The Gardening Thread

#776
#776
VolNExile said:
I'm jealous! *goes out to glare at the Cherokee Defiantly Bright Green again*
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Go aeiou said:
Yeah, this is the latest ever for tomatoes or "no tomatoes". All of them are still green. 2 of my 6 plants are Cherokee purple.
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Tin Man said:
Patience (and no squirrels)
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So sure enough, after posting this, I went out to check the CP, which truly had been bright green on Tuesday.

Yesterday evening, Things Had Changed. On the dinner menu for tonight:
1689356102475.jpeg
 
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#778
#778
This is the ONLY tomato that is anything other than green, other than some of the cherries (Sunsugar Super Sweet 100? -that, or an offspring)

It's way more purpley-brown than the picture shows, like an honest-to-God Cherokee Purple ought to look. I'm just so tickled that I finally have a CP that wasn't a mass of yellow-brown fungusy leaves. It's actually doing a lot better than two of the others (Hillbilly and something that lost its label that I have to look up, but I think it's supposed to be yellow. But the tomato, not the leaves are supposed to be yellow.)

edit to add: Sunny Boy
 
#779
#779
VolNExile said:
So sure enough, after posting this, I went out to check the CP, which truly had been bright green on Tuesday.

Yesterday evening, Things Had Changed. On the dinner menu for tonight:
View attachment 562932
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Went out and looked, and I had a couple of 20230714_150641.jpg better boy tomatoes. They will taste good until the heirlooms start to ripen. Then you notice the differnce.
 
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#784
#784
First of my big beefs to ripen was a disappointment. Apparently, the generous volumes of rain during April, May, and June “washed out” the flavor. It could have been a store bought tomato. ☹️
 
#786
#786
My Joan J raspberries are now producing. Stupid me forgot to build a trellis so I made a makeshift one. It’s holding lol.

I’m going to have to move them after I cut them back. They are way too close to my blueberry bushes.
 
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#787
#787
Go aeiou said:
Went out and looked, and I had a couple of View attachment 562963 better boy tomatoes. They will taste good until the heirlooms start to ripen. Then you notice the differnce.
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Put some baking soda round the base while fruiting. You can make hybrids taste like heirlooms, and make heirlooms like fine chocolate. Baking soda sweetens them up.
 
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#788
#788
VolNExile said:
Better Boys are great bullet-proof hybrids that will at least keep you alive until heirlooms time!
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Haven't planted in a while, but when I started getting into heirlooms, I'd always plant a better boy to ensure I had some maters.

My grandfather used to only grow better boys and big boys. He had an orignal raised bed out of rail road ties. Each spring would have a load of soil delivered from the mushroom plant down the highway. His better boys were unmatched in deep red color and flavor.
 
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#789
#789
I used to grow hybrids bought at the nursery until I was gifted San Marzano seeds and some ripe Cherokee purples from which I harvested seeds. I’m trying to keep these going, but I’m down to one San Marzano plant. It’s producing fruit, so I will dutifully harvest seeds. I have one Big beef, a German tomato plant, and a dark cherry tomato plant which are store bought.
 
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#790
#790
Tin Man said:
I used to grow hybrids bought at the nursery until I was gifted San Marzano seeds and some ripe Cherokee purples from which I harvested seeds. I’m trying to keep these going, but I’m down to one San Marzano plant. It’s producing fruit, so I will dutifully harvest seeds. I have one Big beef, a German tomato plant, and a dark cherry tomato plant which are store bought.
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If you are space limited, want a great container option with full size fruit, or just don't want to deal with the staking and stuff, I recomend trying out heirloom dwarf tomatoes. Most plant are between 2-4 foot high. Heavy stalks. I typically put one cane stake down the center to keep them from tipping under the weight of the tomatoes. Some are cherries, some full sized, some in between. Just like normal friut. There's a huge offering of seeds. Our personal favorite is Dwarf Purple Reign. Better than Cherokee Purple. Dwarf Velvet Night Cherry. Dwarf Sweet Scarlet. Dwarf Beryl Beauty (green). Wild Fred. These dwarfs are natual crosses between different heirlooms to produce dwarf sized plants. I would think they'd do well as an over-winter indoor grower. Haven't tried.
 
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#791
#791
Tin Man said:
I used to grow hybrids bought at the nursery until I was gifted San Marzano seeds and some ripe Cherokee purples from which I harvested seeds. I’m trying to keep these going, but I’m down to one San Marzano plant. It’s producing fruit, so I will dutifully harvest seeds. I have one Big beef, a German tomato plant, and a dark cherry tomato plant which are store bought.
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San Marzano are great. But, I switched to the San Marzano Redorta. Fruit prob twice as large as regular San Marzano, and a better flavor IMO. My second year growing them.
 
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#792
#792
GVF said:
San Marzano are great. But, I switched to the San Marzano Redorta. Fruit prob twice as large as regular San Marzano, and a better flavor IMO. My second year growing them.
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Do you can them as is, or make spaghetti sauce and can that, or ??
 
#793
#793
VolNExile said:
Do you can them as is, or make spaghetti sauce and can that, or ??
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Last year I canned them. Mixed with other reds and the Peach Tomato (which I highly recommend...2nd favorite mater last year...absolutely delicious and would not stop producing). I'm not a mater snob on my canned/diced maters. I like the great flavors of mixed varieties in my jars. And very attractive looking jars to say the least.

I was a little lazy and didn't cook down any pasta sauce last year. Figured I could open a quart or two of canned, add some carrots, wine, paste, and spices and make some.
 
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#794
#794
GVF said:
Last year I canned them. Mixed with other reds and the Peach Tomato (which I highly recommend...2nd favorite mater last year...absolutely delicious and would not stop producing). I'm not a mater snob on my canned/diced maters. I like the great flavors of mixed varieties in my jars. And very attractive looking jars to say the least.

I was a little lazy and didn't cook down any pasta sauce last year. Figured I could open a quart or two of canned, add some carrots, wine, paste, and spices and make some.
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I really liked San Marzanos for roasting. They aren’t 90% juice and leave plenty of meaty tomato after roasting. (Used them in canned salsa.) I’ll have to try the Redortas next year.
 
#795
#795
VolNExile said:
I really liked San Marzanos for roasting. They aren’t 90% juice and leave plenty of meaty tomato after roasting. (Used them in canned salsa.) I’ll have to try the Redortas next year.
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The redortas are just a much bigger Marzano. The caption says they are better flavored, but I didn't grow them and the standard side by side for comparison. Same meaty teaxture. Good all around paste you can use as sliced or fresh if you like.

I have a good collection of seed I have bought and rotate each year just to try different heirlooms. I've done the Cherokee Purple many times in the past and have rotated it out the last 2-3 years to try others. It's back in this year cause I had to go by a few plants when I was having germinating issues. Dwarf Purple Reign and Dwarf Sweet Scarlet will now be staples though. Maybe I'll post a list of the varieties I have on hand to choose from. I typically put out about 8-10 plants/varieties. My first year growing Sweet Italian, and they are looking good. Can't wait to see some red.

Victory Seed has a good offering of Dwarf seeds, and they are typically $2 a pack less than Tomatofest. I get most of my seeds from Baker Creek or Victory.

Just noticed yesterday my Chinese Brocolli is developing it's loose head. Very robust and stout stalk that it says is actually very tender and tasty and can be shredded and used in recipes just as good as the florets.
 
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#796
#796
GVF said:
The redortas are just a much bigger Marzano. The caption says they are better flavored, but I didn't grow them and the standard side by side for comparison. Same meaty teaxture. Good all around paste you can use as sliced or fresh if you like.

I have a good collection of seed I have bought and rotate each year just to try different heirlooms. I've done the Cherokee Purple many times in the past and have rotated it out the last 2-3 years to try others. It's back in this year cause I had to go by a few plants when I was having germinating issues. Dwarf Purple Reign and Dwarf Sweet Scarlet will now be staples though. Maybe I'll post a list of the varieties I have on hand to choose from. I typically put out about 8-10 plants/varieties. My first year growing Sweet Italian, and they are looking good. Can't wait to see some red.

Victory Seed has a good offering of Dwarf seeds, and they are typically $2 a pack less than Tomatofest. I get most of my seeds from Baker Creek or Victory.

Just noticed yesterday my Chinese Brocolli is developing it's loose head. Very robust and stout stalk that it says is actually very tender and tasty and can be shredded and used in recipes just as good as the florets.
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How many tomatoes do you get off the Purple Reign? I’m guessing one plant per pot? Are they still indeterminate like Cherokee Purple, or do they mature all at once?
 
#797
#797
VolNExile said:
How many tomatoes do you get off the Purple Reign? I’m guessing one plant per pot? Are they still indeterminate like Cherokee Purple, or do they mature all at once?
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They are indeterminate. I got a decent amount, but except for two plants last year it was a low production year for me. I expect they would do more. But, we liked them so much I planted two this year
 
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#798
#798
My experiments this season, the dark cherry and German tomatoes are producing, but the German is the least productive of all of my plants.
 
#800
#800
Tin Man said:
My experiments this season, the dark cherry and German tomatoes are producing, but the German is the least productive of all of my plants.
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I ended up getting a German Johnson (red) and an Old German (orangish) from the menonite garden center this year. So far, it appears from the presence of green tomatoes that all my varieties are setting up well for the first ripening. Will see how continued harvest goes. But, it seems at the moment the 2 Sweet Italian I had to buy are gonnas be my heavy hitters this year. I always do 2-3 varieties of reds, then fill in with the sweet colors and dwarfs. Don't normally do 2 cherry styles. Expecially both red. But, I had bought a husky cherry, then my Reisentraube kicked in gear, so I'm gonna be smothered in cherry maters.
 
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