Tomato growers?

[Lester Beans]

got my seeds sowed today;

black krim (my staple variety)
black vernissage
yellow brandywine
a yellow cherry variety from a local neighbor that i collected seeds from

Black Vernissage, I have seen that one on everyone's list this year. I got a packet as freebies from tomato growers and they are growing. I know nothing about it so we shall see. Just surprised how often the name has popped up this year.

Spring rules...finally here.

 

[Firebolt]

I'm growing some nice heirloom tomatoes in a DWC setup indoors. First time growing anything seriously at all.

Would growing tomatoes be somewhat similar to growing cannabis at all? I am hoping that this can be a form of practice for when I move to a more cannabis friendly state.

 

[Lester Beans]

Pretty much the same thing. If you can get quality fruit from a tomato plant you would be able to harvest a decent cannabis crop. From there you just get better with practice.

There is a wealth of information on this site about dwc growing in the hydroponics section.

Welcome to the site!

 

[Rubber Chicken]

Tomato mothers

Tomato mothers

I've started a little project a while ago, too early really (eager and impatient for warmer weather), but the plants seem happy enough, even with my over crowding and bonsai pruning experiment.

There were 10 varieties in the small pot, 4 or 5 seeds of each were planted, and i cut the 2 least vigorous of each once they had grown a little.
So, I had 20 little plants in 1 pot (10 varieties (x2 seedlings each))

I had 10 varieties but it i took out 2 Principe Borghese because i realised they were Determinate and i don't think having mothers would work with them, a bit like autoflowers.

I Have another pot the same size with another 10 varieties, they are less progressed, but i will do the same with them.

I am just aiming to keep small mothers of any 'stand out' favourite selections (so, i'm practicing with multiple varieities).

I am trying something similar with peppers too.....
I might start a thread, if it gets interesting for me.

 

[catalyte]

just bought a pre grown Early Girl Tomato in a 5gallon pot.

hope to get a good amount of tomatoes off her later in the summer. Going to feed her some old leftover House&Garden Soil A&B base nutes...

 

[Phineas Freak]

I have pre grown tomatoes under 12/12 and 18/6 and did not see a difference other than the 12/12 were less developed/smaller according to less light.

Just out of curiosity: Is anybody manipulating light (covering the plants) to make them flower earlier or this doesn't work with tomatos?

 

[buzzmobile]

I have pre grown tomatoes under 12/12 and 18/6 and did not see a difference other than the 12/12 were less developed/smaller according to less light.

Here's a synopsis of EFFECTS OF PHOTOPERIODS ON GREENHOUSE TOMATO AND PEPPER PRODUCTION

According to the above 14 hours of light is the sweet spot for tomatoes.

 

[LostTribe]

Pretty much the same thing. If you can get quality fruit from a tomato plant you would be able to harvest a decent cannabis crop. From there you just get better with practice.

There is a wealth of information on this site about dwc growing in the hydroponics section.

Welcome to the site!

Lester seems you are experienced so how much and how often do you feed your veggies nutrients? I top dressed my stuff the other day with various amendments some responded well while my peppers seem burned a bit....but they were freshly transplanted so that might have affected those too.

 

[Phineas Freak]

Here's a synopsis of EFFECTS OF PHOTOPERIODS ON GREENHOUSE TOMATO AND PEPPER PRODUCTION

According to the above 14 hours of light is the sweet spot for tomatoes.

Great information. Thanks for posting.

This year i started them with a couple of weeks of continuous light (because I was a little late) and then went to 18/6. According to the paper this was not the badest thing to do. Next time i'll try 14/10.

 

[Dro Smoe]

Tomatoes are probably my favorite crop out all the plants that I grow. Been growing them for a good 17 years or so now.. All organic, IPM, lots of compost tea, mycorrhizae, comfrey and other bacteria promoting mulches etc.. I grow approximately 20-30 heirloom varieties each season, and cull out the varieties I don't like the following season. A few of my favorites are Ananas Noire, Cherokee Purple, Black cherry and Chocolate cherry. The only downside to CP is the smaller harvest compared to the others, although the fruit is early to mature, top notch and resists splitting for me - just be sure to water evenly, and don't pick any fruit immediately after watering (same goes for the black and choc. cherries).

Playing around with the following this year:
Lucid Gem
Carbon
Pink Boar
Pink Berk. Tie Dye
Standard Brandywine
Grandfather Ashlock
Sarah Black
Janet's Jacinthe Jewel
Blush
Pink Honey
Black From Tula
Japanese Black Trifele (already showing signs of canker)
Stupice
Green Berk. Tie Dye
Ananas Noire
Cherokee Purple
Black Cherry
Chocolate Cherry
and my old reliable hybrid Jetstar

A few pictures from last season:

 

[Dro Smoe]

Sorry still getting used to this forum.. Won't let me edit posts..

 

[Dro Smoe]

...

 

[blynx]

Nice setup and cool varieties!

What do you do with all of them?

I have to stick with cherry tomatoes, nights don't stay warm enough for the large varieties to ripen. I end up with plants full of large green fruit that aren't even beginning to break.

 

[Americangrower]

Nice.. Smoe that last pic looks like the Mr Stripey heirloom I grow

 

[Dro Smoe]

Nice setup and cool varieties!

What do you do with all of them?

I have to stick with cherry tomatoes, nights don't stay warm enough for the large varieties to ripen. I end up with plants full of large green fruit that aren't even beginning to break.

Thanks! My wife and I eat a lot of them (lots of bruschetta - italian bread, fresh mozz, tomatoes, shredded mozz, basil - broiler mmm mmm lol)

I also give a lot away to family and friends..

Aw that stinks... I love cherries, but you can't beat a fresh bite from a big slicer.. A lot of times I just stand at the sink with some salt and eat them like apples..

Nice.. Smoe that last pic looks like the Mr Stripey heirloom I grow

Thanks.. Ya know I've grown Stripey's in the past and disliked them - could have just gotten some poor genetics... But all and all I wasn't impressed. The tomato you're referring to is Ananas Noire (Black pineapple); great tomato! Moderately sweet and beautiful to look at.

 

[troutman]

Sorry still getting used to this forum.. Won't let me edit posts..

You probably need 50 posts before you can edit them.

You'll be able to PM then also.

 

[Dro Smoe]

Thanks Trout

 

[WelderDan]

I just started some cherry tomatoes, some beefsteak and some heirloom cherry tomatoes. And some Thai chili's too.

 

[troutman]

I got 3 beefsteak tomatoes in the forest along with some guerrilla plants.

Just come from watering and they have flowers on them.

Maybe I eat a fresh tomato in July.

 

[Easy7]

Put in peppers and tomatoes earlier this year. Small garden but enough for a smile. All 9 peppers are costa rican hybrids. Love these peppers. Long red peppers that turn faster than the fat bell peppers. 4 tomato plants, 1 orange zinger and 3 traditional fruits hybrid tomato plants.

Nothing but the usual 3 gallons of goat poo, the rest of the kelp, and some 0-7-0 bat guano to spare. Lot's of tree's here so the garden gets at most 6 hours direct sun. Usually 1 - 2 peppers a plant and 5 - 6 lbs per tomato plant.

The grandparents garden gets all day sun. They give me a few veggies and fruits. The blueberries are doing much better this year. Just dosed them with elemental sulfur, goat manure and something from epsoma as well as epsom salts. The berries at the bottom of the slope grow much better from water being down there more. The southern 2 rows were not tilled correctly and struggle to outgrow weeds. Really fighting to not use sprays.