What did you do in the garden today?

[GooseInGarden]

Most tomato flowers are closed...

Cool. I didn't know that, but it does explain some things.

I had 80 varieties last year stacked on top of each other and I can see some of the volunteers are growing true to seed.

I envy you your volunteer tomatoes. The only ones that have ever survived to seed for me was some Matt's Wild Cherry, which came up in my flower garden the last two years.

Have lots of Bok Choi coming up though!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

It's so annoying! & of course the only tomato I will eat is a brandywine & they are notorious for catfacing. I find the catfaced ones end up with little fruit flies eating them too, last year I lost quite a few because of that.

If I have as much success with these Southern Belle tomatoes as I did last year I'll send you some seeds. I'm going to be sharing the seeds with as many people as I can that will also try to save and share seeds because it's a lost variety. They were large, no cat facing, heat tolerant, and disease tolerant. At least in my garden last year. Fingers crossed!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

80 different varieties...?! Or do you mean 80 plants?

I'm having a hard time with 9 varieties, plus 4 different cherry tomatoes.

Lol, 80 different varieties. It was my big experiment for the year last year because I was determined to find the best heat tolerant and disease resistant tomatoes that I didn't have to baby.
This year I'm trying to save Southern Belle tomatoes and I also planted a large assortment or squash varieties but they're already starting to vine over each other so I'm not sure how well I'll be able to keep those organized. Lol!

This is the playlist for the full experiment last year.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQUKb4LZlbZhBCC5pZW1V6Qf7kNb-DJeo

 

[Sally PB]

I'm trying to find the best tomato(es) for me, too. Last year, I had great success with Hungarian Heart and Italian Heirloom, so I'm growing several plants of those two. I have my old standby, Amish Paste, but the last couple years, it's been disappointing.

 

[WthrLady]

That's what I've been doing for years. The wild variable is the weather. Some varieties like the hot, like the wet, or both, or neither. Some don't like the chill....... But hands down, not matter the weather SanMarzano work for me. 10 new varieties this year to try for me.

 

[Smokerbill]

Since the growing season here is historically on the short side, I'm trying a few that are supposed to be quicker to start ripening. Stupice, Oregon Spring and Early Girl. We'll see how they work out.

 

[Sally PB]

One of my gardens is in a low spot and gets frost later in the spring and earlier in the fall than the other garden up on a hill. I have a couple of shorter season varieties that I'm putting down there this year.

It's not just the frost. The cool air at night settles down there. You can feel the difference as you walk down the hill.

 

[BReeder!]

Garden updates:

Installed some new solar lights neat each garden gate and at the end of each pathway - 8 lights in total and could use 1 more. These were a special buy on Menards' website last week and got delivered today.

More gravel is down, making the two major pathways done. No more muddy shoes from going to the greenhouse!

Pics:

ETA: The boards you see laying on the gravel are temporary to make wheeling the wheelbarrow through easier.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

One of my gardens is in a low spot and gets frost later in the spring and earlier in the fall than the other garden up on a hill. I have a couple of shorter season varieties that I'm putting down there this year.

It's not just the frost. The cool air at night settles down there. You can feel the difference as you walk down the hill.

I need a spot like that for Cilantro. I planted some in the shade this year to hopefully help.

 

[BReeder!]

Since the growing season here is historically on the short side, I'm trying a few that are supposed to be quicker to start ripening. Stupice, Oregon Spring and Early Girl. We'll see how they work out.

Do you start indoors? I like getting tomatoes as early as possible so I start indoors at the end of February. I up pot twice and end up with 2ft tall plants in 6 inch pots by the start of may. Up hand tomatoes in June this way. My neighbors will not have tomatoes until July and their plants will be a lot smaller than mine with fewer tomatoes set on them.