, with strong limbs and beautiful, tasty tomatoes. We never start much of anything but easy stuff like moonflowers, from seed, because our humidity most often waylays them after we've spent all the effort. In the long run, it's cheaper to buy plants. Bonnie's are excellent, I've never lost a Bonnie's plant...

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

June 30, 2008 6:24 PM

I have a BHN 640, Determinate tomato - I just don't know which one. Hey, it's great, we have not had a bad tomato this year. I never located Lemon Boy, so we are using Golden ????, and the jury is still out on it, but I've noticed that the tomatoes have 'rounded up', at first they were pointed on the bottom, which I suppose was caused by the weather or lack of fertlizer, which I've just completed, for the first time this weekend.

Should tomatoes be groomed like other plants, by removing yellow leaves, generally from the bottom & should suckers be removed??

feldon30
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)

June 30, 2008 9:20 PM

I do try to remove blighty leaves. I do not remove suckers.

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

June 30, 2008 10:57 PM

Interesting. Why don't you remove suckers?? FWIW, I've noticed, this year, that I have very few suckers and I cannot imagine why. Do tomatoes have fewer suckers these days?? One of our fav is the Bradley Tomato, from Bradly County, in south Arky...

catmad
Pelzer, SC
(Zone 7b)

July 1, 2008 7:18 AM

Because they all ripen at once, determinate tomatoes make it very easy to get enough together to can, so they're useful for that reason.

BHN 640 "is" the name of the tomato. It seem to be a disease resistant hybrid that has been developed for commercial/market growers. This is from the web;

"BHN 640 Midseason (TP) Large to Extra-Large Globe Determinate, Good Cover Fol1,2,3, TSWV, Va, Vd Improved BHN 444 with the addition of Fusarium Wilt race 3 tolerance. Uniform green shoulders."

I'm betting that they will be one you'll like (except maybe the green shoulders, they should have just as much flavor picked pink and firm.

Let us know how they do, please:)

nanniepb
Oneida, TN
(Zone 6b)

July 3, 2008 6:36 PM

I pick tomatoes as soon as they 'blush also, but we never put them in bags to ripen. We usually place them in the window when the first few appear and when there's too many, we put them on a table on the back porch until they're ripe. Sometimes I'll turn them over if they need a few days to ripen, but Ive noticed they'll ripen on the counter just as well.

how long does it take to ripen in the bag?
phyllis

feldon30
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)

July 3, 2008 11:13 PM

Putting tomatoes in a bag to ripen is only necessary with completely green tomatoes. I see no need with slightly blushing tomatoes.

shiuvaun
Independence, MO

July 4, 2008 12:30 PM

Responding to Sherrylike--I also grow tomatoes from plants, not seeds--what are Bonnie's? Is it a company that sells plants? Where can a find them? In regular stores, I can only find the best-known varieties but would like to try some heirlooms next year.

Farmerdill
Augusta, GA
(Zone 8a)

July 4, 2008 1:00 PM

Just a note: Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus is very bad here, so I have made an effort to try all the TSWV resistant cultivars that I can find. To date from best to worst. Bella Rosa, Top Gun, Amelia, Talladega, Sophya, BHN 444. Bonnie plants which services most of the garden centers including Lowes , Walmart and Home Depot usually carries BHN 444 and Amelia. Amelia is the largest plant getting to 5-6 feet. BHN 640 is touted as an improved BHN 444 but whether the texture is improved I don't know. Have not had a chance to grow it. BHN 444 has crunchy texture like a bell pepper. None of the TSWV cultivars are going to win a taste-off, but Bella Rosa can compete with the average round red tomato.

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

July 4, 2008 9:57 PM

Thanks, shi!! Bonnie's is a grower, via Farmerdill's post, and, IMO, one of, if not the best grower for the chains in my area, in fact, I've never lost a Bonnie's plant, that says lotz, whew!!! Bonnie's uses great peat type pots, that can be planted, and are, for the most part substantial and, I think, loaded with fert, but that is just my guess re the fert. My Bonnie's plants also do not attract bugs and stuff like powdery mildew, fungus, etc, like some plants in the square, less substantial peat type pots that can be planted. Bonnie's plants seem to be stronger trunked, and limbed and greener than other plants. Hope this answers your question. If not, fire back, and I'll try again.

Question: Many of my tomato plants have this written on the tag, and I quote: Plant deep! Bury 80% (that is correct, not a type-o) of plant for strongest bush....

The above is on the majority of my tomato plants. Did I do it?? No. But, I am going out tomorrow and buying one last plant and I will do it, since I'm producing enough tomatoes that I'm not having to buy any. Is this 80% thing something new?? I look forward to your replies, tanks!!

Are you fortunate enough to have fireworks in your area?? We LOVE fireworks, but Blueray and French are hidden under the bed...

catmad
Pelzer, SC
(Zone 7b)

July 5, 2008 7:21 AM

Hi Sherry,
No, the 80% isn't new :). It's a way to get stronger, more productive plants. I take off all but the top two sets of leaves, and plant with only those above ground. The plant will develop roots all along the stem, which provides more nourishment for the plant. It gives the plant time to develop a bigger, stronger root system, which means more maters! BTW, you don't always need to dig a really deep hole, you can "trench" them. That means dig a trench (duh) about 4-5 inches deep and lay the plant in it, gently bending the top to be above ground, and cover the rest. The top will quickly grow upright, and the stem will root.
HTH.

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

July 5, 2008 9:31 PM

Interesting, cat, I'm going to plant one more tomato and I'm going to do that. As it is, we are giving tomatoes away...

This message was edited Jul 5, 2008 8:33 PM

catmad
Pelzer, SC
(Zone 7b)

July 6, 2008 7:31 AM

Humpf. Grumblegrumble grumble. I seem to be giving mine away, as well, but not intentionally. If they'd at least let ONE get ripe for me, I'd be happier. Grumblegrumblegrumble....

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

July 6, 2008 2:38 PM

Honestly, I'm shocked with our results & thrilled beyond belief, just amazing...

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 8, 2008 7:01 PM

Hello, Would someone answer a couple of questions for me please?

I planted a Roma and a "beefsteak Hybrid" next to each other at the same time 5/11. The Roma's about 3' tall, bushy, dark green, very healthy looking with about 20 full-size green tomatoes plus a whole bunch more smaller fruits and new flowers.

The "Beefsteak Hybrid" on the other hand is about 4́' tall, kind of gangly looking with not nearly as much foliage as the Roma. It started flowering about the same time as the Roma but the flowers kept falling off until a today when I noticed one of the flowers on the lower branches is turning into fruit.

Is this normal for the "Beefsteak Hybrid"?
When should the Roma fruits start ripening?

I hope these questions don't sound extremely stupid - I'm a complete novice.

Thanks for you help.

Farmerdill
Augusta, GA
(Zone 8a)

July 8, 2008 7:17 PM

Every thing sounds normal. The large tomatoes like the hybrid Beefsteak are slower to set and set fewer tomatoes than a samll tomato. Roma is a small paste type that will set multiple tomatoes. Patience is essential when waiting for tomatoes, sort of akin to watched pot never boils. They ripen on their time schedule.

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 8, 2008 10:22 PM

Thank you Farmerdill :-) I appreciate it.

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 8, 2008 10:47 PM

'K then one more question if you don't mind.

Last year I grew two cherry tomato plants(I'm pretty sure they were some type of a hybrid). They grew well and gave me lots me of fruits but eventually succumbed to the drought-like conditions we had here in Ohio when I had to leave for business for a week.

Well a week or so ago, I found three seedlings from last year's cherry tomatoes that must've fell to the ground. The seedlings looked really healthy and I had room for one more veggie plant so I transfered one of the seedlings between my two tomato plants I bought and the Jalapeno plant.

It's about a 10" tall now and very green and healthy with no signs of any damage from insect nor disease.

Is it possible for the seedling to mature and fruit? I thought I read somewhere that if you plant seeds from a hybrid plant's fruit, it won't be the same as the parent(?)

Thanks :-)

Farmerdill
Augusta, GA
(Zone 8a)

July 9, 2008 7:56 AM

True, some of them will revert to the parents. Still you should get good cherries if not exactly like the original hybrids. Many hybrids to day are built with inbred lines and show very little divergence.

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 9, 2008 11:21 AM

Thanks again Farmerdill.

I truly appreciate it :-)

nanniepb
Oneida, TN
(Zone 6b)

July 9, 2008 8:03 PM

Hey..on one of those mailouts to get you to buy that guy's book where he uses all kinds of household products, there's a reference to using epsom salts on your tomatoes. But, of course, its on page 213 and you gotta buy the book.

Is epsom salts beneficial to tomatoes and if so, when and how much?

thanks in advance

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

July 9, 2008 10:04 PM

Re volunteer tomatoes. I have them frequently and I concentrate on them for a fall crop. It works for me. By fall, we aren't as picky, and we are thrilled with just about anything on the vine.

I use ES on all my plants and prefer the crushed EP, it dissolves quicker, easier. All the old time, master gardners in my area recommend it, and that's about all they use, except to Sevin dust, as needed. I'm finding that I just ignore bugs, haven't used anything this year, except something for powdery mildew on my cukes, just about did them in - don't know if it was the preventative or the mildew.

nanniepb
Oneida, TN
(Zone 6b)

July 10, 2008 8:43 PM

Sherry, how much ES and how often would you add it?

thanks,
Phyl

Bookerc1
Mackinaw, IL
(Zone 5a)

July 11, 2008 2:17 PM

Phyl, I put a handful of Epsom salts in when I planted my tomatoes (covered it with a bit of soil before I put the plant in the ground, so the roots wouldn't directly contact it), and my package of ES says to use 1 tsp. per foot of plant height every two weeks. I usually just dissolve a T. per gallon in a watering can and apply it that way.

The directions on the bag also say you can sprinkle approximately 1 c. per 100 sq ft. over your garden before planting in the spring.

Here is an article on fertilizing with Epsom salts, as well:

[HYPERLINK@www.garden.org]

Hope this helps!
Angie

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

July 11, 2008 10:56 PM

nannie, when it's raining lots, like this year, I just toss a little on/around the plants, when it's dry enough to move around the garden. When it's dry, I do about the same thing, or put EP and ST and maybe some fert in a watering container, and pour it on the plants. I can always tell more when it's dry and I pour it on.

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 14, 2008 12:09 PM

I have a question on my Roma tomato plant.

I understand from reading here that it is a determinate type and so most(all?) of the fruits will ripen at the same time.

Does this mean that after the fruits ripen, I get no more tomatoes? or will the plant start another batch of fruits?

Thanks in advance :-)

feldon30
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)

July 14, 2008 1:14 PM

Generally, once you get all your tomatoes from a determinate plant, that's it. Time to rip the plant out.

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 14, 2008 1:45 PM

Awww, I didn't know that.

I guess I'll just plant more indeterminate types next year than the one hybrid beefsteak and the one cherry I have.

Thank you feldon30. I appreciate it.

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 14, 2008 2:26 PM

Oh! I have another question then.

About how many tomatoes should a healthy mature determinate Roma plant yield?

I planted mine on 5/11. I live in zone 6a. We've had a cooler then usual Spring and I have about 15 green ones at full size and another 10 or so in various stages. The plant still seem to be putting out new flower buds.

I'm know it wouldn't make sense to expect a concrete number but anything would make me better educated because I know nothing.

Thanks in advance :-)

feldon30
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)

July 14, 2008 3:52 PM

Yeah it's hard to tell but I would think 40-50 tomatoes off a Roma plant would be a good to very good yield, but things do depend on climate, weather, soil, and plant health. And I haven't grown Roma since the first year since there are so many heirlooms that I like. :)

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 14, 2008 6:21 PM

'K

Thanks again.

I appreciate it :-)

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

July 14, 2008 6:24 PM

amyint, I feel the same way, and especially when I plant a flowering plant, in my flower garden, that blooms for 15 mins, and is then finished, like tulips or other spring quickies...

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 14, 2008 9:21 PM

I'm lucky on the flowers part SherryLike. I live in a house my mother used to live in. When she lived here, she planted literally hundreds of parenials all around and she planted different types in the same spaces so when one type of flower goes away, another comes up. Even though I don't know what most of them are, I just mulch and weed twice a year and I get tons of beautiful flowers from spring to the end of summer(she's a very experienced gardener when it comes to flowers).

The veggies I'm growing this year are more ambitious for me. I did grow a couple of cherry tomatoes last year but they got killed when we had some near-drought weather and I had to leave for a week on business trip.

PS: I've been very tempted to claim those flowers as my own effort when I invite a girl over(you know, sensitive 90s guy and all that :-D). But of course, I would never do such a cheezy thing---but I'm tempted! LOL

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

July 14, 2008 10:39 PM

I wish I had your mom's talent. I just cannot seem to get it right about the bloom times and finding the right place to plant, sun, shade, or partly shady, or sunny. I spend a great deal of my time digging up and moving plants, including my tomato crop, which I moved after they had been in the ground 2 or 3 weeks, not fun, but this is a new side yard for me, so I will know the habits of the sun when i start planting a fall crop of veggies...

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 15, 2008 12:32 AM

I'm sure you'll get better - I guess everyone gets better at things they keep trying at.

My mom's been gardening for about 40-years in 3 different countries!!. Whenever I talk to her she always questions me about how her flowers are doing and which ones. For example: she planted 6 different types of Lillies around my yard and she knows the exact names of each, when they're supposed to show up, their size etc. and she hasn't live here in three years.

I hardly ever know what she's talking about because I don't know the names of most of the flowers so I have to ask her where in my yard she's talking about.

The first spring here, I pulled out a bunch of young flower plants because I thought they were weeds. I can tell which ones are weeds and which ones are flowers now

The fact that most perranials have bulbs attached to them helps! :-)

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

July 15, 2008 5:09 PM

How are your lilies doing? This is my first year with lilies and, of course, I didn't plant them in the right location and I will move them this fall. That's okay, but what I really don't like is that they boom, then it's over. Are there lilies that bloom longer? I have Mona Lisa, Marko Polo & an unknown white.

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 15, 2008 6:08 PM

All my Lillies are done blooming except for a few very large orange ones on the side of my garrage. I don't know any of their names but I do know that different ones bloom at different times just by observing the last couple of years.

We had a very wet and pleasent Spring so the Lillies came up earlier than they did the last two years. I have colors that were, white, peach, orange, pink & white, plain pink, red, yellow and some with a couple of colors. The sizes range from 12" tall at maturity to more than 5 feet tall.

I noticed that generally the smaller ones bloomed first but theres a 12" variety that's red & pink that blooms at the same time as the 5-6 foot tall giants.

My mom also planted a bunch of Iris' varying in size and color some of them bloomed about the same time as the some of the Lillies. The tulips did too. The Peonies were gigantic this year because on the Spring but they're gone now. All the roses are gone too but I don't think I'm taking care of them correctly.

Right now there's still a bunch of Daisies going strong. Two types of my Hostas are blooming, six or seven different types of flowers that are bushy with long stalks ending in trumpet looking flowers varying in sizes from 3" to 6" are blooming but I have no idea what they are.

I only weed, mulch and water them. Most of the flowers I have no idea what they are but they sure make me happy at the end of the day when I hang out in my patio with a laptop, some music, and a cup of coffee or a beer :D

Now if I can keep my little veggie garden to produce well, I may have a nice salad too :D

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 15, 2008 6:52 PM

Hey SherryLike.

I was wrong LOL. Apparently I DO have new Lillies blooming and apparently two more batches coming soon.

I just spoke with my mom because you got me curious :)

I have these Lillies currently blooming that are white with dark red pistels(?). I didn't think they were Lillies because the flowers don't point up(like the ones I know) - they point to the sides or down instead and the stalks and leaves are very different. I didn't think they were Lillies but they are apparently some rare and more expensive type. I guess I better take care of them :-)

There's 2 more batches of those types with young green buds so they should bloom soon.

SherryLike
SE Arky
(United States)
(Zone 8a)

July 15, 2008 6:59 PM

Do you think some of the trumpet flowers might be Angle Trumpets, Brugmansia?? What zone are you in, I'll bet Angle Trumpets won't make it over the winter in yours. Peonies are some of my fav but it's too hot here for them, and the ants love them. I've lost more plants to ants than any other pests or pet...

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 15, 2008 8:16 PM

I live in zone 6a.

You're talking about the bushy planted flowers? I don't know what they are :-)

Two of the bushes have all yellow flowers with six pettals , three overlapping another three and the edged of the pettals are wrinkled. The other two are the same except they're pink with yellow in the middle. The fifth one by my front door is an orangy-pink color. The bushes are about four feet across and made up of long leaves like giant grass blades that come up from the middle and curve outward and down. The flower stalks shoot up from the middle of the plants and has anywhere from 2-4 flowers on each stalk.

I did take pictures of all of the flowers last year but not this year :-\

Hmm, 'Angel Trumpet" sounds cool :-)T

nanniepb
Oneida, TN
(Zone 6b)

July 15, 2008 11:02 PM

I picked my first 4 tomatoes today!!!! I hadn't been to the garden since Friday so I was happily surprised to find ripe ones and a few just starting to blush. (thanks for that word, btw)

haha, the ripe one didn't last long. warm tomatoes with lots of salt... life is good

Bookerc1
Mackinaw, IL
(Zone 5a)

July 15, 2008 11:09 PM

Amyint, sounds kind of like daylilies. Some look like a circular clump of grasslike leaves, and others look like a "fan" with all the leaves going to one side or the other. This is prime time for day lilies here in zone 5a, so wouldn't be surprised if you are seeing the same there. Great plants--they bloom all summer with no deadheading, and will keep dividing and reproducing if they are happy.

There are also lilies that have stalks with leaves right on the stalks, like Oriental lilies, that bloom once and are usually done for the year. That may be what you had bloom earlier. I am no lily expert, but have a few of both, and love both kinds! I'd love to see pictures of yours, and you could get a lot of great information over on the lily forum. Wonderful people over there. . . it is one of my favorite forums, though I rarely post. I just look at all the lovelies and sigh, and plan and dream.

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 16, 2008 7:05 PM

What is "deadheading" Bookerc1?

My son has my camera down in TN until next Monday ( he's fixing up people's houses with a group of other teens - love that kid. Heart of gold and looks like a young Jim Morrison). I'm worried about evil girls getting their hands on him :-/

But anyway, I have tons of pictures from last year. I spent the whole summer taking pictures of various flowers around my yard.

I'll find out where I put 'em in the multitude of image files populating my desktop and and post them somewhere.

amyint
Lebanon, OH

July 16, 2008 7:55 PM

Just thought of something:

I apologize to everyone for inadvertantly highjacking this tomato discussion with flower-talk.

For the couple of people who asked to see the flowers I have, I found a file with about 15 photos I took last year. Unfortunately, I don't know if I can upload these pictures because I'm not a dues-paying member :-( sorry.

If you want to see them, I uploaded the pictures on my MySpace site and you're more than welcome to view them :-) It's in a pohto album named "flowers for Dave's Garden Members".

The URL is: [HYPERLINK@www.myspace.com]

Again, I'm very sorry for all the flower talk on this tomato vine :-D

Bookerc1
Mackinaw, IL
(Zone 5a)

July 17, 2008 1:52 AM

Deadheading is what you do after the bloom is past its prime. "Off with her head!" You use shears, or just snap off the stem, to remove the spent flower. With a lot of flowers, it will stimulate the plant to keep making new flowers, instead of putting the energy into turning the dead flowers into seeds. At the end of the season, shortly before the frost, you can leave the last flush of flowers to go to seed, either so you can collect them, or so the local wildlife (and I don't mean the girls who are after your son!) can have at them.

I had a little dianthus last summer that bloomed its head off. You just couldn't even see the foliage for all the blooms, and it smelled so good! When they started drying up and trying to form seed heads, I just gave it a good shearing, and it would get covered with new buds all over again.

I don't know if there is a rule of thumb for what to dead-head and what not to deadhead. I generally lop off all the dead flower heads to keep it looking decent (only takes a couple of minutes a day). Just part of my morning routine: bare feet (avoid doggie doo doo), cup of hot coffee, clipping dead blooms. It's my favorite part of the day.

Tried to look at the pics on your my space page, but couldn't access them if they're in the "My Pics" area. How about a nice slide show? [smile]

TXBBQ
Allen, TX

August 9, 2008 3:26 PM

This is for "Catmad"....sorry it took so long for me to respond to your question about the BHN444. I have been trying to get back to this forum and couldn't find it. Plus have been busy with work as well. So, any way... Click (or cut & paste) this link to your browser and it will take you the the Texas A & M web site, where they did extensive work and writing about this hybrid variety.

[HYPERLINK@aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu]

Hope this answers your question. Thanks for your response and suggestions. Keep 'em coming!

TXBBQ
Allen, TX

August 9, 2008 3:38 PM

Can you tomato experts help me out please. I have the SFG and tried planting tomatoes directly (end of May). Didn't get a thing. Not even a single seedling. Tried to start them indoors twice, and seedlings have popped up, but first time, I didn't get them outside and into the box fast enough.

Now, I have retried, starting them in peat pots indoors. I have seedlings on both Romas and Brandywines about two inches long. But I only have the "cotyledons". Not true leaves yet.

My question; WHEN do I starting putting them outside to "harden off", which I've read so much about. Looking at my pics, is it too early now? I don't put them in the garden at this early stage, do I? Help please?!

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TXBBQ
Allen, TX

August 9, 2008 3:50 PM

Catmad;

Here's more info for you and anyone else, regarding TAMU's work with the BHN444 tomato.

[HYPERLINK@aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu]

It sounds great to me. I want to try them, but can't find the seeds locally. And I don't want to do mail order at this point. So I'm sticking with my Brandywine's and Better Boys.

sugarshirley
Fields Landing, CA

August 12, 2008 11:22 PM

Hello,

I am new to DG and am wondering if anyone here grows tomatoes in the Pacific Northwest? Which varieties work best? I live on the coast and it's foggy a lot of the time. I'm currently trying out yellow pear, early girl and cherry 100's. They are growing and flowering like crazy, but I'm not sure they're gonna produce much. Any info would help me make my decision for next time! Thanks!!

deanna8
Raeford, NC

August 17, 2008 3:47 AM

sugarshirley You might post this on the Tomato forum to get the answer you are looking for

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