New and Unread Tree-Mails
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Name: Don Shirer Westbrook, CT (Zone 6a)      DonShirer Mar 15, 2018 6:18 PM CST |
| We have a new 2018 Veggie Gardening discussion, so why not a new Tomato thread? I'll start this off with an offer. While sorting my Tomato seeds to get ready for sowing, I had to face facts: I have more varieties than I have room to plant! So reluctantly I had to pick the ones to discard. Some are "free samples", some I thought were ok, just not great, and some (the patio types) I just didn't want to fuss with any more. I don't want to just trash them. Most are no more than 2 yrs old and still have good percentage germination, and quantities of 5-25 seeds. So, if you would like to try some or all of these, let me know (send your address in a tree mail) and I'll mail them to you. No guarantees. No returns! Please ask for at least three (or more!) to save me postage. LARGE/MEDIUM VARIETIES Nepal 2016 Russian 117 2016 Seattle Best 2017 Polish C 2016 Segler 2017 Pineapple 2017 Opalka 2016 CHERRY/SALADETTE Pink Ping Pong 2014 Riesentraube 2014 Russian Currant 2018 PATIO House 2016 Fantastico 2017 Hahms Gelbe 2017 Whippersnapper 2017 Red Robin 2017 |
Name: Sandy B. Ford River, Michigan UP (Zone 4b) (Zone 4b-maybe 5a)            Weedwhacker Mar 15, 2018 7:05 PM CST |
Don, that's a very generous offer -- I already have more than I need too, so I won't be requesting any seeds from you, but I'm sure there are others out there that will be happy to have them! Cubits.org - A Universe of Communities[/I] / Share your recipes: Favorite Recipes A-Z cubit C/F temp conversion / NGA Member Map |
Name: Caroline Scott Calgary (Zone 4a)         CarolineScott Mar 16, 2018 6:18 AM CST |
| Yes, some of us do accumulate an excess of seeds. Tomorrow is Seedy Saturday in Calgary, and they always have a table where you can drop off extra seeds. Other attendees can go through those seeds, and take what they want. Good of you to offer yours !  |
Name: Paul Fish Brownville, Nebraska (Zone 5b)  PaulF Mar 16, 2018 1:05 PM CST |
| My 35 varieties for 2018 are all poking up out of the soilless mix and will need to be transplanted in a week or so. Off we go for another season. |
Name: Don Shirer Westbrook, CT (Zone 6a) DonShirer Mar 19, 2018 5:31 AM CST |
| The tomato offer mentioned above is now closed. The ones that nobody wanted I donated to our local garden club. Maybe I'll have more next year. Don S. The TODD6 Tomato Datasheet (and instructions) can be downloaded from: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fnl... |
Name: Caroline Scott Calgary (Zone 4a) CarolineScott Mar 19, 2018 8:29 AM CST |
| My old computer does not want to down load your spread sheet. So I will continue to ask questions here on tomatoes. Last year someone grew Solar Flare, and I am going to start seeds this year. What did anyone find with Solar Flare ? |
Name: Don Shirer Westbrook, CT (Zone 6a) DonShirer Mar 19, 2018 4:10 PM CST |
| Solar Flare: Medium-large, OP oblate red with gold (some green) stripes. Early-mid season. "Early fruit has better flavor". Meaty. Pick early, don't leave on vine. Don't confuse with Solar Fire. There is also a larger 'Solar Flare XL' 10-20oz. Most commenters on web liked it, and said taste was on the sweet side of balanced and somewhat intense. Caroline, if you can't download TODD from the Dropbox folder below, send me your email address on a tree-mail and I can send it directly to you. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fnl... |
Name: Don Shirer Westbrook, CT (Zone 6a) DonShirer Mar 21, 2018 8:21 AM CST |
| As a retired scientist, I'm obliged to report on failed experiments as well as successful ones, and this one was a massive failure! In November, I decided to grow five varieties of mini-sized patio or dwarf tomato plants under a 4ft LED shoplight to see if I could get some better tasting cherry tomatoes for winter salads than the ones the grocery stores offer. Everything started off fine, I transplanted the seedlings into 4" square pots and started raising the shoplight to keep up with the growth and using Miracle-Gro to fertilize. After fighting off some fruit flies that must have hatched from eggs in the planting mix, most of the varieties topped off at a little over a foot, and the others I gently bent over and supported so I would not have to raise the lights anymore. Unfortunately, all of the varieties produced many fewer fruit than the samples I had tried the summer before, so after all the time (and electricity) I spent, I only harvested enough for two or three salads this winter. I don't know if it was the LED light (or not enough of it), a wrong choice in fertilizer, or the insect spray for the flies (or all of them) that contributed to the poor showing, but I don't feel that it is worth repeating the experiment. I will say that the variety that did the best under these conditions was Utyonok, a dwarf yellow-orange saladette tomato with a cute point on the end. I am wondering, though, if anyone else ever tried a similar experiment? |
Name: Sandy B. Ford River, Michigan UP (Zone 4b) (Zone 4b-maybe 5a) Weedwhacker Mar 21, 2018 1:26 PM CST |
| That's interesting, Don -- my guess would be insufficient light, but ? I wonder if it would work better to start the plants earlier so they could start setting fruit with natural light, then bring them indoors to grow under the lights. Not sure I'm curious enough to try it, though... Cubits.org - A Universe of Communities[/I] / Share your recipes: Favorite Recipes A-Z cubit C/F temp conversion / NGA Member Map |
Name: Deb Pacific NW (Zone 8b)             Bonehead Mar 21, 2018 2:26 PM CST |
| While I will enjoy reading about your seed-starting adventures, I continue to just let my local nursery do that part and will buy potted plants later in the spring. Hoping to find ones I've ear-marked, here's my short list in no particular order: Rose de Berne, Kellogg's Breakfast, Russian Queen, Amazon Chocolate, Bloody Butcher, Lemon Drop, Old German, Pineapple, Sun Sugar, Sweet Baby Girl, Sweet Mojo, Sweed Million, Trucker's Favorite My goal is to have one red cherry, one orange cherry, one yellow cherry, one red salad, and one of those weird dark ones (I keep trying, but haven't yet found one that appeals to me either visually or tastefully). I mostly just eat them out of hand or in salads and sandwiches. I'll have to wait and see what my nursery has to offer. Meanwhile, have fun with your seedlings! I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned. |
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