Growing tomatoes in Austin, TX
 

First I would like to thank one of the members here (Bill, also known as [URL="https://auth.gardenweb.com/members/hoosiercherokee"][COLOR=#0000ff]hoosiercherokee[/COLOR][/URL]) who generously offered me tomato seeds and directed me here. Secondly thanks to other people who sent me seeds. Lots of familiar IDs here. This is a great forum with tons of tomato information. Talk about tomato seeds addiction only after two years of trying growing them! I found so many texans here too! How-dy!

I am using nctomatoman's dense planting method to start my tomato seeds. I put about 10-30 seeds in each 4 inch cell two weeks ago and they are all out. I don't have a green house or lights set up in garage yet. I put them outside everyday (~sunny 70C). Is it OK to leave those young babies outside at night now? (40-50C nowadays in Austin). They don't have true leaves yet.

I also had problem to grow brandywine last year. 7 feet plants with flowers but no fruits in May-June. Any Austinites have similar or different experience? Should I try them again? Does KB and KBX work here? My favorite is cherokee purple which are very productive and flavorable. So I have great hope to their relatives--Cherokee green, Indian stripe, and JP's C spec Tex this year. I would like to grow large tomatos (1lb plus) which are easy to pick and three cherries (black cherry, sungold, sweet 10^6). Almost no mediums.

Thanks for sharing your tomato growing experience. Sorry for the first long post.
newgardener_tx:cute:

Howdy, I live here in south Austin. My Brandywine Sudduth didn't do to well last year. My guess is the heat. I really try to grow nothing but the Cherries due to medium and up the birds get them.

Welcome to Tomatoville!!!

[quote=newgardener_tx;119527]I put about 10-30 seeds in each 4 inch cell two weeks ago and they are all out. I don't have a green house or lights set up in garage yet. [/quote]
You're a little late, maybe 1 - 2 weeks late but it's being a very cold year so far. January 8-15th is the ideal time to start seeds.

[quote=newgardener_tx;119527] I also had problem to grow brandywine last year. 7 feet plants with flowers but no fruits in May-June.[/quote]
If evening temps are 40F+ then I'd try to plant as early as March 8th and be ready to protect them with blankets, sheets, row cover. Plants should hopefully be 10-12 inches tall at that point and ready to hit the ground running. If the soil is properly amended and fertilized, then most of your fruitset will happen at the end of March, early April.

In Houston, I got about a dozen tomatoes on my Brandywine which I will admit is pretty unusual. For a good -- although not as good as Brandywine -- pink beefsteak, I grow Gregori's Altai and get 20 tomatoes per plant.

[quote=newgardener_tx;119527]Does KB and KBX work here? My favorite is cherokee purple which are very productive and flavorable. So I have great hope to their relatives--Cherokee green, Indian stripe, and JP's C spec Tex this year. I would like to grow large tomatos (1lb plus) which are easy to pick and three cherries (black cherry, sungold, sweet 10^6).[/quote]
Sounds like some of my favorite varieties. ;)

KBX is probably one of the most productive golden/yellow tomato types for here. If you plant it out early enough then I think you'll get some good tomatoes. Suze got 40 KBX off one plant in a container in Elgin, TX last year.

I love Cherokee Purple, Indian Stripe, and JD's Special C-Tex and hope you will too. :)

Out of 30 plants, I got 6 tomatoes that were about or over a pound. I hope to get more large tomatoes this year. Suze got a lot of [URL="http://www.feldoncentral.com/garden/photos/v/memberphotos/suze/Spring+08/onepoundplus+005.jpg.html"]large tomatoes[/URL] in Elgin, TX.


P.S. I pick my tomatoes when they are just blushing.

I'm in Kyle Texas and this is my second year growing anything. I don't know if I should count last year, however, as I really only had one productive plant, a Bush Early Girl Hybrid. It produced like mad all summer no matter how hot it got.

This year, I'm trying all kinds of stuff:
Round One:
BrandyWine (Seed Packet)
Cherokee Purple
Marianna's Peace
Coyote Cherry
Black Cherry
Red BrandyWine
Roma (Seed Packet)

Round Two:
Sweet Million (Seed from last year)
Sun Gold (Seed packet)
Black Krim (Seed Packet)
Cherokee Purple (Seed Packet)
Pink BrandyWine (Seed Packet)
Celebrity Hybrid (Seed Packet) (for comparison purposes)

Those that are labeled "Seed Packet" came from a commercially purchased Seed Packet (thus the name). The rest came from someone who was kind enough to send me seeds in exchange for a SASE.

I planted the 30 seeds on Jan 13 in a 72 slot Jiffy Greenhouse that uses peat pellets (half of them anyway... Roma and above). Nearly all of them germinated, have been transplanted to peat pots and are in the process of hardening off. I had to put them back under the lights today as it is raining and I don't want them drowning in the tray I use to carry them around. I plan on putting at least three in the ground as soon as I have time and can get the bed ready. I chose three because I have three WOW's.

I started a second round on Feb 2 that includes those tomatoes below "Roma" as well as cilantro, basil, acorn squash and pomegranate. All the tomatoes and basil have sprouted and the cilantro is just starting to come up.

I'll let you guys know how each one does as the year goes on. I will also be extremely interested in knowing how [I]yall's[/I] do as that will be a big help in knowing what to do for next year and the years that follow.

newgardener,

Is JP's C spec Tex a new variety derived from JD's Special C-Tex? If so what is its description, color leaf type, flavor etc. Sounds interesting.

welcome,
there's tons of information on this forum, i have learned so much. as you can see i am still considered a newie. it will be an exciting time.:yes:
good luck,8-)

neva

[quote=Vince_chemist;120010]newgardener,

Is JP's C spec Tex a new variety derived from JD's Special C-Tex? If so what is its description, color leaf type, flavor etc. Sounds interesting.[/quote]
LOL. Obviously a slight unintentional mangling of the name. ;)

I hate to venture off topic, but does anyone know where I can pick up[FONT=&quot] JD's Special C-Tex seeds?[/FONT][B][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][/B]

typo
 

:lol: Vince,
Sorry the name is a typo. The correct name is JD's special C-Tex.

Welcome,

I live in Bastrop and have put out plants from mid February too mid March.
You never know what will do well but the early/mid season and smaller tomatoes will give you a much better yield.
I'm still working on what dues best consistently here.

So many to chose from.
Worth

Thank you all for all the good information. My tomato plants from seeds are starting to put out first set of true leaves. I have left them outside for a week. The weekend wind may have given them some hard time. All the stems are kind of purple. Do this mean they are hardened or they are stunned?
ArcherB, I have several JD's special C-tex plants. I can share with you one or two plants when they grow a little bit taller. Or you can wait for me to harvest seeds for your next year garden:)
New gardener

Re New Gardener:

You've Got Mail!

Also, I don't think the wind is bad for the plants. For that matter, people actually put fans on their seedlings because it thinkens the stems, making the plant sturdier. So, the wind should have been a good thing.

As for the purple stems, that is the Tomato Eggplant Stem Virus (TESV). OK, I'm kidding. I don't know what the purple stems are from. It could just be normal for that particular type of tomato. I've heard of cold weather causing purple veins in the leaves or causing leaves to turn purple-ish (a few of mine did it earlier this year). I don't think it's anything to worry about.

Edit Three!
Here's a link from another forum about purple stems:
[url]http://www.helpfulgardener.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1923[/url]

Here's one from this site:
[url]http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=4988&highlight=purple+stems[/url]

ArcherB,
Thanks for the TESV scare! Just replied your mail.

Look guys the purple stems are caused by the cool weather not allowing the plant to take up phosphorus and or potash.when it warms up it will go away.
my plants are purple every year because they stay cold all of the time.
The wind is good too as long as it doesn't blow the plants away.:)

Worth

Just spent two minutes to get my plants (4 flats) home from a sudden thunderstorm and got all wet. Sounds like some hails too. This texas weather! Hopefully everyone's plants are OK.:x

That weak little storm just passed by the house but I foresaw the rain and hauled mine in 30 minutes before it hit.
All 200 of them, I cut back from about 400 last year.

Today I was transplanting and got soaked, it felt great.:lol:

Worth

[quote=ArcherB;120046]I hate to venture off topic, but does anyone know where I can pick up[FONT=&quot] JD's Special C-Tex seeds?[/FONT][B][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][/B][/quote]
You mean for next year?

Archer, go to the Walmart on Ben White west of I-35 and ask the garden center manager if they are going to get JD's SC-TX transplants again this spring. They had them last spring from a local source.

[quote=feldon30;120145]You mean for next year?[/quote]

Next year, this year... doesn't matter. I would prefer this year. I know it's a bit late, but I believe I could still get them sprouted and in the ground by mid to late March. If these plants produce in the heat as well as I hear they do, it won't matter. If I could just get one tomato, that would supply me and a few others with enough seed to plant next year.

[QUOTE]Archer, go to the Walmart on Ben White west of I-35 and ask the garden center manager if they are going to get JD's SC-TX transplants again this spring. They had them last spring from a local source.[/QUOTE]

Thanx. I'll have to check them out. I pass by there every day on my way to and from work.

I've given up on trying to find tomato varieties that taste great and produce tomatoes in the heat of August. That is why I preach starting early, planting early, and protecting plants from frosts.

Best of luck whichever course you choose. Some of the other posters in this thread may even have extra JD's plants this year.

I'm looking for JD's seeds or plants as well. I dont think its too late to get 'em in the ground. The first plant that goes in the ground for me is Early Girl....this mater has consistently outperformed every other mater year after year. Last year I had one of the best years ever. Dont know if it was the rain or cool weather or what but I eventually had to pull up all my still producing plants in October so I would have a place to burn the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.

[quote=Plantersville;120803]I'm looking for JD's seeds or plants as well. I dont think its too late to get 'em in the ground. The first plant that goes in the ground for me is Early Girl....this mater has consistently outperformed every other mater year after year. Last year I had one of the best years ever. Dont know if it was the rain or cool weather or what but I eventually had to pull up all my still producing plants in October so I would have a place to burn the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.[/quote]


I did Bush Early Girl last year and had similar results. We had weeks of 100 degree weather and it didn't seem to bother the plant at all. I'd grow it again this year, but I'm sticking more or less to heirlooms. I want to see if I've been missing something.

update
 

All the plants from seeds now have true leaves. Since I don't have greenhouse and the weather is nice (60-75C day and 40-50 night)I left the plants outside. But it seems the plants are growing very slow. The stems and back side of the leaves are purple. I repot some of the plants yesterday to a 4 inch cell with potting soil. It doesn't look like I will have a big enough plants to go in the ground at the end of Febuary or early March. So I went shopping. I found in Austin, the Natural Gardener on old beecave, Red Barn (lots of choice for tomato and pepper) on 183& pond springs, Great Outdoor on Congress ave, Home Depot on Mopac& Braker lane all have tomato plants for sale. Very nice size. I got Cherokee purple, brandywine, big beef and celebrity. Natural Gardener has a big shipment of tomato plants today (~300 flats). So I may go check out again tomorrow.
Have fun to be tomato addictive.
New gardener in Tx:lol:

Have you fed your plants at all?

I only fed them water. Do I suppose to fertilize them? What should I use? I read it somewhere fertilizer may burn the little plants. All plants were in miracle-grow seed starting mix or Jiffy seed mix. I am assuming they contain some kind of nutrients.

I feed seedlings once during the seedling stage with a half strength fertilizer. I use Maxicrop Liquid Seaweed or Alaska Fish Emulsion.

Our son lives in Austin and tries to grow Super Sioux every year, (because his girlfriend works at a garden center and that's what was recommended by them). He's at zip 78722 near the old airport, for those that live there. He had good luck with this variety in 2007, but in '08 nothing produced.
(I guess because of the lack of rain). Anyway he gets seed from Lubbock TX. Seed Kingdom I think.

I am a bit puzzled at the statement in '08 "nothing produced". From most accounts it was a very good year for tomatoes. The lack of rain and lots of warm sunny days (rather than hot muggy days) meant less disease.

The only reason I had problems in June was I got lazy and didn't water as much. I had hundreds of tomatoes still on the vine, but they started to get tough from not being watered enough.

Is your son looking at irrigation options?

Last year was a diaster for tomato in Austin. We got heatwave (100F) around mid-June then all plants stopped producing. I got my plants in really early and harvested some tomatoes. Lots of people didn't harvest much tomatoes. The whole July and August are tomatoless. Got fall tomatoes in late August and killed by ealy freeze (Nov. 17th) when just started to harvest. So again I am putting any plants on my wish list that I can find in the ground now. I have five already. (CP, brandywine, lemon boy, sweet 100 and celebrity)