Tomatoes.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

This year, I'm really learning how to grow tomatoes. I decided to do italian varieties this year, with a few bitsers tossed in along side.

The varieties I'm growing are Roma, Capri, Sorendino and Blekli, and the bitsers are Baxters Bush, Delicious, Beacon and some that came up, and I have no clue what they are. I also have a grafted Moneymaker given to me, because it had grown silly, but I just want to watch it to see what it will do. One of the Capri tomatoes is spindly and in a bucket, well away from the others, again, because I want to see what it will do. I figure I will never learn unless I watch the mistakes as well as the others.

The italian tomatoes, I grew from seed sent to me by an Italian in Nelson. The bed you see here was November 9th, and has the Sorendino tomatoes in it, except the bottom left, which is a capri, but stopped growing, went spindly, so was dug up and replanted in a bucket. The tomato plants are now up to my nose height.

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f71/Angladrion/CNV00005-1.jpg

I have another film about to go to be developed, so I will add to the photos later.

The Italian tomatoes are quite different to grow, but many of you may be familiar with these.. The Capri is a pink flesh, similar to Roma but larger, more pear shaped and sweeter, and also require completely different feeding to Roma. Soredino is sweeter again, as is blekli. These are heritage tomatoes, and not crosses.

Sorendino is not a tomato variety that is normally available in this part of the world.

Tomato types are like people; very individual, and need quite different "schedules"... I started them too late this year, because the seed didn't get here early enough, so I won't get Capri, Sorendino or Blekli tomatoes until the end of February. The Roma I planted in October and are just coming to "fruit" now.

Capri and Blekli require less sulphate of potash but more "compost" Sorendino and Roma, more compost and less SOP.

This is my first serious year on tomatoes, and the Italian man in Nelson really knows his stuff. So I'm taking a lot of notes, photos and a detailed diary

(edited to add this line: testing)

[Wonder-Full]

This is my 2nd year at growing tomatoes, but it's all really hit and miss at this stage as far as what I do for them. I have no idea, but suspect next year i'll get my act together and research a bit more into what they need. I can't recall the variety I put in.

I have got some interesting (non planned) experiments going on though. Out of the 18 or so plants I have, 4 are up on my porch in pots of 100% of my own compost. They are like triffads and standing 1.5m tall at this stage. Really dark green and quite shrubby. Some which are about a metre away in the area usually reserved for flower beds are some more. They are only about 50cm tall, paler in colour and nowhere near as robust (and these ones actually looked more robust as seedlings). They are mostly in sandy soil with a good dose of compost - but clearly not enough.

my other plants are in my main garden and doing quite well, but still no where near as tall as the ones on the porch. So, quite interesting to see the quality of the soil really does make a difference.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Keep a diary, because two years ago, I grew tomatoes in compost. The result was a very lush jungle, and no fruit. I learned the hard way, that too much compost isn't a good thing. The important elements to get tomotoes to set are magnesium, and sulphate of potash.

According to Bob Flowerdew, the best tasting tomato is the slightly underfed one.

So this year, I'm experimenting as well :D.

According to the man in Nelson, once the first tomato fruit sets, the plant needs a small feed; when the third one sets, another feed, and that's it. In terms of feed, I'm using a comfrey/seeweed feed for the tomatoes waterring a sprinkle of wood ash for the potash.....

My husband used to do the tomatoes, but now finds it too fiddly for him

[Seaweed]

:crying they don't grow down here :( Or not where we are anyways. I was not together enuf to get any wild tomatoes going this year & the weather has been so wierd, I doubt they would have grown anyways. Still I am interested to know how the italian tomatoes go.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Well, at least you don't have slugs, snails and humidity the way we do. I envy your potatoes...

[Wonder-Full]

Ahhh, thanks MT. will keep a diary. The plants have quite a few fruit on them already, but will be interesting to see the end results. The caterpillars are having a ball on the leaves, so daily plucking has been required. The less fed ones aren't being attacked...

I also (accidentally lol) experimented with potash last year by sprinkling my woodash on half of the soil prior to the tomato seedlings going in. Those that got it did great, were lush and green and good fruit (and were initially the strugglers) and those next to them were pale and limp and attacked by caterpillars.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Sounds like you have enough potash and magnesium all round then. Take photos :D... I've not go caterpillars yet, but I've seen the old green shield bug :chair:...

two small cubes of wood, squashed bugs, but the smell is dreadful... and they can do so much damage...

[waiting]

My tomatoes are frozen solid right now. :( (we do need a crying smilie... hmm, oxymoron?)

But this year I grew some Caspian Pink tomatoes (heritage) and they were delicious! Very flavorful and sweet. The pizza I made with it earned a best pizza award from my mil (which would be like the queen complimenting your jewels.)

Next year I'll do the diary thingy, although my tendency is to toss horse manure onto the ground at some point and call it good for the year. :D
Looks like I have more learning to do.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

If you want a stew with tomato flavour, you just go out, get a frozen tomato and toss it in :p Who needs a freezer :D

[waiting]

Well, the tomatoes are green still... and defrost every day only to freeze back up at night. :eyeroll: Somehow I'm not sure of their culinary value. :scratch:

We are still eating the last of the good 'uns. :D Thank goodness for the greenhouse, which extended my season by 2 months! Next year, I hope to figure out how to heat it - without using a power cord!

[dressagemom]

Hush! We are in the dead of winter, snow forecasted for every day this week. No tomatoes here for months, unless you count those anemic items in the supermarket.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Here are Giovanni's capri tomatoes. My tomatoes before the ran that came at the end of February, were like this: asbolutely drippingly scrummy....

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f71/Angladrion/henhouse/Tomato%20photos/CIMG2960.jpg

Here are his tomatoes cut up. they went straight down the hatch, and taste is to die for... the ultimate food....


http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f71/Angladrion/henhouse/Tomato%20photos/CIMG2984.jpg

On the other hand, here are my last Capri, after green shield bug, and splitting has done them in. The taste is okay, but they are grainy, not smooth like Giovannis...

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f71/Angladrion/henhouse/Tomato%20photos/CIMG2965.jpg

they are also noticeably more "woody" in the centre... than Giovanni's:

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f71/Angladrion/henhouse/Tomato%20photos/CIMG3023.jpg

and here's an interesting comparison. On the right, are Giovanni's Roma tomatoes, and on the left are mine: There is no comparison. His are divine, mine are ho hum: He says they are different roma...


http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f71/Angladrion/henhouse/Tomato%20photos/CIMG2976.jpg

[dressagemom]

Yes, but at least YOU have tomatoes. We are finally rid of the snow (fingers crossed), but are a long way from planting anything, let alone eating tomatoes. I hope you enjoy your lot of maters down there!

[MinorityView]

In a state of trauma up here in Vermont. We've been suffering from blight, due to one of the large corporate stores selling tomato seedlings from down south. The blight has spread to the locally started tomatoes and much of the crop is gone.

I've been watching my tomatoes anxiously. Today I went out and realized that yup, they had the blight. So I cut down all the plants and stuffed the plants and the tomatoes into garbage bags and put them into the dumpster. At least 20 or 30 pounds of tomatoes gone. Crap, crap, crap!

But my peppers are okay.

[dressagemom]

In a state of trauma up here in Vermont. We've been suffering from blight, due to one of the large corporate stores selling tomato seedlings from down south. The blight has spread to the locally started tomatoes and much of the crop is gone.

I've been watching my tomatoes anxiously. Today I went out and realized that yup, they had the blight. So I cut down all the plants and stuffed the plants and the tomatoes into garbage bags and put them into the dumpster. At least 20 or 30 pounds of tomatoes gone. Crap, crap, crap!

But my peppers are okay.


Sorry to hear that. SO far, we've been lucky and haven't had the blight. I guess that is the consequence our wonderful corporate culture.