Been meaning to say how impressive that tomato garden is. I can only strive to have one like that. Me and the wife are in our fourth year of gardening. Each year I think we get better. It's definitely a learning curve. I did about fifty plants lat year. All individually caged with the three foot weedblock cloth. It worked ok. This year I scaled back to three dozen plants and used twelve foot wide woven cloth. I'm happy so far. I did sun golds, early girls, beefsteaks, romas, and supersonic. Like I said I'm still new so don't be too hard on me!! Also just picked my cabbage last week. Already perkolatin it for kraut mmmmm
Planted some tomatoes
- Thread starter Arkaybee
- Start date
jinman
Rest in Peace
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- Feb 23, 2001
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- Texas - Wise County - Sunset
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I don't think anyone is going to be hard on you. That's a beautiful garden. Impressive and well tended.:thumbsup:
troutsqueezer
Veteran Member
I've been growing tomatoes for quite a few years myself. This year I've got Early Goliath, Anna Russian, Sungold, Djena Lee's, Country Taste, Soldaki, Mortgage Lifter (aka Radiator Charlie's) and Yellow Giant Belgium.
Did you know there are tomato grower forums around? Of course you did.
Here are some interesting tidbits about tomatoes in case you didn't know:
Determinant plants have a repeating pattern of 1 or 2 leaves followed by a flower cluster. Indeterminate plants have a repeating pattern of 3 or 4 leaves followed by a flower cluster.
Flowering and bearing patterns are influenced by temperature. Small fruited cultivars like cherry tomatoes continue to set fruit when night temperatures average above 72 degrees. Large fruited varieties continue to flower but set far fewer fruit during warm nights in mid- and late summer. Low temperatures also affect flowering. Many cultivars also drop their flowers when night temperatures average less than 55 degrees. Once again, small fruited cultivars are less affected than large fruited types.
Environmental conditions also affect the appearance of tomato fruit. Tomatoes are unusual in that every cell in the final fruit is already present in a pinhead sized "mini tomato" at the base of the flower. Growth results from expansion of the original cells. Anything that disturbs the expansion of the cuticle (skin) cells will affect the final shape of the fruit. Cool nights slow expansion of cuticle cells while the interior of the fruit continues to expand. This causes 'cat facing', dimples and grooves in the flower end of the mature fruit.
Pick tomatoes when they have a healthy pink color every day or every other day during hot weather. Allow them to ripen indoors at 70 to 75 degrees. Place fruit stem end down. The stimulus for flavor development comes from the seeds which produce their hormones at the same rate whether or not the fruit is on the plant. Light is not necessary for ripening. Allowing tomatoes to fully ripen on the plant when day temperatures exceed 90 degrees causes them to become mushy. Tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks after they are fully ripe.
In the fall, pick all mature green fruit the day before the first killing frost. These fruit will ripen gradually over several weeks if wrapped individually in paper and stored in a paper bag at 55 to 65 degrees. You can accelerate the process by putting an unwrapped orange in the bag (a banana or apple will also work). The orange releases the same hormone as the seeds but now it ripens the tomatoes from the outside in. The color looks great, but the flavor chemicals aren't being synthesized inside. Many of the loose tomatoes you buy in the market are sprayed with this same hormone and ripened from the outside in. This is just one more reason why your home grown tomatoes taste better.
Trout
Did you know there are tomato grower forums around? Of course you did.
Here are some interesting tidbits about tomatoes in case you didn't know:
Determinant plants have a repeating pattern of 1 or 2 leaves followed by a flower cluster. Indeterminate plants have a repeating pattern of 3 or 4 leaves followed by a flower cluster.
Flowering and bearing patterns are influenced by temperature. Small fruited cultivars like cherry tomatoes continue to set fruit when night temperatures average above 72 degrees. Large fruited varieties continue to flower but set far fewer fruit during warm nights in mid- and late summer. Low temperatures also affect flowering. Many cultivars also drop their flowers when night temperatures average less than 55 degrees. Once again, small fruited cultivars are less affected than large fruited types.
Environmental conditions also affect the appearance of tomato fruit. Tomatoes are unusual in that every cell in the final fruit is already present in a pinhead sized "mini tomato" at the base of the flower. Growth results from expansion of the original cells. Anything that disturbs the expansion of the cuticle (skin) cells will affect the final shape of the fruit. Cool nights slow expansion of cuticle cells while the interior of the fruit continues to expand. This causes 'cat facing', dimples and grooves in the flower end of the mature fruit.
Pick tomatoes when they have a healthy pink color every day or every other day during hot weather. Allow them to ripen indoors at 70 to 75 degrees. Place fruit stem end down. The stimulus for flavor development comes from the seeds which produce their hormones at the same rate whether or not the fruit is on the plant. Light is not necessary for ripening. Allowing tomatoes to fully ripen on the plant when day temperatures exceed 90 degrees causes them to become mushy. Tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks after they are fully ripe.
In the fall, pick all mature green fruit the day before the first killing frost. These fruit will ripen gradually over several weeks if wrapped individually in paper and stored in a paper bag at 55 to 65 degrees. You can accelerate the process by putting an unwrapped orange in the bag (a banana or apple will also work). The orange releases the same hormone as the seeds but now it ripens the tomatoes from the outside in. The color looks great, but the flavor chemicals aren't being synthesized inside. Many of the loose tomatoes you buy in the market are sprayed with this same hormone and ripened from the outside in. This is just one more reason why your home grown tomatoes taste better.
Trout
Learning to Farm
Silver Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2011
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- 217
- Tractor
- Kubota L3750
dave1949 said:
Side question: Have you ever tried to grow white asparagus? It is covered (with dirt I think) until harvest. I had it first overseas an see it in the grocer occasionally, buy it no matter the price. It is so tender, with garlic and butter as a side to salmon. Delish!
Second side note: The visual of Bird "whipping" tomato plants with a riding crop to increase pollination had me literally LOL!
Alan L.
Elite Member
I'm catching the next plane for Maine.