Come on guys, I'm hungry for a good tomato

Karen

Next photo. Looks like the above was taken on or around May 30. This photo was taken last night.

Karen

One little wintersown matina is ripening. Most of the plants barely have fruit yet- the toms are thumbnail size, except this one matina. I love matinas!

Karen

My wintersown tomatoes this morning, July 4. Compare to the picture above on May 30.

Karen

First red wintersown tomato, matina, on July 4.

Karen

very nice indeed. looks just about ready for a BLT.

I can't believe you have a ripe tomato already, Karen. It's not that much warmer in Cinci!

Your plants look great--can't believe how quickly they grew to that size.

Today harvested the first 2 snow whites-YUM!- my favorite. It's supposed to be 75 DTM but they usually start producting a few early for me. Another Matina is just starting to ripen. It should be ready to pick in a few days.

These are all "wintersown"- same as wintersown method but seeds weren't really sown until spring. (April, I think)

Karen

congratulations

Those are AWESOME!!! I might try ws a few next year. I did notice some volunteers pop up from last year tomatoes....so sorta like wintersowing. Bust they are only 4" tall

We returned from a week's vacation last night. Harvested a giant bowl full of the Snow Whites and 4 Matinas. I told my neighbors to enjoy the ones that matured while we were gone.

Karen

karen - how come you didn't give me directions to your house. i grew the matina several years ago when i had a regular garden in the ground and did not care for them. i don't remember why though.. probably because they were not big.

i can;t wait for next season. i alrady have the seeds i am gong to be starting and they are all big and red.

I really like the matinas. They are small tomatoes, that's true. But I think their taste is good and they're so early.

Karen

i was talking to friends on the other web site about how i cannot tell the difference in taste between one tomato and another. i can tell the difference between a store bought and a home grown one but that is about it. people tell me they can taste if the tomato has too much acid or the texture is different but to me, a tomato is a tomato and that is why i only try to grow large and red ones. the ones i am planting next year are all mostly red (some pink) but all weight in at over a pound and sometimes 2 or 3 pounds). i know container growing the tomatoes will not result in that great size but i went from a five gallon container to a ten gallon one that i will use for the first time next season.

Welcome back, Karen. Glad your tomatoes are producing so well! You must have had good help to keep your garden watered while you were gone.

They tried hard and it was better than I expected. I think the pots were overwatered, but anyway, at least they're not dead. I have wonderful neighbors. This house is way too big for us now, but we'll be reluctant to ever move from the neighborhood.

Karen

Karen, you've done a fine job with your tomatoes. I want to know where you got your cages? and how you secure them in the earth? I'm finally getting a small quantity of tomatoes, mostly Tiger Toms, Azoychka's and I think a Jet Star. I would expect the deluge to begin in about another week or so.

Diann,

They are Texsa tomato cages. I've wanted them for several years but was too cheap to buy them- very expensive.

We just got them this year, but they seem awesome. Very sturdy metal. You install simply by sinking long, sturdy legs into the ground.

Texas tomato cages: http://tomatocage.com/

Karen

Yeah, I've looked at them, but I'm way too cheap to buy them too. LOL Do you secure them with anything but their own legs? We had some 60 and 70 mph winds last weekend and it blew my three foot high cages over, I'd hate to think what it would have done to really tall ones....

Love those boxed beds, Karen. I have quite a few also. Very pleasant to work with, aren't they?

Have you got some recent pics? Would love to see how things are doing up your way, especially with this years heat wave! Yikes!

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