Picked lots of tomatoes again today.

Most disappointing new to me to try this year tomato varieties are both yellow. One was labeled Yellow Pear but they are too tiny to be yellow pears. Bland and just crack before they are ripe.

The next is one of my Wild Boar Farms varieties. Yellow Gold. Should be named yucky yellow as far as I am concerned. I just hate the taste of those. Golden with blue shoulders when still green and has kinda a citrusy taste when ripe. I don't like the taste at all.

Two new cherry types I tried, Black Cherry and Blue Pearl, both are really really good. Large for cherry tomatoes, swirled and pretty. Best of all taste really great. Much bigger than my old standby sweet millions.

Nice cuke, Catmint!

Rita, that's some serious tomato tasting you're doing. My across the back alley neighbor gave us some yellow pear tomatoes with a purple blush. They looked very odd and they were mostly cracked too, but to me they tasted wonderful! Maybe just because they were so freshly picked. (Or maybe a different variety. He didn't give a name and I didn't ask!)

Catmint, I don't think I could say wintersowing makes flavor better -- I don't really know that! It does seem to grow stronger plants. Why? I am not sure but it's theorized that it has to do with their being started more naturally, allowed to grow as if they'd fallen from a parent plant and germinated sometime in winter, etc. I dunno!

I did sow some kale seeds yesterday, in little pots, outside. I don't have any kind of proper seed-starting set up, but this might work! If I can just get a few healthy kale plants, I'll be a happy gal.

LOL Rita about the Yucky Yellow variety. I'll definitely keep that in mind! :-)

Black Cherry and Blue Pearl sound good!

Each year I do try to grow some new to me tomato varieties. Some years I have lots of new ones, other years not so many. This year I have a record number of new to me tomato varieties.

This is how I get new to me must haves each year. Those cherry tomatoes will be on the list to bring back next year, those yellow tomatoes, no way!

And we get to benefit from your explorations! Do you keep a list of which ones you've tried over the years that have been really excellent? If so, would love to see it!

I like trying different varieties too. This year I planted about 15 kinds. The only trouble is that Mike is the one who goes over to the vegetable garden to get them and doesn't remember to look at the plant tags when he does, so they are all mixed up Oh well, the ones I know for sure that I can recommend are 'Cherokee Purple' and 'Jaune Flamme'. @Newyorkrita, I finally figured out what the "star" feature did, and "starred" two of your posts for cherry tomato recommendations. They will definitely come in handy as quick reference for next year. Can you also tell that I finally figured out what the "@" feature did too

LOL Aspenhill!
I'm thinking of putting a sticky at the top of this thread for recommended varieties. What do people think?

I found a new blog today called Sustainable Market Farming. Looks like there's lots of information about how and what to grow in Virginia. Apparently the author recently released a book on the subject too. While it may seem like a production farm might be overwhelming for us, it's always good to see what they are doing and then scale it down for ourselves. :)

http://www.sustainablemarketfa...

Oh do you have a link to that blog? I so agree that kind of thing can be a wealth of good info even for pipsqueaks like me.

And And And!!! My kale has germinated! All three varieties! I tried for pictures but the light was too bright and the little babies too little, so the pix were no good. Now if I can just nurture them along....

Good call, Kyla. I added the link in the post. Sorry about that!

Thank you and, oh my lookit! They are talking about growing kale too, LOL! I didn't look to see where they are but they are sure way ahead of my timing. I bookmarked it.

I used to subscribe to something called Tiny Farms (I think) -- a guy who did a market farm on one acre and made a whole internet thing of it, somehow. Had his friends helping him, posted great pictures, had excellent advice to share about various crops, etc. For all I know it's still around out there somewhere.

aspenhill said:I like trying different varieties too. This year I planted about 15 kinds. The only trouble is that Mike is the one who goes over to the vegetable garden to get them and doesn't remember to look at the plant tags when he does, so they are all mixed up Oh well, the ones I know for sure that I can recommend are 'Cherokee Purple' and 'Jaune Flamme'. @Newyorkrita, I finally figured out what the "star" feature did, and "starred" two of your posts for cherry tomato recommendations. They will definitely come in handy as quick reference for next year. Can you also tell that I finally figured out what the "@" feature did too

Lots of great and helpful features here at ATP!

Catmint20906 said:And we get to benefit from your explorations! Do you keep a list of which ones you've tried over the years that have been really excellent? If so, would love to see it!

Well, no. I just tend to write about the ones I grow or grew that current year.

Mostly I do not grow heirlooms. Have tried some including Cherokee Purple. Now that is a great tasting tomato. But I grew it one year and never felt the need to bring it back.

I have tried Brandywines many years, always a bust. Hardly any fruit. This year I saw a Brandywine plant locally and on impulse tried again. This time lots and lots of fruit. But although my plant is potato leafed the tomatoes are red, not pink like Brandywine is suppossed to be.

Heh.

Let me show off my kale sprouts.




I was careful to note which varieties I was taking pictures of, while I took them, but of course I forgot which was which when I got up here. I have a red kale and a dino kale and a curly green, and hope I get at least a couple strong plants of each.

Do you have any of those plant markers, Kyla? I'd be lost without those!

I have these marked on the outside of the pots, but forgot which order I'd taken the photos in.

And, no, have no plant markers at this time. Should get something for that soon.

An excellent year here in my garden for the zucchini. Lots of harvest and really I pretty much ignore them except for picking fruit.

Last year I had to fuss and spray and spray all the summer squash for mildew. This year haven't done a thing. Did just notice some mildew starting today but it is later August already. By the time it gets bad, if it gets bad, it will be time to pull the zucchini anyway.

A lady at my friends Farmers Market was telling us she began watering her tomatoes with sea salt water and the tomatoes are fantastic. She said they taste like the salt. Crazy but she is a gardener and she does alot of veggie growing. Thought you may want to try it.

Never heard of such a thing. I would think salt would be bad to add to the soil.

I wonder.... I know when I have collected kelp and seaweed from the shore after storms, in the past, I used to think I needed to rinse off the salt but was told (by someone I trusted, no idea where the info came from at this point) that it wasn't necessary.

I imagine seawater has a lot in it that would be wonderful for the soil, minerals and liquid bio material, and that too much of it would be too much salt but a little might work nicely?

I'm going to ask everyone's forgiveness for a second posting of my kale sprouts portraits. These are better pictures and I know which is which now!

Scarlet

Lacinato (aka Dinosaur, Nero di Toscana)

Hahlbhoher Gruner Krauser

All are from Seed Savers Exchange so I trust their identities!