Have any of you started to top off your plants or do you just let them go and see what happens?

I picked off some new blossoms last week. But now they are talking near 90 for next week! On average our first frost is around mid October.

Claudia said:Have any of started to top off your plants or do you just let them go and see what happens?

I picked off some new blossoms last week. But now they are talking near 90 for next week! On average our first frost is around mid October.

I never top off plants although I do cut back some on the branches that have gotten into the pathways.

I never top anything, but like Rita I bottom them....trim bottom leaves that sag into the mulch. What tops my tomatoes is a hard frost. That tops the heck out of them.

One of my cherokees was looking ripe so I had it yesterday on a sandwich. It was delicious!

Excellent! Another CP-o-phile.

robynanne said:One of my cherokees was looking ripe so I had it yesterday on a sandwich. It was delicious!

• Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Cherokee Purple')
• Uploaded by robynanne

• Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Cherokee Purple')
• Uploaded by robynanne

It does look yummy!!

Newyorkrita said:

It does look yummy!!

(might have to put that one on my "to grow" list!)

I grew ML one year and it was tasty. But it didn't produce much so I didn't grow it again.

Oh what I would give for a single ripe Cherokee Purple! (best by taste to me). My tomatoes were just horrible this year, I grew Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Prudens Purple, Ponderosa Pink, Striped German, Aunt Gerties Gold and 2 hybrids from Univ Of FL (Garden Treasure and Garden Gem).

I hardly got a mouthful and it was mostly in new soil (half topsoil/half Leafgro). I've been getting along on cherry tomatoes from the Safeway all SUMMER and that is NOT what I expected.

Please tell me that someone had the pleasure I missed so greatly...

Newyorkrita said:

It does look yummy!!

It does, and that's almost cruel. I got ONE Cherokee Purple this yea. r

Yardenman said:

It does, and that's almost cruel. I got ONE Cherokee Purple this yea. r

Yardenman said:Oh what I would give for a single ripe Cherokee Purple! (best by taste to me). My tomatoes were just horrible this year, I grew Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Prudens Purple, Ponderosa Pink, Striped German, Aunt Gerties Gold and 2 hybrids from Univ Of FL (Garden Treasure and Garden Gem).

I hardly got a mouthful and it was mostly in new soil (half topsoil/half Leafgro). I've been getting along on cherry tomatoes from the Safeway all SUMMER and that is NOT what I expected.

Please tell me that someone had the pleasure I missed so greatly...

For you lovers of Cherokee Purple I might recommend another heirloom and this one is not well known. Amazon Chocolate. Didn't split near as much for me as Cherokkee Purple and personally I liked the taste even better. DELICIOUS!!!

Of course taste is a personal thing so you all might not like it better. But I bet you all would really like it!!

http://www.rareseeds.com/amazo...

http://www.dianeseeds.com/toma...

Anyone growing an old European heirloom called Stupice? I bought some seeds to try for our school garden this fall since it says it bears in 52 days. We need a short season tomato so that we can get a harvest before the end of semester (Mid-January). I've been growing Early Girl but they're not really good tasting in the short days of winter here. I don't generally plant heirlooms here in FL at all because of their lack of disease resistance but figured both the short days to harvest, and winter weather, drier and cooler, will help it to survive.

@RickCorey Speaking of short days, Rick I did find that although it was generally warm enough to grow a lot of things up there in the Pac. NW ( I came from Vancouver BC originally) the problem I had was not enough sun. When the days are SO short and SO dull grey the plants just sit there and look at you sadly.

So, along with row covers or tunnels, maybe you'll think about some supplemental lighting as well?

Never grew Stupice.

I have never grown it either.

I have grown it, and it is a good short season variety for cold climates.
Originally from Russia , I think.

i grew it when i lived in buffalo, it was good for the short season but only grew it one year because it was not very productive. I have grown Abe Lincoln and found it to be a much more productive early tomato. better taste too.

Thanks all, maybe I need to try Abe Lincoln for next fall's garden.

I grew Stupice (spellcheck insists this is Stupid) several years ago. It was ok. I got better results last year from Matina and Moravsky Div, both of which didn't do as well in a new location this year. Bush early girl was a bust. Next year I'm going to try Kimberly (or Kimberley?) which one commenter says is better than Stupice. All have medium or small fruit, so if you are just looking for similar results, there are many cherry tomatoes with 60+ day maturities.

Thanks, Don. I'm looking for something that matures in less than 60 days but still tastes good. I have a grape tomato called "Sugary" (a hybrid) that says it is 60 days, we'll see . . . It's very different here growing them in the fall, with the days getting shorter. If we get some cold nights before the holidays they just put on the brakes and take a rest for a couple of weeks.

I think it's the shorter days and weak winter sun that is mostly to blame for lack of taste, but let me know any really quick bearers you try that taste good. I'll have a report myself on Stupice in December or January. I mostly tried it because it said days to harvest was 52 days.