I took these pictures today of the tomato plants that I am hardening off in preparation for transplanting in the next couple of weeks.

The larger plants are the late dtm's that I started right after Thanksgiving.
The medium plants are the mid-season and the smaller ones in the red cups are some of the early season and cherry's. In the white Styrofoam cups are some backups.

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You are so beautifully organized, Dan! They look great!

I am so impressed! Well done Dan.

Great looking starts Dan. I will try to get a shot of mine today.

Wow, nice!

Okay, I'll play too!

Here're my babies, just potted up into their "big kid" homes this morning. Nowhere near as nice as Dan's, but I have hopes for them come March!

I've got Anna Russian, Atkinson, Neves Azorean Red, Beaverlodge Plum, Galina's, Nichol's, Reisentraube, Break O'Day, Cosmonaut Volkov and Sioux. Should be at least a couple of good ones in that batch!

I almost bought seeds for the Neve's Azorean Red's and considered Anna Russian. I'm glad that you have them so I'll know if they are some to try next season.

And we can compare observations on the Sioux and Atkinson's since I have those too.

If memory serves me, you grew Beverlodge and Reisentraube last year didn't you? How did they do for you?

Some of my starts

More of my starts

Still more

ok I still have some more under lights that I haven't potted up yet.
But...I started for two gardens.

I see that you have Peron's. It will be interesting to see if they are really pest resistant as advertised, especially the white flies and hornworms.

Very nice starts Jayne!

What are you using for soil with the starts? Jayne, your looks very fine and I don't see perlite. Jill, yours looks more like what I've used, with lots of perlite. Dan, I can't see yours. Are you adding any nutrients (nutes), if so, what?

I use a bagged garden soil called Sta Green. I bought it at Lowe's for about $5 for a 2 cubic foot bag.

I give them a little fish emulsion and now I include some B1 to prep them for transplanting. I ran out, but I would also give them some liquid seaweed once the hardening off process begins.

Mary, what you are seeing is Jiffy seed starting mix. There is no soil in it and right Mary, no perlite. I start with Jiffy 7 pellets and then pot up with the mix. I always remove the netting before potting up. I fertilize with a weak solution of Fish Emulsion when they get their second leaves. When I pot up I start giving them a weak solution of Fish and Kelp. When they go into the ground I foliar feed full strength fish and kelp once a week. So far, the tomatoes I have are: Italian Market Wonder, Thessaloniki, Black from Tula, Costoluto Genovese, Calabash, Sun Leaper, Brandywine, Mexicana, Cour di Bue, Homestead, Peron, Oaxacan, Zapotec and Yellow Pear.

Mine are all in standard Black Gold seedling mix, nothing exotic in any way. This year they're all going back into the raised beds, and I'm thinking I'll use the EBs for bush beans and corn.

Dann_L said:I almost bought seeds for the Neve's Azorean Red's and considered Anna Russian. I'm glad that you have them so I'll know if they are some to try next season.

And we can compare observations on the Sioux and Atkinson's since I have those too.

If memory serves me, you grew Beverlodge and Reisentraube last year didn't you? How did they do for you?

Last year I got (almost) nada. I did BLP and Reisentraube in EBs the year before. Reisentraube did fine over the summer, VERY tasty little garden candies; looking forward to see how they do in ground. BLP was my first (and only) attempt at a fall crop; not so good. Trying again in the spring. Still looking for the proper home-grown tomato to make your soup with, Dan! :)

I gave an AR to my neighbor, who due to health issues gave it no care over the summer--it's still producing in spite of the neglect, and she says tastes good, too! And the only success I had last summer was a plant that gave me 2 of the best-tasting tomatoes I've ever eaten here in AZ, but since I had an ID mixup, I'm not sure what it was--but my best guess is the NAR. Hoping I'm right!

Aha - I finally found your cubit Dan - lol. Nice looking maters folks! Hiya McP!

Do you all like Reisentraube? I hear good things about it and may have to add it to my list for next season.

For spring I am growing: Cold Set, Stupice and Sheyenne (these are the direct seeds that are still doing well). Started in the Aerogarden are: Gartenperle, Principe Borghese, Black Cherry, Amish Paste, Burbank Red Slicing, Early Kus Ali, Moskvich, Peiping Chieh, Bloody Butcher, Homestead, Mountain Princess, and Dr. Carolyn Pink...

The Moskvich and the Principe Borghese I grew last year. Dr. Carolyn Pink is replacing the yellow I grew last year, just to try another color - lol. All the others are a first time spring crop in the desert for me...

Kelly

My list this year is:

Giant Belgium
Large Pink Bulgarian
Beefsteak
Atkinson
Sioux
Red Alert
Burpee's Steak Sandwich
Bella Rosa
Sophya
Black Cherry
Sun Sugar
Super Sweet 100's

Large Pink Bulgarian, Burpee's Steak Sandwich and Black Cherry have all done well for me in past seasons here in AZ.
I have grown Sweet 100's every year but this year there is a new and improved version. Atkinson, Sioux, Giant Belgium and Sun Sugar I tried to grow last year. All of them got off to a great start but then the entire crop went belly up on me and I lost them all. So I'll try them again this year.

Hi Kelly, glad you found us. Both you and Dan are certainly ambitious tomato growers - ya otta go commerical!

I did not start any seeds this year - work got in the way - so I'm going to try some that Dan has offered me and will pick up one or two when I take that tomato growing in the desert class on Saturday. I'm planning to get some of those wattle thingies Jayne mentioned on another thread and make a keyhole style garden. I'll post some pics when I get it all going.

Come on spring!!!

I did Reisentraube year before last and liked it--great garden candy! I didn't get the production they're famous for, but they were in EBs which (IME) don't do quite as well as in-ground. I'm doing them again this year, in ground--I'll be sure to keep everyone posted!