This Just Gets Worse Every Year... - Page 2

JustBob · June 9, 2009

Wow....and I thought I was the only one crazy enough to work full time and spend all my extra time growing tomatoes!
And then I found this site. It's great!
First off thanks for allowing me to join the group! This being my first post I'll keep it short
I started experimenting with production growing 2 years ago and have progressed from 20 plants year one to 30 plants year 2 and now 300 plants since I was able to find a farmer with lots of room and water!
Well now I'm scrambling trying to get them all trellis before they topple over.
Thanks again Tomatoville - glad I found you

Nice setup Bladekeeper!
JustBob in central NC
35yrs gardening

newatthiskat · June 9, 2009

Welcome to Tomatoville JustBob! I look forward to learning from you
Kat

Moonglow · June 9, 2009

Welcome to Tomatoville, JustBob! You'll love it here

.

veggie babe · June 10, 2009

Welcome, this place is the greatest. I joined in dec. 08 and have gained a lot of knowledge about gardening, canning and amending the soil. I have done all this before but things have changed and this is my first year to garden without chemicals.

hope you have a great harvest,

neva

JustBob · July 14, 2009

Hi Kat, moonglow and VB
Well if you like to learn the hard way then we make a good team!. I just went out to the farm on Sunday and there wasn't a big green tomato in site. From the evidence left behind I would say a herd of deer found my biggest green tomatoes most flavorful. So I put up some electric tape and now I'm hunting for a solar fence charger. Live and learn
Happy gardening
Bob in NC

Moonglow · July 14, 2009

So sorry to hear about your Deer Event. I hope you're not vegetarian. I'm sure our fellow TVille citizens have recipes

. Thank goodness my property when we bought it already had deer fencing (before I though, what the heck is this?)

My number one nemesis is the squirrel family and the other Stellar Blue Jays (used to be my favorite local bird).

Bladekeeper, please update on your tomato jungle! Pretty please!

veggie babe · July 16, 2009

Bob in NC, the deer have eaten the leaves off of my eggplants and topped my peppers so I know sorta of how you feel. Sorry about all those green maters.

neva

zopi · July 16, 2009

You should try some pumpkins..just for variety...

Nightshade · July 31, 2009

Oh, my, Bob. . how I needed that laugh!

(Edit to add oops. I'm so sorry Bob. That wasn't funny for you...what a heartbreaker. I meant Bryan, and I was laughing at his tomato OCD.0

AZRuss: ha....out of control again, eh? I thought the plan for 09 was restraint!

Zanna, what I wouldn't give for one other tomato-talking friend!

Thank god for youse guys, and the 'net!

jan

AZRuss · July 31, 2009

Hey Jan!

Yeah, restraint didn't work--I was still testing varieties for this desert climate. I've learned now that just about any variety will grow here--just get it out early and don't expect it to perform after mid-June. I'm practicing restraint for my fall crop, choosing a few mid season varieties for production and taste. I'm tired of testing for heat tolerance and ending up with a few flavorless tomatoes.

How's your garden this year?

Russ

Nightshade · July 31, 2009

Late frosts kept me from getting transplants going until mid-april and the ground squirrels have been voracious. All in all, considering that I started with 50 plants of different varieties it was a pretty miserable year. I

It would have been much better, though if I had practiced agressive pest control earlier.

I thought maybe I would beat the little squirrel basserds tothe punch and harvest early. I hung the most promising large, laden truss upside down in a tree and the racoons took the whole thing away. Then, by the time the few whole fruits on the kitchen table were coming ripe, I was headed off on vacatio so they went to a neighbor.

I haven't totally bgiven up on the summer plants, though. If i can keep the critters away I have a few that are showing promise. Perhaps I'll get a taste of that Azoychka yet!

jan

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZRuss

Hey Jan!

Yeah, restraint didn't work--I was still testing varieties for this desert climate. I've learned now that just about any variety will grow here--just get it out early and don't expect it to perform after mid-June. I'm practicing restraint for my fall crop, choosing a few mid season varieties for production and taste. I'm tired of testing for heat tolerance and ending up with a few flavorless tomatoes.

How's your garden this year?

Russ

ovenbird · August 30, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by bladekeeper

In 2007 I did 34 tomatoes. Everyone rolled their eyes at me.

In 2008 I did 86 tomatoes and 9 peppers. People talked behind my back.

This year I have 132 tomatoes, 41 peppers, and 8 eggplants. My family refuses to look me in the eye and NO ONE volunteers conversation on the topic.

Bryan

Yes, it is a highly contagious disease, this matermania. I had 14 plants the first year and 50 the next. This year I failed to put seed to soil in any reasonable time frame, so I bought a few plants, but I am already planning for 2010.

AZRuss · August 30, 2009

At the moment I'm actually considering planting fewer tomato plants next year. I've been experimenting with literally everything trying to find heat tolerance. I had so many taste disappointments this year that I'm considering altering my strategy for next spring: planting fewer varieties of two or three plants each and going for fabulous taste and production, and accepting the fact that July is end of season for me.

(Sure. Check with me on this in February.)

RJ_Hythloday · August 31, 2009

6 last year, 15 this year, corn is going away but replanting another area for more cukes. I hope to have at least 20 next year.

Wi-sunflower · August 31, 2009

You guys with just a city garden don't know how bad it can be until you buy a farm and have unlimited acreage to let the tomatoes expand into.

We have a 100 acre farm and do 25-40 acres of vegies most years. This year we have around 5 acres of tomatoes of aprox 300 varieties.

There actually should have been more but because the greenhouse was an overstuffed mess, we accidentally sold out a few varieties before we realized it. Because I save and sell seed, I like to plant a smaller section of purchased seed plants next to my own saved seed plants so I can compare and see if I'm getting what I'm supposed to be getting. This year I only have about 1/2 of my comparisons. I need to fix up more greenhouse space before next year so we are better organized.

The bad part is that since I found Tomatoville, I know that I will probably have even more varieties next year. But we had our Tomato Day tasting on Sunday, and there was a decent interest in these good flavored tomatoes. Some kids that "don't like tomatoes" found that they actually do like some of the different flavored varieties.

Carol

June 9, 2009	#17
newatthiskat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: texas Posts: 1,451	reply Welcome to Tomatoville JustBob! I look forward to learning from you Kat

June 9, 2009	#18
Moonglow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Corte Madera, CA - Sunset Zone 16 Posts: 356	Welcome to Tomatoville, JustBob! You'll love it here . __________________ Moonglow Gardens Sustainable Gardening One Planter at a Time Sunset Zone 17 Apparently - - - Without the fog!

July 14, 2009	#21
Moonglow Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Corte Madera, CA - Sunset Zone 16 Posts: 356	So sorry to hear about your Deer Event. I hope you're not vegetarian. I'm sure our fellow TVille citizens have recipes . Thank goodness my property when we bought it already had deer fencing (before I though, what the heck is this?) My number one nemesis is the squirrel family and the other Stellar Blue Jays (used to be my favorite local bird). Bladekeeper, please update on your tomato jungle! Pretty please! __________________ Moonglow Gardens Sustainable Gardening One Planter at a Time Sunset Zone 17 Apparently - - - Without the fog! Last edited by Moonglow; July 14, 2009 at 02:31 PM. Reason: Spelling!

July 31, 2009	#24
Nightshade Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: So. California Posts: 178	Oh, my, Bob. . how I needed that laugh! (Edit to add oops. I'm so sorry Bob. That wasn't funny for you...what a heartbreaker. I meant Bryan, and I was laughing at his tomato OCD.0 AZRuss: ha....out of control again, eh? I thought the plan for 09 was restraint! Zanna, what I wouldn't give for one other tomato-talking friend! Thank god for youse guys, and the 'net! jan Last edited by Nightshade; July 31, 2009 at 01:52 PM.

June 9, 2009	#16
JustBob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Hillsborough NC Posts: 8	Wow....and I thought I was the only one crazy enough to work full time and spend all my extra time growing tomatoes! And then I found this site. It's great! First off thanks for allowing me to join the group! This being my first post I'll keep it short I started experimenting with production growing 2 years ago and have progressed from 20 plants year one to 30 plants year 2 and now 300 plants since I was able to find a farmer with lots of room and water! Well now I'm scrambling trying to get them all trellis before they topple over. Thanks again Tomatoville - glad I found you Nice setup Bladekeeper! JustBob in central NC 35yrs gardening

June 10, 2009	#19
veggie babe Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: east texas Posts: 686	Welcome, this place is the greatest. I joined in dec. 08 and have gained a lot of knowledge about gardening, canning and amending the soil. I have done all this before but things have changed and this is my first year to garden without chemicals. hope you have a great harvest, neva

July 16, 2009	#22
veggie babe Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: east texas Posts: 686	Bob in NC, the deer have eaten the leaves off of my eggplants and topped my peppers so I know sorta of how you feel. Sorry about all those green maters. neva

July 16, 2009	#23
zopi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: VA Posts: 39	You should try some pumpkins..just for variety...

July 31, 2009	#25
AZRuss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 171	Hey Jan! Yeah, restraint didn't work--I was still testing varieties for this desert climate. I've learned now that just about any variety will grow here--just get it out early and don't expect it to perform after mid-June. I'm practicing restraint for my fall crop, choosing a few mid season varieties for production and taste. I'm tired of testing for heat tolerance and ending up with a few flavorless tomatoes. How's your garden this year? Russ

August 30, 2009	#28
AZRuss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 171	At the moment I'm actually considering planting fewer tomato plants next year. I've been experimenting with literally everything trying to find heat tolerance. I had so many taste disappointments this year that I'm considering altering my strategy for next spring: planting fewer varieties of two or three plants each and going for fabulous taste and production, and accepting the fact that July is end of season for me. (Sure. Check with me on this in February.)

August 31, 2009	#29
RJ_Hythloday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Logan, UT Posts: 207	6 last year, 15 this year, corn is going away but replanting another area for more cukes. I hope to have at least 20 next year.

August 31, 2009	#30
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	You guys with just a city garden don't know how bad it can be until you buy a farm and have unlimited acreage to let the tomatoes expand into. We have a 100 acre farm and do 25-40 acres of vegies most years. This year we have around 5 acres of tomatoes of aprox 300 varieties. There actually should have been more but because the greenhouse was an overstuffed mess, we accidentally sold out a few varieties before we realized it. Because I save and sell seed, I like to plant a smaller section of purchased seed plants next to my own saved seed plants so I can compare and see if I'm getting what I'm supposed to be getting. This year I only have about 1/2 of my comparisons. I need to fix up more greenhouse space before next year so we are better organized. The bad part is that since I found Tomatoville, I know that I will probably have even more varieties next year. But we had our Tomato Day tasting on Sunday, and there was a decent interest in these good flavored tomatoes. Some kids that "don't like tomatoes" found that they actually do like some of the different flavored varieties. Carol