The Endzone Garden Thread

[GVF]

I've always found that tomatoes planted in the ground a little bit later quick catch up to those planted a couple of weeks earlier.

I will prob go ahead and seed some peppers though. THey need a few extra weeks in the tray.

 

[VolNExile]

Yep. The orange peach was prolific for me. Mind boggling amount of tomatoes. The slightly fuzzy 'peachy' skin was quite interesting as well.

I'm also 7a, but my soil temp is too cool in April for tomatoes. I'm probably safe in late april, but they will sit and look around for a bit.

Yep, it’s not the USDA zone (we’re now 7a too ), or even so much the air temps, but the soil temps. Mid-to-late May around here for my garden soil to hit 65-70° (the closer to 70, the better, even though air temps hit that long ago. They won’t die if I set them out sooner, but they sit there and look at you.

So I start them inside and pot them on, deeper each time for root development, until they’re in 1 gal pots. They’ve got a good start on the season at that point.

@GVF, yep, I use fluorescents and am starting to switch to grow lights, because our old Craftsman house has deep eaves and little windowsill sun. But grow-light purple should probably be the official color of Asheville, so there’s no shortage of supply!

 

[GVF]

Yep, it’s not the USDA zone (we’re now 7a too ), or even so much the air temps, but the soil temps. Mid-to-late May around here for my garden soil to hit 65-70° (the closer to 70, the better, even though air temps hit that long ago. They won’t die if I set them out sooner, but they sit there and look at you.

So I start them inside and pot them on, deeper each time for root development, until they’re in 1 gal pots. They’ve got a good start on the season at that point.

@GVF, yep, I use fluorescents and am starting to switch to grow lights, because our old Craftsman house has deep eaves and little windowsill sun. But grow-light purple should probably be the official color of Asheville, so there’s no shortage of supply!

I already have a heat mat I bought at Lowe's last year. Broke down yesterday and ordered (4) Burpee 16 hole seed trays with the extra large cups so I don't have to re-pot them. The nice silicon bottom wash and reusable ones. $11 a pop on Amazon. Also did some grow light research and ordered a nice one on Amazon for only $25. Comes with a tripod base. Full Spectrum. Can adjust from 15" to 5'. Soon as all that comes in this weekend, gonna pick up some starter mix and get my sweet peppers going.

And got my new yellow summer squash seeds in yesterday from Burpee. 'Rise & Shine.' Grows verticle. Just strap them to a stake as they grow. I'm sure they're a hybrid so I prob should have ordered more than one packet.

 

[VolNExile]

It’s the time of year when pretty much every horizontal surface in our house starts looking nervous!

 

[Tin Man]

Two of mine are overtaken already.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

It’s the time of year when pretty much every horizontal surface in our house starts looking nervous!

Souce and TFG visiting again??

 

[GordonC]

Souce and TFG visiting again??

in before @theFallGuy asks you if this is supposed to be in English

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

I only speak in Russian in the politics forum...

 

[VolNExile]

Souce and TFG visiting again??

lol

Do they have certain preferences for umm, bedding? This is what they can expect to find:

A rich sensuous mixture of blended sphagnum peat moss, compost, aged bark, perlite, kelp meal, lobster and crab shell meal, worm castings and mycorrhizae.

Mmmmm... worm poop and lobster/crab shell meal; mmmmm...

 

[VolNExile]

^^^ all kidding aside, this chit is da bomb. I have had amazing germ rates and overall growth from this stuff, before it's time to start adding fertilizer. But it's pricey as hayall, especially if you want to donate [more] money to Darth Bezos, aka Amazon. If you want to try it out, see if there's a distributor within a drive worth taking: Buy in Your Community

 

[GVF]

^^^ all kidding aside, this chit is da bomb. I have had amazing germ rates and overall growth from this stuff, before it's time to start adding fertilizer. But it's pricey as hayall, especially if you want to donate [more] money to Darth Bezos, aka Amazon. If you want to try it out, see if there's a distributor within a drive worth taking: Buy in Your Community

The Amazom mark-up is outrageous. $20 per bag verses $8 for same size bag ordering direct from company website. You should change vendors.

 

[VolNExile]

The Amazom mark-up is outrageous. $20 per bag verses $8 for same size bag ordering direct from company website. You should change vendors.

I order from the website.

We used to have a local vendor, but the distributor started requiring a much bigger minimum order, so they dropped it. When I checked prices on Amazon, I just started laughing.

 

[VolNExile]

I've decided to can tomatoes - whole tomatoes, not sauce, etc - this year, and I'm looking for recommendations for varieties.

Someone posted here (pretty sure, maybe it was the Pub garden thread) last season that they had grown an improved variety of Roma/ paste/ Amish canning tomatoes and were raving about it.

Does this ring a bell? I'd love to have a variety name. thanks

PS - A gardening friend is growing Super Sauce and passed along the name. The fruits on that thang are 5"x5 1/2" inches or something. I need to be able to get them into a quart canning jar! So just a normal-sized canning tomato, please.

 

[VolNExile]

@GVF - I think it was you, talking about the San Marzano Redortas in the Pub thread. Since my brain is overfull this evening, did you can them whole, or turn them into sauce and can them? (I think you said you canned them whole, with other varieties as well.)

Are you still recommending them? And where did you order them from? thx

 

[Tin Man]

My daffodils are in full glory. Maples are budding. On this morning’s bike ride, I saw a pear tree in full bloom. Spring is coming early on the Southern Piedmont.

 

[GVF]

@GVF - I think it was you, talking about the San Marzano Redortas in the Pub thread. Since my brain is overfull this evening, did you can them whole, or turn them into sauce and can them? (I think you said you canned them whole, with other varieties as well.)

Are you still recommending them? And where did you order them from? thx

Yes. I grew the Redorta type the last two years. It is a larger San Marzano with I thought a better flavor for a paste. I just chopped them up and canned them. They produced pretty well for only putting one in. Prob would do much better with two. They are a sauce mater though with good canning flesh and flavor and would lend to pretty much any type of canning you like. If you are planning on putting up a bit in several ways I’d definitely plant several to make sure you get the harvest you want. I mixed them with Peach tomato and got a great canned flavor and color mix. Have recently discovered csnned whole cherry tomatoes at Food Lion and they are superb. I am planning on doing that this year .

I either got the seed from tomatofest or Baker Creek. They both might sell them.

 

[Tin Man]

My San Marzano seeds are the first to germinate this year.

 

[VolNExile]

Yes. I grew the Redorta type the last two years. It is a larger San Marzano with I thought a better flavor for a paste. I just chopped them up and canned them. They produced pretty well for only putting one in. Prob would do much better with two. They are a sauce mater though with good canning flesh and flavor and would lend to pretty much any type of canning you like. If you are planning on putting up a bit in several ways I’d definitely plant several to make sure you get the harvest you want. I mixed them with Peach tomato and got a great canned flavor and color mix. Have recently discovered csnned whole cherry tomatoes at Food Lion and they are superb. I am planning on doing that this year .

I either got the seed from tomatofest or Baker Creek. They both might sell them.

I ordered from Tomatofest. In fact, I’d already placed an order for five different patio dwarfs (full-sized fruit on dwarf plants) when I remembered the Redortas. I emailed to ask if I could still add on to my order, and the owner threw in a pack free. I’m a customer for life!

The website said they’re indeterminate, which is not so wonderful for canners. Did yours all ripen at pretty much the same time, or did they dribble on for weeks? I’ll be planting two, but that would still be a PITA.

 

[Go aeiou]

I ordered from Tomatofest. In fact, I’d already placed an order for five different patio dwarfs (full-sized fruit on dwarf plants) when I remembered the Redortas. I emailed to ask if I could still add on to my order, and the owner threw in a pack free. I’m a customer for life!

The website said they’re indeterminate, which is not so wonderful for canners. Did yours all ripen at pretty much the same time, or did they dribble on for weeks? I’ll be planting two, but that would still be a PITA.

Always good to do business with the little guy. You can quarts? How many?
Do you have a cherry tomato that you prefer? We have a red/purple/black one that volunteers for us. Fingers crossed.

 

[VolNExile]

Always good to do business with the little guy. You can quarts? How many?
Do you have a cherry tomato that you prefer? We have a red/purple/black one that volunteers for us. Fingers crossed.

I haven't canned tomatoes before, other than using them in salsas that I can. This season will be my first. I use wide-neck quarts, and I guess I'll can as many as I can from two plants, lol.

I loved SunGold cherries, although it was plagued with cracks (we had a wet summer two years ago.) We pretty much just munched them off the vines. Very sweet, but enough acid for great flavor. Good luck on your volunteers!

 

[GVF]

I ordered from Tomatofest. In fact, I’d already placed an order for five different patio dwarfs (full-sized fruit on dwarf plants) when I remembered the Redortas. I emailed to ask if I could still add on to my order, and the owner threw in a pack free. I’m a customer for life!

The website said they’re indeterminate, which is not so wonderful for canners. Did yours all ripen at pretty much the same time, or did they dribble on for weeks? I’ll be planting two, but that would still be a PITA.

Yes, they are indeterminate, but I'd say the vines aren't near the tallest for one. They did produce season long, but if I recall it seemed to be steady so you can get a picking each time out. I agree with the descritpion that they have better flavor for a sauce. Over all yield for me though could be better. I'm a creature of habit and have grown mine in the same garden spot for several years. I really need to rotate them over some in my garden.

There's a well balanced dwarf saucer I've tried called Sneaky Sauce that you may want to check out since you are venturing into the dwarf zone. I've enjoyed the dwarfs I've grown. The fruit is on par with any heirloom. Just don't assume the dwarfs won't need support. They are quite thick and sturdy, but when they start fruiting, they will need a central stake to keep them upright.

what dwarfs did you choose? I'm hoping you atleast picked up a Purple Reign. Best tomato you'll eat.

 

[VolNExile]

Shoot, I’d forgotten all about Purple Reign, and I love the purple/black tomatoes!

I’m trying four from TF’s dwarf project: BrandyFred, Sweet Scarlet, Summertime Green, and TastyWine, plus Sophie’s Choice, a very early Canadian yellow determinate that is 24” tall. I’m experimenting with them for our Master Gardener’s sale in May - lots of demand for patio plants of all kinds.

I’ll need to add Purple Reign. My husband will kill me!

 

[GVF]

Always good to do business with the little guy. You can quarts? How many?
Do you have a cherry tomato that you prefer? We have a red/purple/black one that volunteers for us. Fingers crossed.

A Grappoli D'Iverno is a Cherry/Grape that has great flavor balance and will put out more maters than you can deal with off just one plant.

 

[GVF]

Shoot, I’d forgotten all about Purple Reign, and I love the purple/black tomatoes!

I’m trying four from TF’s dwarf project: BrandyFred, Sweet Scarlet, Summertime Green, and TastyWine, plus Sophie’s Choice, a very early Canadian yellow determinate that is 24” tall. I’m experimenting with them for our Master Gardener’s sale in May - lots of demand for patio plants of all kinds.

I’ll need to add Purple Reign. My husband will kill me!

Absolutely have to add Purple Reign. I will forever contend it's the best tomato I've eaten. And I am a Cherokee Purple fan.

I've grown the sweet scarlet. You'll like it. Haven't done your other choices, but I have done several now the last 2-3 years. Since you are doing them in containers, go crazy and put out plenty. You won't be sad.

Dwarf Beryl Beauty (a green)
Sweet Scarlet
Tasmanian Chocolate.
Velvet Night (large purple cherry)
Purple Reign
Firebird Sweet I think
Uluru Ochre

These dwarfs are great and versatile, and full size fruit. My only gripe with Baker Seeds is that they need to quit putting the spoon tomato in as my free seed packet. Ain't gonna plant a micro fruit mater. I do prefer baker creek ordering...free shipping.

 

[GVF]

In other news, after a couple weeks with the heat mat and growing lamp, 3 of 8 sweet peppers finally broke soil. Slow dang germinators. I might need to go ahead and add a egg plant. Couldn't even get them to germinate on direct sow last year.