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Old September 20, 2018   #1
materlvr
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Default I need advice/info-minimal sunlight for maters

Hello, for the last 6 years I have been growing Stupice in 20 gallon pots on my balcony. They've always grown great with lots of maters. This summer I decided I wanted to grow 2 slicers. I planted a Box Car Willie and Brandywine Red. The Box Car Willie came out smaller than a golf ball and tasted horrible. I suspect that the stake was the wrong tomato.

The Brandywine Red had lots of blossoms but all but 4 fell off before pollination. The 4 tomatoes I did get were tiny but they tasted great.

I get about 4 hours a day of afternoon sun. Is this the reason that I had such a bad season? Is there a tasty mater that does well with minimal sunlight? I hate to go back to Stupice and wait until Saturday to get my suspected, refrigerated tomato for my cheeseburger

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Old September 20, 2018   #2
Koala Doug
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I also get very limited amounts of direct sun - I get almost five hours in the spring, but that continually drops to about three hours by early September. I feel your pain.


But you can grow tasty tomatoes with limited light. It's not ideal, but some of us have no other choice. Even Craig LeHoullier has limited light in his driveway garden (not as limited as you or I, but still less than what is considered 'ideal').


Since you can't control the amount of direct sunlight, focus on what you can control: Nutrients, PH, growing medium, etc.


I've never found a tomato that I couldn't grow in my adverse conditions. But some years Mother Nature wrecks our best laid plans. For me, this year has been the worst in memory as we had a terrible heatwave for three straight weeks in July. Those flower blossoms that didn't fall off (and a ton did), actually pollinated, and made it all the way to the breaker stage, were not very good tasting. Some recovery has happened, but this is just going to go down as an 'off year'. These type of climatic conditions happen sometimes... nothing anyone can do about it but to try again next season.




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Old September 20, 2018   #3
materlvr
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I posted the above to Craig's Facebook page, thanks so much for your reply
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Old September 21, 2018   #4
MrBig46
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I would recommend a Start F1 hybrid. Several times I had it on partially shaded land, and tomatoes were better than in direct sunlight. And the sun in us is probably not as sharp as it is with you. For me, it is the most delicious slicer I've ever eaten. One more interesting point: One more interesting: Start F1 hybrid in which it is used as a single parent Stupice normal sheet.. If you grow well, you will also have a good Start F1
Vladimír
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Old September 21, 2018   #5
materlvr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrBig46 View Post
I would recommend a Start F1 hybrid. Several times I had it on partially shaded land, and tomatoes were better than in direct sunlight. And the sun in us is probably not as sharp as it is with you. For me, it is the most delicious slicer I've ever eaten. One more interesting point: One more interesting: Start F1 hybrid in which it is used as a single parent Stupice normal sheet.. If you grow well, you will also have a good Start F1
Vladimír
What variety exactly would you recommend?
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Old September 21, 2018   #6
MrBig46
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Start F1 (its name is - it's a Czech variety). Look at Tatiana's TOMATObase
Vladimír
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Old September 24, 2018   #7
zipcode
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Stupice is quite tolerant of shade. And in general big tomatoes don't do so well. Most cocktail or cherries do well.
For slicers you will have to try more types until you find one that fits your conditions. I have direct sun from about 1pm, and I can grow any variety, so 4 hours is doable, depends a lot on how much indirect sun you get.
I would start with Indian Stripe, my default recommendation for balcony.
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Old September 24, 2018   #8
saltmarsh
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I started growing tomatoes because I really enjoy a good tomato and mayonaise sandwich. But I couldn't buy it in the store. I grew as many as 75 varieties a year. I over wintered tomatoes in a modified hoop house.

And then a couple of years ago I read a little blurb about research by the University of Florida to improve the taste of commercial tomatoes.

Since then I've had good tasting tomatoes year round. I eat about 5 pounds a week of fresh tomatoes not counting the tomatoes I can during the summer for chili, soups and stews.

I said I like good tasting tomatoes.

This is easy once you get the hang of it. Grow a crop of tomatoes every week.

Tools are fairly cheap and you may already have them. A little meat probe to measure temperature and a timer.

Buy 5 pounds of the red cardboard slicers from the grocery. Select unblemished plump less than ripe tomatoes.

Run 125 degree F. tap water in a pot which will hold all the tomatoes.

Remove any stems and labels like "Product of Mexico" and place the tomatoes in the pot of water.

Place a saucer on top to hold them under the water.

Set your timer for 5 minutes and press "start". After 5 minutes remove the tomatoes to dry on a kitchen towel. DON'T REFERIGERATE THEM. Let them ripen on the counter for a week. Don't cheat - 7 days.

You won't believe the improvement in flavor and texture.

125 degrees F. for 5 minutes allow to ripen on the counter for a week.

Start another crop. Claud

By the way, they don't need sunllight to ripen, you can ripen them in a closet, just not the refrigerator.

Last edited by saltmarsh; September 24, 2018 at 09:02 AM.
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Old September 24, 2018   #9
RJGlew
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrBig46 View Post
Start F1 (its name is - it's a Czech variety). Look at Tatiana's TOMATObase
Vladimír
Start S F1 is an excellent early hybrid, and in my garden has replaced both Burpee Fourth of July F1 & Burpee Early Start F1. In comparison, Start S F1 has slightly bigger fruit, ripens at roughly the same time, tastes much better and the plants are more productive.

http://www.tomatoville.com/showpost....&postcount=166

rg

Last edited by RJGlew; September 24, 2018 at 01:48 PM.
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