Tomatoes , fruit of the Gods

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phideaux

phideaux

Old fashioned
Neighbor
HCL Supporter
Joined
Nov 24, 2017
Messages
19,538
Location
West Ky
I can sit down in the middle of a Tomato patch, on a hot sunny day,with a sack of biscuits, and just tomato's, and have myself a feast.

I have never been too picky about what variety the maters are,
But,
Lately , it seems, that the maters are changing,
I have found , in the last 4-5 years, that they are becoming harder to get a good crop .
They don't thrive like they use to,
They don't have the size they once did,
They don't produce like they use to,
They are not as resistant to disease and weather as they use to be.

And
They don't have the flavor they once did.

I have settled with Better Boy ...
not because of the best flavor, or size,, but, ALL AROUND consideration of all of the above.

Is it that the hybrid varieties are genetically going bad"
I'm not doing anything different,
I have change the location of the garden plots,

I'm about to quit...and just go buy them, but I'm hearing the same complaints from my Amish neighbors.

Jim
 
If I were able to get anything to grow here, it would be tomatoes. I don't use the little seedlings from the stores anymore usually unless it is heirloom and organic.
Heirloom kind is what I buy to start from seed. The very few times it didn't get too hot too fast here, I was able to grow some black krim, which had a smoky flavor and it was very good. The heirloom kinds generally don't get huge like the hybrids, IMHO. There are some stores that grow heirloom or organic seedlings, so maybe you could try those next time.
It'd be great to find a good homegrown supplier.
 
I've had to dig deep and look for varieties that were disease and blight resistant and then I had to get serious about the amount of care I gave them.

I'm seriously upping my tomato game this season.

I have chosen 1 indeterminate variety and 1 determinate variety. They are Sprint and KY1 respectively.
These have track records for good disease resistance but I've helped it along. I've read reviews for the KY1 and it's a very good sauce and fresh tomato.
I watched a Rusted Gardener video on how he helps his tomato plants get a better immune system and he put one 300 miligram asprin into a gallon of water
and sprays the plants once a week in the morning.
This triggers a more robust immune response in the tomato so it's harder for the disease to attack the plant.

From YT channel Bumble Bee Junction I got the tip to put 2 tablespoons of epson salts and hydrated ag lime in the bottom of the hole. I premix this in
a ratio of 1 to 1 and I mix this into the soil in the bottom of the hole before I put the plant in.

I brought tomato clips to keep the plant off the ground and attached to my trellising and I'll be trimming all the bottom leaves off the stem.

I'm putting in drip irrigation so the leaves and stem aren't splashed with mud from overhead irrigation.

I'll even open my wallet and spring for copper sulphate if it means I won't lose my crops.

I've got 31 Sprint seedlings in the ground and 30 KY1 seedlings yet to plant so this is a huge investment in my time , money and effort.
I pray it works.
 
Thanks Tank Girl about the aspirin tip! I dig deep to plant them and as they grow back till the holes as they grow larger. I also add in Epson salt and crushed eggshells and remove all bottom leaves, but have never heard of the aspirin trick. Think I may start trying this out. My plants want to yellow at the bottom up so I keep removing the yellow. It will eventually fall off anyway and this helps it not spread as fast.
 
We grow a heritage Roma. They have great flavor and are mostly flesh. I made some spaghetti sauce last night with some we canned last year. We don't add spices when we can so they can be used in anything from salads to marinara sauce. They are grown on the SW corner of the house where they stay warm at night. Warm nights are important for flavor. The only thing we add to the soil is compost from the compost bin.
 
I haven't found a mater I don't like yet. I used to go outside and pick the ripe tomatoes in the garden center at Lowes and Home Depot when I worked there every morning.
 
@phideaux was saying he isn't satisfied with the tomatoes anymore and wondering what's up. Is everyone saying they are happy with their mater plants? I think so.
Are you growing them in the same place every year, @phideaux ? Maybe try crop rotation, companion planting, and using organic fertilizers like comfrey tea?
 
I grow mostly heirloom maters. This year most of my crop is Rutgers for canning. I also have some of the following planted. Celebrity, Lemony, Yellow Pear, and my favorites German Queen, a big pink tomato that more than covers a slice of bread, makes a good sammich. Also Black Cherries and Anna Russian's, really good for just eating or on salads. My only Hybrid is Lemon Boy's.
I dig my holes a full shovel length deep, add a little Epson salts put the plant in the bottom of the hole and backfill with a soil conditioner I get bagged at Lowes. Then after they start growing again give them a small amount of 6-12-12 before caging them.
I hadn't heard of the asprin and hadn't gave any thought to adding lime or eggshells. Both would be very beneficial.
 
Has anyone grown Jet Star? Those are the type that Dad likes the best. I'm happy with most of the more heriloom tomatoes and a touch of salt, or make a fresh tomato sandwich and a nice glass of ice sweet tea on a front porch lazily swinging in a porch swing.
 
If a tomato gets too much water it will lose flavor and even split the skin. After they get to about half size we stop watering and let them build flavor.
 
I am trying some new tomatoes variety, both for taste & to fill my seed stores.
All are Hybrids, will have to test to see if some are stable, but that is no problem.
Tomatillo for the first time. Goliath,German Head,Giant Ox Heart,Juliet,lemon boy,pear,Chef's Choice,Cuore de Toro.
Dinner Plate,Egg Yolk.
Then there are the Peppers.
 
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