Alaska- greenhouse tomatoes 2014 - Page 12

AKmark · August 17, 2014

Bower, my Indian Stripe did not come up, I will try it again next year, thanks for all the great dialogue.
efisakov, I couple years ago I bought FL from Tomatofest, expect alittle variation. I also got some seed from a friend whose mom lives in Pa and got some seed from Doug Oster, so I will plant those next year to see if it's close to the same. I can also send some seed out of my favorite plant, I still have tomatoes coming off of it, so I can harvest a lot more seed. If you want some send me your address on PM.
I am going to try David's Pink, because I thought EPB is excellent. I will have to dig out my Bear Creek seeds, I sure am happy with that one.
Thanks,
Mark

AKmark · August 21, 2014

Black Prince is a great yielding tomato that many people really like, easy to grow, but it will crack badly if watering is off.
Some pics of Blk Prince and Chocolate Stripes, who lost its stripes.

AKmark · August 21, 2014

Sudduth's taste the best, Cowlick's yields the best, prettiest tomatoes too. All are good though. First pic Sudduth'd, middle two Cowlick's, Glick's last

AKmark · August 30, 2014

The tomatoes are slowing down a bit, but we are still pulling pretty decent amounts a couple times a week. I imagine I can keep them going for about 6 more weeks, it's just hard to end the season.
Have been saving a lot of seed for next year, I sure got to sink my teeth into some really tasty treats this year, so I made sure to save the good seed.
Take care,
Mark

efisakov · August 30, 2014

Mark, start selling seeds, i will purchase.

Barb_FL · August 30, 2014

I'm always amazed seeing your pics. That's slowing down? Are your buckets on grates? Was this your best year?

kath · August 30, 2014

Thanks for sharing your growing year with us, Mark- truly inspiring!

kath

zero244 · August 30, 2014

Marks pics blow everyone away including me. It would take me 2 or 3 years just to use the tomatoes in his last picture.
What Mark is doing is really at a commercial level, well beyond your average home grower.
Very impressive to say the least.
I am getting some small harvests in and really enjoying the fresh homegrown tomatoes.
Keep it up Mark........... every time you post something you seem to out do yourself as well.

AKmark · August 30, 2014

Thanks everyone, I just post pics to show that growers in the north can enjoy tasty tomatoes too.
Ella, I will send you some seed, let me finish collecting everything, then I will will let you know what I have, and I will suggest a couple too.

Barb I set my containers on grates to keep them off of the ground, the ground up here is cold, even IRT covered raised beds don't do as well for me, I just do everything I can to keep roots warm.

I found 90 percent of my favorites right here on tomatoville, even before I signed up I was collecting info. People like Camo, Carolyn, Darrell, many others, are very helpful by sharing knowledge of good varieties.

Thanks again, and I hope some of what I posted will help other northern gardeners.

efisakov · August 31, 2014

Thank you, Mark.
I think part of your success is in the soil, you mixed. You created some kind of magic soil, that your tomatoes are creasy about. I do see once in a while my tomato plants becoming overachievers, but all your plants are doing that. Congratulations. I am knocking on the wood, not to jinks it.
Keep on posting pictures.

AKmark · August 31, 2014

I wanted to see how container size affects yield and taste, the variety was BW Cowlick's.

5 different 4" containers produced from about 3/4 of a pound to about a pound per container, the 3/4 gallon container looks like it has about 3-4 lbs. The cuttings are the same age of the brandywines I have shown you pics of already.

The main function of the test was to see if taste was affected when the same type is grown in small containers which has to be watered more often. Plain and simple- NO, not even a little bit, and too boot, the containers medium was surely leeched of all nutrients too, so what I gave them is how they survived. The medium is Pro-mix, I was very surprised how good that first pink tomato tasted, absolutely delicious.

My conclusion is that well grown tomatoes that are from good seed sources, TASTE GOOD. LOL

JamesL · August 31, 2014

Cool experiment Mark.
Your greenhouses and pics this year have been truly inspirational!

Barb_FL · August 31, 2014

Mark, I would not have thought that was possible; How often did you have to water / feed those plants?

Do you think it was the seed itself, or the nutrients you fed it?

Lots of people use promix, so we can take that out of the equation. I'm so interested in this b/c I am gearing up for the fall season. BTW - I have Early Girl and Big Rainbow seedlings (earlier recommendation on this post) from seeds I already had purchased.

Definitely keep the pics and experiments coming.

dokutaaguriin · September 1, 2014

HI Mark,
Thank-you ever so much for posting all your pictures in this thread. I just went through the entire thread and am absolutely FLABBERGASTED! You, sir, are a true inspiration to tomato growers every where.
What do you use the (rain) gutters for in front of your support structures? And, I may have missed it but do you use an automated drip system to fertigate your plants?
Jeff

AKmark · September 1, 2014

Hi Barb, I had to water them 2-3 times a day, just like the bigger plants, but they did dry out pretty bad a couple of times, oddly the fruit did not crack when they were watered.

The good taste was retained, but it comes with the variety/ good seed. I always believed it is easy too ruin a good tasting variety, but it's hard to make a bad one good.

I feed them continuous feed fertilizer, I have used a couple of types, and am fixing to change again.

Jeff, this is my wife's flower greenhouse, the gutters are for trailing vine things for planters. I am not allowed in this greenhouse with tomatoes until June, to push the subject would be certain misery for me. lol
I hand watered all of the tomatoes because I have been growing so many different varieties, which all seem to grow a little different. Most everything is going on drips now, I am sick of watering, and feel my experiment is coming to an end, now I have to decide where to go with it.
Producing tomatoes for others has been so much fun, but it also takes a lot of my time. I love to whitewater kayak, my whole family does it, my kids are in high school and I turned 50, so I have to be aware of the time train, and juggle my summers to accommodate everything important to my family and beyond. I will certainly grow quite a few plants a year, but 400 trees may be a bit much.
Thanks again, if I can do it anyone can,
Mark

August 17, 2014	#166
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	Bower, my Indian Stripe did not come up, I will try it again next year, thanks for all the great dialogue. efisakov, I couple years ago I bought FL from Tomatofest, expect alittle variation. I also got some seed from a friend whose mom lives in Pa and got some seed from Doug Oster, so I will plant those next year to see if it's close to the same. I can also send some seed out of my favorite plant, I still have tomatoes coming off of it, so I can harvest a lot more seed. If you want some send me your address on PM. I am going to try David's Pink, because I thought EPB is excellent. I will have to dig out my Bear Creek seeds, I sure am happy with that one. Thanks, Mark Last edited by AKmark; August 17, 2014 at 02:23 PM.

August 30, 2014	#170
efisakov Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NJ, zone 7 Posts: 3,162	Mark, start selling seeds, i will purchase. __________________ Ella God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!”

August 31, 2014	#175
efisakov Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NJ, zone 7 Posts: 3,162	Thank you, Mark. I think part of your success is in the soil, you mixed. You created some kind of magic soil, that your tomatoes are creasy about. I do see once in a while my tomato plants becoming overachievers, but all your plants are doing that. Congratulations. I am knocking on the wood, not to jinks it. Keep on posting pictures. __________________ Ella God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!”

August 30, 2014	#171
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 1,999	I'm always amazed seeing your pics. That's slowing down? Are your buckets on grates? Was this your best year?

August 30, 2014	#172
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Thanks for sharing your growing year with us, Mark- truly inspiring! kath

August 30, 2014	#173
zero244 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Oregon Posts: 47	Marks pics blow everyone away including me. It would take me 2 or 3 years just to use the tomatoes in his last picture. What Mark is doing is really at a commercial level, well beyond your average home grower. Very impressive to say the least. I am getting some small harvests in and really enjoying the fresh homegrown tomatoes. Keep it up Mark........... every time you post something you seem to out do yourself as well.

August 30, 2014	#174
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	Thanks everyone, I just post pics to show that growers in the north can enjoy tasty tomatoes too. Ella, I will send you some seed, let me finish collecting everything, then I will will let you know what I have, and I will suggest a couple too. Barb I set my containers on grates to keep them off of the ground, the ground up here is cold, even IRT covered raised beds don't do as well for me, I just do everything I can to keep roots warm. I found 90 percent of my favorites right here on tomatoville, even before I signed up I was collecting info. People like Camo, Carolyn, Darrell, many others, are very helpful by sharing knowledge of good varieties. Thanks again, and I hope some of what I posted will help other northern gardeners.

August 31, 2014	#177
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Cool experiment Mark. Your greenhouses and pics this year have been truly inspirational!

August 31, 2014	#178
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 1,999	Mark, I would not have thought that was possible; How often did you have to water / feed those plants? Do you think it was the seed itself, or the nutrients you fed it? Lots of people use promix, so we can take that out of the equation. I'm so interested in this b/c I am gearing up for the fall season. BTW - I have Early Girl and Big Rainbow seedlings (earlier recommendation on this post) from seeds I already had purchased. Definitely keep the pics and experiments coming.

September 1, 2014	#179
dokutaaguriin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alberta, Canada Z3a Posts: 905	HI Mark, Thank-you ever so much for posting all your pictures in this thread. I just went through the entire thread and am absolutely FLABBERGASTED! You, sir, are a true inspiration to tomato growers every where. What do you use the (rain) gutters for in front of your support structures? And, I may have missed it but do you use an automated drip system to fertigate your plants? Jeff

September 1, 2014	#180
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	Hi Barb, I had to water them 2-3 times a day, just like the bigger plants, but they did dry out pretty bad a couple of times, oddly the fruit did not crack when they were watered. The good taste was retained, but it comes with the variety/ good seed. I always believed it is easy too ruin a good tasting variety, but it's hard to make a bad one good. I feed them continuous feed fertilizer, I have used a couple of types, and am fixing to change again. Jeff, this is my wife's flower greenhouse, the gutters are for trailing vine things for planters. I am not allowed in this greenhouse with tomatoes until June, to push the subject would be certain misery for me. lol I hand watered all of the tomatoes because I have been growing so many different varieties, which all seem to grow a little different. Most everything is going on drips now, I am sick of watering, and feel my experiment is coming to an end, now I have to decide where to go with it. Producing tomatoes for others has been so much fun, but it also takes a lot of my time. I love to whitewater kayak, my whole family does it, my kids are in high school and I turned 50, so I have to be aware of the time train, and juggle my summers to accommodate everything important to my family and beyond. I will certainly grow quite a few plants a year, but 400 trees may be a bit much. Thanks again, if I can do it anyone can, Mark