Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

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bobrarian
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Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2020 4:17 pm
Location: SoCal 10a/10b

Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#1

Post: # 29972Unread post bobrarian
Sat Sep 05, 2020 10:12 pm

Hello from Los Angeles! More specifically, the San Gabriel Valley, where it was 108 today, and forecast to be 112 tomorrow. :shock:

I've read and learned a ton from TV and GardenWeb over the past two years or so, but I finally decided to join Tomato Junction so I can engage and be part of this great community of fellow tomato lovers. I am a container gardener, focusing primarily on tomatoes because they are so rewarding, diverse, and delicious. I only have a few years under my belt, and am limited by space to a handful of plants, but I am truly a tomato addict and can't get enough of growing and reading about them. I was also excited to recently discover the Dwarf Tomato Project. I have a Tasmanian Chocolate as a fall planting that's doing very well (so far).

What finally drove me to joining TJ is that, ever since reading about the MMMM swap, I wanted to be part of it. And to be part of the conversation, of course. :) Hope you all are staying cool and safe and sane during this strangest of times.

Bobby
It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato. - Lewis Grizzard

eyegrotom
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Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:14 pm
Location: So Cal

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#2

Post: # 29975Unread post eyegrotom
Sat Sep 05, 2020 11:18 pm

Hi Bobby Welcome to the Junction I am a little East of you in the Inland Empire. It was 116 here today and the same is forecast for tomorrow.

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MissS
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Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:55 am
Location: SE Wisconsin Zone 5b

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#3

Post: # 29978Unread post MissS
Sat Sep 05, 2020 11:23 pm

Hello and Welcome Bobby. I'm glad that you decided to join us here. It's a great group of people with a vast amount of knowledge. You are in for a treat joining the MMMM.
~ Patti ~

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Shule
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Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#4

Post: # 29980Unread post Shule
Sun Sep 06, 2020 12:36 am

Welcome, [mention]bobrarian[/mention]!

I'm curious to know how Tasmanian chocolate turns out for you.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

zeuspaul
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Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 9:24 pm
Location: San Diego County

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#5

Post: # 29982Unread post zeuspaul
Sun Sep 06, 2020 1:27 am

Welcome from 108 in San Diego.

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Whwoz
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Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:08 am
Location: Trafalgar, Victoria, Australia

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#6

Post: # 29983Unread post Whwoz
Sun Sep 06, 2020 4:10 am

Welcome to the Junction from Down Under

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brownrexx
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Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 1:05 pm
Location: Southeast PA, zone 6b

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#7

Post: # 29985Unread post brownrexx
Sun Sep 06, 2020 7:03 am

Welcome to the Junction. It's hot in PA but not THAT hot!

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bower
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Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:44 pm
Location: Newfoundland, Canada

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#8

Post: # 29989Unread post bower
Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:02 am

Hi and welcome! IDK how you guys take the heat!!! I know when it cools down a little, it's perfect and beautiful eh. :) And a good time to pamper some tomato pets.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
temperate marine climate
yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

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worth1
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Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:32 pm
Location: 25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#9

Post: # 30002Unread post worth1
Sun Sep 06, 2020 10:21 am

Welcome.
Hopefully it will be called drizzling Southern California soon.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.

You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.

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bobrarian
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Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2020 4:17 pm
Location: SoCal 10a/10b

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#10

Post: # 30010Unread post bobrarian
Sun Sep 06, 2020 1:07 pm

Thank you for the warm welcome!  

eyegrotom - It surely is hotter where you are!  Today's high is now forecast to be lower at just 108?!

Patti - re: the MMMM, hope I don't end up with TOO many seeds, although that's probably a good problem to have.

Shule - I'm curious too about Tas Chocolate.  I've heard many love it and have had success, but some had issues with dwarfs and production/disease.  Will aim to share my notes later this year.

Bower - it's not normally this hot!  Here, mid to upper 80s and low 90s is typical in summer, cooling to upper 60s/low 70s at night.  Normally good tomato growing weather.

Worth - Having read many of your wise, witty posts, you convinced me to try Lime Green Salad (as a fall planting).  Impressive spray of flowers.  I lean towards sweeter tomatoes, but have a feeling I'm gonna like it.

Bobby
It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato. - Lewis Grizzard

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peebee
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Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 6:48 pm
Location: So. Calif zone 10

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#11

Post: # 30015Unread post peebee
Sun Sep 06, 2020 3:25 pm

Welcome Bobby, from 103 or so here in the S. Bay area. Just a quick tip, if you want to be sure a certain member sees your reply, just do the @ icon then the user name, like this [mention]bobrarian[/mention] . If you type even a couple of letters of the name after @ you should see a side menu to pick from. SGV is about an hour's drive from here, have friends there but haven't seen them since this pandemic started. Are you near the Arboretum?
Yes we're all baking in this heat today!
Zone 10, Southern California
Will eat anything once before I judge.
Anything meaning any foods of course.

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bobrarian
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Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2020 4:17 pm
Location: SoCal 10a/10b

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#12

Post: # 30279Unread post bobrarian
Wed Sep 09, 2020 9:31 pm

@peebee - Thanks for the tip! Glad it's finally cooled off, relatively speaking. Our tomato plants had some of their leaves baked nice and crispy! But it looks like they will survive.

The Arboretum is probably about a 20-minute drive. I'm closer to Alhambra, so far enough away from the foothills and fires. We still have some ash falling. Not much, thankfully. Air quality is bad, and the skies have an orange-brown hue. It's surreal.

Bobby
It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato. - Lewis Grizzard

NarnianGarden
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Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2020 5:02 pm
Location: Finland, EU

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#13

Post: # 30340Unread post NarnianGarden
Thu Sep 10, 2020 11:11 pm

Hello and welcome from Northern Europe! Another container gardener here.. I think container tomatoes are the best .. haha.

Have a good time here and in your garden - this heat will pass...

mikestuff49
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Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 1:11 pm
Location: Branson MO Zone 6b

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#14

Post: # 30358Unread post mikestuff49
Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:12 am

Welcome to the Junction!
The best things in life---are not things.

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GoDawgs
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Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:38 am
Location: Zone 8a, Augusta GA

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#15

Post: # 30379Unread post GoDawgs
Fri Sep 11, 2020 2:38 pm

Gotta toss in here a hearty welcome from the sunny South, from the great state of Jawja. :lol:

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Sue_CT
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Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:03 pm
Location: Connecticut Zone 6A

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#16

Post: # 30409Unread post Sue_CT
Fri Sep 11, 2020 11:10 pm

Well welcome! The Dwarfs of course are perfect for container growing, but many full sized plants do well, also. You will get a lot of hints from people here who have many years of experience growing in containers. I hope you are not touched by the fires going on around your state. It sounds like some are near you so let us know how you are doing and stay safe. I hope they get some help from the weather to get them under control soon.

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bobrarian
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Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2020 4:17 pm
Location: SoCal 10a/10b

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#17

Post: # 30458Unread post bobrarian
Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:01 pm

Hello, [mention]Sue_CT[/mention]! We're staying safe, and live far enough from any threat from the Bobcat Fire. I appreciate the concern. :) I hope they get some rain up in OR, but here in SoCal, we may not get any real rain until Nov/Dec.

And thank you to all again for the warm welcomes! I know I've joined the right forum.

We are staying indoors this weekend (due to the very unhealthy air quality). Thankfully, I was able to find an air purifier yesterday. They're quite the hot item right now! Kinda reminds me of the early days of this pandemic, when it was near impossible to find face masks, hand sanitizer, TP, etc.

I've probably read most of the posts on container gardening (and growing tomatoes, in general) on here, TV and GardenWeb. These forums have contributed so much to what I know today. My favorite posts are when people share their favorite varieties, the ones they had the most (and least) success with, posts about the best tasting (to them), most productive, best GWR, etc.

Last year was a bust, no small part due to a couple mistakes I made. This Spring/Summer, I had great success with Ananas Noire (13-gal container), which I've grown before and love, and Super Sweet 100 (5-gal). No doubt helped by the great weather. My fall tomatoes have had more challenges, with the recent heat wave and now the falling ash and smoke. It goes to show that even if one does everything right - which I don't - that there are factors completely out of our control that can throw a wrench into the best-laid plans. But that's gardening, and why I enjoy the challenge (and reward)! If everything went right every year, it would be less interesting. I wonder what that says about me. :geek:
It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato. - Lewis Grizzard

NarnianGarden
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Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2020 5:02 pm
Location: Finland, EU

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#18

Post: # 30475Unread post NarnianGarden
Sun Sep 13, 2020 4:29 am

I would be so bold as to say that any tomato variety is 'container doable' - perhaps because I do not really have a choice and thus have not been able to make comparisons. For me, it is the choice between a) container gardening OR b) no gardening at all.

Guess what? I much rather have some crop than none whatsoever. As long as there is enough fertiliser, water and sunlight, the plants grow well and produce... and even grow very tall.

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Amateurinawe
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Location: Emsworth UK

Re: Hello from Sizzling SoCal!

#19

Post: # 30763Unread post Amateurinawe
Thu Sep 17, 2020 1:05 pm

A late welcome from South of uk. Fairly new to site as well but as keen as mustard to learn and share. From one newcomer to another, there are some really terrific people here and so much cumulative knowledge in all different things. But most of all, friendly and willing to share. I am sure you will find this global community a real blast. Welcome
The behaviour of light means you observe me as i was then, and not as I am now.
I cannot change history, so I do hope i gave you a good impression of myself

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