Author Topic: Tomatoes  (Read 108342 times)

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Richard Myers

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #60 on: September 29, 2010, 06:55:53 PM »
Yes, I lost the top third of mine also. Besty's daughters had Bambies  and they all had a feast one night last week.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Vicki

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #61 on: September 29, 2010, 07:05:37 PM »
We are out numbered.  :(

Richard Myers

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #62 on: September 30, 2010, 07:48:26 AM »
It was the first year I grew the heirloom and I am not sure about them.  It seems that they come on later than the hybrids? Or was it just the late summer weather that held them up?  Did you notice a difference between your varieties in when they produced?  I had beautiful plants, but few tomatoes until late and then the deer moved in. 
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Vicki

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #63 on: September 30, 2010, 08:30:03 AM »
I think it was a poor year to tell. Everything came on late here - even the Early Girls. We've had 2 red heirlooms, all the other heirlooms are still green. Early girls began rippening about 3 - 4 weeks ago, Sweet 100's, Roma's, and then Rutger's followed close behind, and are still producing a decent amount. But heirlooms remain green, and not too many on the plant either.  :( I still plan on trying them again next year.

Ed Sutton

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #64 on: September 30, 2010, 06:08:53 PM »
Try the reflective red plastic mulch engineered to reflect light wavelengths that increase tomato and pepper production. 

Heirlooms usually start to produce slower than hybrids, but are worth waiting for if ripened on the vine.  The last day ot two develops the acid / sugar / flavor balance and heirloom complexity they are famous for. 

With cooler temps, our tomatoes have resurged production.   
Grateful for Psalms 32 and Titus 2:10 - The divinity of Christ is acknowledged in the unity of the children of God.  {11MR 266.2}

Mimi

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #65 on: September 30, 2010, 07:51:00 PM »
The heirlooms are indeed very different in nature to the hybrids. I finally was able to find a stable environment for my five little plants. All the plants came up, sturdy, robust, very dark green. Everything was so promising ... then ... only one tomato on five plants. One, in all these months! The plants bloomed - not that much for their size (almost four feet tall), but only one tomato came to be. We call it the $75 tomato! It remains in my friend's greenhouse and we are silently wondering which person gets it.  :D We will probably ceremoniously split it and savor each bite.   
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Richard Myers

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #66 on: September 30, 2010, 08:53:14 PM »
I am wondering if it was the weather or this particular heirloom or a combination of both? My neighbor planted heirlooms last year and lost them all. He said something about the heat in the spring.  I will have to check with him and see how his did this year. I think he tried again with some heirlooms.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Sister Dee

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #67 on: September 30, 2010, 10:57:23 PM »
(The chickens are happy. If any of you have difficulty giving up eating chicken, just think about eating tomato horn worms second hand.  :P)

Ah!  Is that what chickens are for?  Garden pest control!   ;D 


Richard Myers

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #68 on: October 01, 2010, 06:58:09 AM »
Remember the parable about the man sitting on his house surrounded by flooding water?  A couple of boats come to rescue him and he refuses. A helicopter comes and he refuses saying God will help  him.  When he gets to heaven, he asks God why he did not save him from drowning in that flood? God explains that He tried to, but all of His efforts were refused. 

I have been having problems with vegan creatures eating on my tomatoes, kale, collards, etc. One day a hen hen appeared in my yard, I chased her away. The next week a black rooster appeared. I chased him away. He continues to come back even when I yell at him. Maybe I ought to let them stay?  :) 
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Mimi

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #69 on: October 01, 2010, 07:36:20 AM »
A rooster can be good. Try it and report back.
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Vicki

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #70 on: October 01, 2010, 08:18:33 AM »
Chickens are good for loving. Son has a favorite he carries around. (And wishes we had a leash so he could take it for a walk.  ::))

We pick the horn worms off and take them to the chicken pen. Chickens would eat the garden worse than tomato horn worms. Chickens love red tomatoes and carrot greens, and I'm sure they would eat more than that.  A neighbors guinea hen has to be chased away from our red tomatoes every now & then, along with quail.  :(

We call it the $75 tomato! It remains in my friend's greenhouse and we are silently wondering which person gets it.  :D


 :D

Mimi

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #71 on: October 01, 2010, 08:24:42 AM »
My husband once told me guineas are as fierce as peacocks when it comes to keeping animals off of "their" property, even running off coyotes. I suppose that is true? Seems they would work well for deer control. 
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Vicki

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #72 on: October 01, 2010, 08:30:58 AM »
That would be worth looking into for those pestered by deer. They don't eat nearly as many tomatoes as deer. I've only noticed about 4 half-eaten this whole season.

Early one morning I witnessed a coyote sneaking up on guinea hens, using sage as a cover. When he got too close one of them spread its wings and ran after him. He left pronto.

Richard Myers

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #73 on: October 01, 2010, 03:49:19 PM »
Thanks for the warning!  It is sometimes hard to tell from whence such things come. We will throw the worms over the fence.  My $35 tomato I am hoping will remain hidden from all predators!
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Mimi

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #74 on: October 01, 2010, 04:44:28 PM »
Well, bless you! It seems our crop of tomatoes were on the lean side this year. Will go to Ann's next week and make a photo of "The $75 Tomato." She priced it, by the way. Architects tend to include their time as well as materials on these things. Guess I should send her a check.   :P
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Vicki

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #75 on: October 01, 2010, 06:39:50 PM »
Richard, I have difficulty telling who's been munching on tomatoes, too. We have too many chipmunks. I thought they were the culprits until the organic farmer down the road said it's the quail and rogue guinea hen.

~~

Sybil, at that price I would give her the tomato & hope she calls it even!

~~

Science moment: tomato horn worms molt. If I had thought about it, I would have realized that. Today I tore a small branch off a plant that had a smallish horn worm attached. (I don't touch them if I don't have to!) In the 15 minutes or so that it took son to come fetch it the thing molted. Son showed me the skin stuck to the leaf, which also had it's little black & white teeth attached to it. Quite amazing. I'm considering letting the next one we find live on a plant they have fairly well ruined anyway if I can figure out how to isolate it so we can watch it through it's changes.

Ed Sutton

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #76 on: October 03, 2010, 11:54:13 AM »
 sounds like time for taking suckers and cutting from the heirloom tomatoes, planted in a bucket in the house with potting mix and time release fertilizer.  

(potting mix to by pass soil diseases that stress and finally kill the plant and infect tomatoes)

Get a small to medium artist or makeup brush to hand pollinate, the plant will grow, produce slower, but instead of the plant charging you a govermnent issue $75.00 / tomato - price,    make the live part of the plant earn it's keep - and through the winter - (under a bright floor lamp - already in use in the eveings),  produce homegrown tomatoes, red for sandwiches and green for fried green tomatoes.  
Grateful for Psalms 32 and Titus 2:10 - The divinity of Christ is acknowledged in the unity of the children of God.  {11MR 266.2}

Mimi

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #77 on: October 03, 2010, 11:57:04 AM »
Good solution!
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Richard Myers

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #78 on: October 03, 2010, 01:48:55 PM »
Why not start new tomato plant from seeds?  I don't see a sucker on mine. How low does a sucker grow on a tomato plant?
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Ed Sutton

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Re: Tomatoes
« Reply #79 on: October 05, 2010, 11:26:57 AM »
suckers, branches, stem tips 6-10 inches long - root um it's way faster than seeds - unless seeds are all you have.
Grateful for Psalms 32 and Titus 2:10 - The divinity of Christ is acknowledged in the unity of the children of God.  {11MR 266.2}