Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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October 16, 2012 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Clemson SC
Posts: 143
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What have I gotten myself in to!?!?
I started this thread a few weeks back asking for input. I'd just gotten interested in Heirloom Tomatoes.
I've since found myself reading, studying, deciding, and ordering seeds. I've currently got 30 on my "list" ...when everything gets here. What's more ridiculous is that on my slightly-more than-a-half-acre, I only garden on 64sqft of it (using Mel Bartholomew's New Squarefoot Gardening book as a guide.) This past year, I only grew 8 tomato plants. I'm going to have to get creative! Please feel free to comment on anything above, or the varieties selected below. Abraham Lincoln Arkansas Traveler Aunt Ruby's German Green Beauty King Black from Tula Black Krim Brandywine Red 'Landis' Bulgarian Triumph Cherokee Purple Costoluto Genovese Garden Peach Green Giant Hillbilly Indian Stripe Japanese Trifele Black Jaune Flamme KBX Kellogg's Breakfast Lyuda's Mom's Large Red Ukrainian Marglobe Supreme Money Maker Mortgage Lifter Mortgage Lifter 'Estlers' Olena Ukrainian Pink Berkeley Tie Dye Pink Honey Porter 'Herring' Razzleberry OP Rutgers (I'll have to double-check this one) Sekai Ichi Sweet 100 |
October 16, 2012 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan
Posts: 1,051
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It's occurred again. Another inductee in the Hall of Fame, Tomato Addicts Wing.
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October 16, 2012 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 481
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Welcome, Initiate, into the Order of the Way of the Tomato!
Over a hundred tomato plants in my suburban backyard this year. Even some red varieties this year. And around five hundred varieties in my collection....so far......bwah, ha, ha! |
October 16, 2012 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 4,488
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I can help you expand that garden. Start saving newspapers. Find a source of old spoiled hay.
Don't worry about plowing tilling shovelling cultivating hoeing or raking. Just in the spring Mow the lawn short lay out the papers up to 6 layers think and cover with old hay mulch. You are done for the year in all ground prep and weeding tasks. When your tomatoes are ready to transplant just pull the mulch away from a small area and poke a hole through the paper with a bulb planter or hand trowel. Transplant and pull the hay back around the base of the tomato plant. You are done.
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Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture |
October 16, 2012 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: north central B.C.
Posts: 2,310
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Welcome to the dark side, and the red side, and the pink side, and the green-when-ripe side...
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"He who has a library and a garden wants for nothing." -Cicero |
October 16, 2012 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Anmore, BC, Canada
Posts: 3,970
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Welcome to the world of tomato addicts... hmmm... sorry... tomato lovers!
I also started with only 3 varieties at the beginning of this century, and I now have 2700+ tomato varieties in my seed collection. No attempts to get it under control were successful. I hope you already came across Tatiana's TOMATObase. If not, then perhaps you'll find it useful in your search for some great tomato varieties! The ones on your list that I love are Aunt Ruby's German Green, Black from Tula, Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Green Giant, Olena Ukrainian, Pink Berkeley Tie Dye, Jaune Flamme, KBX, and Mortgage Lifter. Tatiana
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Tatiana's TOMATObase Last edited by Tania; October 16, 2012 at 06:49 PM. |
October 16, 2012 | #7 |
Riding The Crazy Train Again
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: San Marcos, California
Posts: 2,562
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Salix, good one !
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October 16, 2012 | #8 | ||
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Clemson SC
Posts: 143
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I'd be interested what it is that you like about the ones you mentioned, particularly Olena Ukrainian. |
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October 16, 2012 | #9 | |||
Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Z6 WNY
Posts: 2,354
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Remy
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"I wake to sleep and take my waking slow" -Theodore Roethke Yes, we have a great party for WNY/Ontario tomato growers every year on Grand Island! Owner of The Sample Seed Shop |
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October 16, 2012 | #10 |
Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Z6 WNY
Posts: 2,354
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bwaynef,
I forgot to say sorry as I'm a tomato addict, you'll not get much help from me Unless of course you list something on my never grow again list. Remy
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"I wake to sleep and take my waking slow" -Theodore Roethke Yes, we have a great party for WNY/Ontario tomato growers every year on Grand Island! Owner of The Sample Seed Shop |
October 16, 2012 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 4,488
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Agreed! If you got it, use it. That goes for compost, well aged manure, worm castings or any other beneficial soil amendments! But no way should it stop anyone just because they don't have everything needed to make the soil perfect first year.
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Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture |
October 16, 2012 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 614
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That is one serious compost-load of tomatoes, bwaynef. I suggest you Tom Sawyer it out a little bit, let your friends and loved ones in on the fun. Give a few people some seeds and instructions, and maybe you can garden vicariously in part. Just a thought. Would that work?
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October 17, 2012 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 481
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I concur with Redbaron and Remy. Don't let building up a spot to be "good" stop you from getting started. And a lot of tomatoes will surprise you with results, even when neglected. Mow it short enough to mash down with the newspaper layers or cardboard or even old cotton fabric (sheets, blankets, stained clothing, etc). If you can't get old hay, try something else----some store bought bark mulch or cedar chips (preferably something that isn't artificially colored) or trimmings off your yard (if untreated with herbicides).....
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October 17, 2012 | #14 | ||
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Clemson SC
Posts: 143
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October 17, 2012 | #15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 26
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A great list of tomatoes there! I'm a bit of a "black" freak and I can vouch for your selection of Black Krim, Japanese Black Trifele and Black From Tula. I grow these three every year. They always seem to do well for me. All three are quite similar in taste and I think they taste excellent. Of the three, I find the Trifele and Tula the standouts. They are prolific producers! In my opininion, Japanese Black Trifele is a little underrated. It deserves a spot in everyone's grow list. It really is an excellent tomato. Good luck with your crop.
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