tveguy3 said:I often blend them the same way, skin seeds and all. I put it into the freezer for winter use.

Hey Tom,

I never have frozen any of mine because I use it up so fast. I put it up in pint jars and place them on the bottom shelf in the ice box. Normally they are all gone way before Spring.

Sounds like you need to plant more tomatoes! This year I've managed to limit myself to only 8 plants. That's enough hopefully to supply me with what I want to eat fresh, and to can a bunch of sauce (using the pillowcase method) to last me until next spring. I will most likely can some quart jars of whole tomatoes too, as I'm getting low on them. I had some blight last year, and didn't get a very good crop. Also I planted several heirlooms last year, and they didn't produce well. I solarized a new area last year to plant tomatoes this year, hoping to beat the blight. We'll see. I'm solarizing the area I had planted them in last year to try to eliminate it in that area. My veggie garden is slowly giving way to my crazy obsession with irises, so I'm having to recover other spaces for veggies.

Yes -- more tomato plants! I have 20 this year, way more than I need... at least I hope it's way more than I need, never know with the crazy weather.

Weedwhacker said:Yes -- more tomato plants! I have 20 this year, way more than I need... at least I hope it's way more than I need, never know with the crazy weather.

Seems like not that much to me.

Well I only had 12 Celebrity tomato plants which are my favorite and is normally enough. I also had some Early Girl and Better Bush. They all got beat up pretty badly during the "month of the storms" so my harvest was not up to par. Hope that the Fall plants will have much better growing conditions....one never knows about Ole Mother Nature

Aww, one of the greatest gifts from gardening is to eat/drink things 100% fresh! You should enjoy as much as you want right away!

robynanne said:Aww, one of the greatest gifts from gardening is to eat/drink things 100% fresh! You should enjoy as much as you want right away!

I agree, I glut myself silly on the fresh stuff all summer, but it's nice to have some set aside for the long winters here.

Thomas, I always have at least one celebrity for fresh eating.

I am not normal because I just want to grow so many varieties of tomato plants. No matter how many there are always more I would love to grow. Just like growing tomato plants. Love eating fresh from the garden tomatoes too!!

tveguy3 said:Thomas, I always have at least one celebrity for fresh eating.

Well Tom, I eat at least 4 tomatoes every day that I have fruit on the plants. I keep them in the house in stages of getting ripe. Normally three rows of fresh picked "reddish - yellowest", on today's row of picked to the ones harvested 3 days earlier. Might just be me, but allowing them to mature off the plant seems to keep them a bit firmer and a bit sweeter. Everybody loves a good fresh mater

tveguy3 said:

I agree, I glut myself silly on the fresh stuff all summer, but it's nice to have some set aside for the long winters here.

I don't think southerners understand the "long winter" concept

And, you can only eat just so much fresh stuff... we're just about done with the asparagus binge now; when we have lots of tomatoes, we're also loaded with beans, cukes, zucchini, beets, carrots, broccoli -- I'd have to cut WAY back on how much of each that I grow if we were only going to eat it fresh!

But it all tastes so good all summer long!!

Weedwhacker said:

I don't think southerners understand the "long winter" concept

And, you can only eat just so much fresh stuff... we're just about done with the asparagus binge now; when we have lots of tomatoes, we're also loaded with beans, cukes, zucchini, beets, carrots, broccoli -- I'd have to cut WAY back on how much of each that I grow if we were only going to eat it fresh!

Sandy I'm sure you are correct because in my area we have freeze free months from March through November as a rule. During our "winter" months we still grow plenty of fresh veggies. I guess in a way I am spoiled.

Thomas75 said:


Sandy I'm sure you are correct because in my area we have freeze free months from March through November as a rule. During our "winter" months we still grow plenty of fresh veggies. I guess in a way I am spoiled.

True, but when I go outside in July or August the soles of my shoes don't melt and fuse to the asphalt so... you have your own challenges.

Rather than start a new thread because I think all of the tomato experts are already here, I have a question. Just purchased some "Heatwave" tomato plants at the feed store and they are really healthy looking. Do I plant them late evening before dark or should I wait until first light in the morning?

I plant mine just before dark so they can have longer to soak up some water in their new home. I've had more success that way. I'm no expert though.

Either sounds good to me!!

If I can't plant them on a cloudy day, preferably with another day or 2 of cloudy coming up, I plant them in the evening; and give them a little sun/wind protection with some Reemay.

Got all the plants in the ground just before dark last night and this morning they look great. I also planted about 20 Cucumber seeds ( lost count ), so my Fall crop is now ready to produce....can't wait.

Thomas75 said:Got all the plants in the ground just before dark last night and this morning they look great. I also planted about 20 Cucumber seeds ( lost count ), so my Fall crop is now ready to produce....can't wait.

We have plenty of green tomatoes here now but of course the things is waiting for them to start to get ripe!!

Some of my cucumber wines have baby cucumbers already. Most though are full of mainly male flowers so have to wait till they really get going on the female flowers.

Same with my summer squashes. the biggest are loaded with male flowers.

Opps, getting off topic here sorry!