Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies and garden pics)

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Barb_FL
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#101

Post: # 9174Unread post Barb_FL
Thu Feb 06, 2020 9:32 pm

In the summer of 2016, I grew Beit Alpha and covered the cages with tulle every evening and took off every morning. I fed them the Vegetable (of Texas Tomato food). In 7 weeks, I had 330 cucumbers and only lost 3 from worms. No pickleworm moths got through the layers of tulle. The best part was the bees waiting to get in at 7 AM.

SInce then, I have tried and would be fairly successful early but the wind always negatively affected my plants. As bad as the wind has been since, it was nothing like this season. I'm so glad the bulk of my tomato harvest was so early this year.

I also use to grow blueberries - the SunShine Blue dwarfs which required the least amount of chill hours at 150. A chill hour is 45 degrees; they don't need to be consecutive but we are no where close.

Even the cauliflower didn't fare well this year.

-----
Back to the weather patterns; when my tomato plants were setting fruit in the heat this fall, I started thinking they adapted to the warmer weather. It was the orchid bees continuously pollinating ; everything I thought about the night time lows needing to be <72 was thrown out the window. Of course, a lot of the tomatoes especially the dark ones then cracked/split when they ripened. But it is something I will consider for next season; ie hold off sowing the heirloom types for another month, sow the cherries and hybrids and get tomatoes early.

MsCowpea
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#102

Post: # 9180Unread post MsCowpea
Thu Feb 06, 2020 10:48 pm

WOW, I should try tulle. Would love to grow pickling cucumbers and make pickles. Lots and lots of pickles. And Greek Tzatziki. Love that in wraps. Thanks for the tips.

https://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/socrat ... umber-1380

The weather has certainly changed for the worse as far as growing in the sub-tropics. The only thing that might work In future is to grow
100 Juliets. Even if we enter into a global melt down Juliets will still produce.
"When we kill off the natural enemies of a pest we inherit their work."
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Ginger2778
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#103

Post: # 9188Unread post Ginger2778
Fri Feb 07, 2020 5:56 am

MsCowpea wrote: Thu Feb 06, 2020 10:48 pm WOW, I should try tulle. Would love to grow pickling cucumbers and make pickles. Lots and lots of pickles. And Greek Tzatziki. Love that in wraps. Thanks for the tips.

https://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/socrat ... umber-1380

The weather has certainly changed for the worse as far as growing in the sub-tropics. The only thing that might work In future is to grow
100 Juliets. Even if we enter into a global melt down Juliets will still produce.
Haha, in 1000 years the only things left on earth will be cockroaches and Juliets!
- Marsha

MsCowpea
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#104

Post: # 9213Unread post MsCowpea
Fri Feb 07, 2020 10:27 am

So true! :lol:

Barb, Charles Wilber grew Better Boy and I have grown BB when I tried to emulate his technique. It is not my favorite tomato but people I gave it to thought it was great. I can’t remember exactly but I think it was more disease resistant.

Which reminds me that I just gave some tomatoes to a friend and one was chocolate stripe and she said her husband refused even to taste it. :roll:
This is not the first time this has happened. One year was a ‘Black’ year as I was trying to figure out the name of unknown black planted the year before. I grew many black tomatoes and I had to give an advertising pitch extolling the virtues of these tomatoes as people were reluctant to take them. Had I had some nice round red Better Boys they would have been much happier. Looks would have trumped taste. (I am a bit like that as well because I don’t like green-when-ripe tomatoes. I have tasted many but I don’t want to grow them at all.)

Also did a mini tasting with 3 friends. They thought the chocolate stripe was too juicy and a bit watery in flavor but they RAVED about Black Cherry and Candy Sweet Icicle. I didn’t have any Sungolds that day but they would have been a hit as well because anybody in the garden that tries them loves them. Are there any medium size tomatoes that taste like CSI?
"When we kill off the natural enemies of a pest we inherit their work."
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Barb_FL
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#105

Post: # 9218Unread post Barb_FL
Fri Feb 07, 2020 10:56 am

When I looked at the BB reviews, generally they said productive but if any criticism it was on taste. As of now, I think I will do a modified Webber method next season with Grandeur. It's a Japanese tomato that does really well in the heat. Last year, I sowed one seed in March and had a bunch of tomatoes until I stopped watering in July. I grew it in a root pouch.

---
This season, I'm growing Chocolate Stripes, Indian Stripes, GGWT, and PBTD (which I already pulled but it didn't compare to the others - way too soft). Chocolate Stripes is in a Root Pouch and in an area that got hit hard 2+ weeks ago. IS and GGWT are in the same EB. Bottoms are gnarley on any set fruit.

---
I gave my next door neighbor a carton of the SunGreen (GWR), the adult daughter loves them, the mom (my friend) loves when I pick them correctly, and the husband wouldn't even try one. I'm still learning when to pick them. The larger or those cherries are much easier to guess when to pick. Johnny's is backordered on an 'improved' version - seeds are cheap so I will try one next season.

Last season, my SIL didn't like anything dark, but doing the blindfold test, they were the ones he liked the best.

---

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Ginger2778
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#106

Post: # 9234Unread post Ginger2778
Fri Feb 07, 2020 12:07 pm

I've only encountered one person who refused a dark tomato based on color. Closed minded I guess.
GWR is another story, there's something psychological about eating a green tomato, even if it is ripe, sweet, delicious. I have some folks that font like ripe tomatoes, so I give them hard green ones.
My Chocolate Stripes are super tasty and not at all watery this year, but almost everything is really tasty this year. I can't get over it.
I'm wondering if it's because I've laid off "the snack" this season. I think that stuff may impart a funky chemically "grassy" taste sometimes.
- Marsha

MsCowpea
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#107

Post: # 9254Unread post MsCowpea
Fri Feb 07, 2020 1:58 pm

Unfortunately, the chocolate stripe I gave to them was picked after couple days of rain. But the rain doesn’t seem to effect the cherries too much. I had a CS picked earlier and it was good. Sweet, not bland. Good to Very Good not Excellent. But tomato flavor can change from day to day. If everything tastes great than all the tomato gods must be in alignment.

I have always thought that too much synthetic fertilizer would definitely effect flavor negatively. And too little nutrients effects flavor as well. Research supports this. But as long as people are happy with their tomatoes no matter the variety or how they grow them that is all that matters. Though one person’s great tomato may be another’s spitter.

I did just order a few tomatoes from Wild Boar Farms since he developed Candy Sweet Icicle.
Always good to support small seed companies.
https://wildboarfarms.com/product-categ ... ato-seeds/

Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms did one of those field lunches and taste testing. We plan vacations around tomato events. Though DH won’t eat or taste a raw tomato by itself. :roll: I don’t remember tasting CSI-maybe it wasn’t developed yet.

You can still get that Tomato Fine Art Print on his website.

And the very first tomato taste testing event I went to was at Rutgers University in NJ- 80 tomatoes and they all tasted bland except one
(Carbon) . Found out it’s had rained for 3 weeks straight. Don’t know how Carbon escaped, maybe on a higher plot with better drainage. Who knows?


Wild Boar Farm Field Lunch and Tomato Tasting
F0E618AC-F9C0-4502-A9BD-AFEB55EBD4B0.jpeg
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DA22CFBD-C1E9-45C3-A958-7A5AAA71AA10.jpeg
Rutgers Snyder Farm The Great Tomato Tasting Event (still held yearly) The Fabulous CARBON
Look at that color of that Carbon!
Carbon.jpg
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MsCowpea
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#108

Post: # 9305Unread post MsCowpea
Fri Feb 07, 2020 6:41 pm

16BFFAC9-D423-44AC-AE02-2DD2D5399E93.jpeg
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Lots of celery. Grown in 2 Earthboxes , 1 knock off Earthbox, and round raised bed. Got these at Lowe’s—Bonnie’s Plants. I tried growing celery transplants in years past but it is awful hot and rainy at that time. You rarely see celery transplants down here so I was delighted to get them.

Tried juicing it as it is supposed to be very good for you— anti-inflammatory. Invited a friend to come over for latest health craze elixir. It tastes better than wheat grass but still not that enjoyable.
Sent some to a another friend to try. She emailed and told me they will use it to cure their meat (they make, bacon, etc,) . Uhh??? Who knew?

Googled celery juice to cure meat.
It has high concentration of nitrates. Manufacturers use it to put ‘Nitrite-free’ on their packages though this is a bit of a misnomer.
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"When we kill off the natural enemies of a pest we inherit their work."
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#109

Post: # 9329Unread post MsCowpea
Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:05 pm

D77BF276-DC5A-4B6B-9BBD-E6B9BA2B8D20.jpeg
EA23FB7B-1B02-4B81-8359-B0DB9A0E31FB.jpeg
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#110

Post: # 9402Unread post Growing Coastal
Sat Feb 08, 2020 11:57 am

"Though one person’s great tomato may be another’s spitter."
No kidding! A friend brought over someone who tried a Brad's Atomic Grape at my friend's insistance and I could see she almost gagged on it before she said no. Every other person who tired it loved that black beauty.

The palms in the last photo caught my eye and then your bird visitor who would never taste a tomato, right?

MsCowpea
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#111

Post: # 9431Unread post MsCowpea
Sat Feb 08, 2020 2:14 pm

That bird is thinking do I want a red or a pink?

For some people I guess you have to do blind tasting, especially if the tomato is a funny ‘abnormal’ color. And some tomatoes will never be everyone’s cup of tea.
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Barb_FL
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#112

Post: # 9465Unread post Barb_FL
Sat Feb 08, 2020 7:01 pm

MsCowpea wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 2:14 pm That bird is thinking do I want a red or a pink?
Bird though process: "If I pick the Red, there are still others on the vine for the human, but if I go for the Pink, that's the only one and it is bigger so just a little taste. I'll go for the Pink first, and come back for the Red, and tell the other birds, and we can sample some of each.

I found a fully ripe tomato today; unfortunately already sampled. Yesterday, all were already sampled.

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Nan6b
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#113

Post: # 9466Unread post Nan6b
Sat Feb 08, 2020 7:04 pm

If they are ripe, pick them and cut out the pecked part. If not ripe, leave them on the vine; sometimes the pecked part doesn't rot or doesn't rot too fast.

MsCowpea
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#114

Post: # 9471Unread post MsCowpea
Sat Feb 08, 2020 7:55 pm

This is many, many years ago. Particularly bad year for bird pecking. Decided to share.
Sharing toms with birds.jpg
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#115

Post: # 9739Unread post MsCowpea
Mon Feb 10, 2020 6:46 pm

Lots and lots of tomatoes are ripening:
8D6E800C-D317-48D6-80E2-C0918D6FD7E8.jpeg

One of the best salsas I ever made from the simplest recipe.
Tomatoes
Onion
Cilantro
Canned chopped mild peppers (Old El Paso)
Any type of spicy salt (just a tiny bit as the chips are salty). I used McCormick’s Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon
***IRON MIKE’S BAJAN PEPPER SAUCE (to taste)***!!!

(Thank you , Mike. Your pepper sauce is really really good. I tasted when I first got it and I immediately thought, with a pleasant surprise, it’s sweet, then a nano second later a volcano went off in my mouth. I am a huge fan of scotch peppers and your recipe is great. I have made salsa with it 3 times and will use in pumpkin soup and other recipes. Thanks again.)
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#116

Post: # 9746Unread post MsCowpea
Mon Feb 10, 2020 7:05 pm

So many Juliets , just the beginning of the deluge. I accidentally grew many more Juliets than I normally would because I overdid the reseeding when the first batch of transplants didn’t thrive. I dehydrate them-it concentrates the sugars. Friend takes a lot to Barbados. I like them but too bad they aren’t knock your socks off spectacular. They are so disease resistant in S Fl compared to other varieties. I bet in others areas with long summer days they may be even better.
D25E935C-47BC-4C79-A846-A1455AFADEA2.jpeg
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#117

Post: # 9750Unread post MsCowpea
Mon Feb 10, 2020 7:17 pm

He actually was staring in a long time but when I walk to door he moves on. Likes to look at his reflection. I have a video of him jumping high and slamming his chest into the sliding glass door over and over , all the while hollering that peacock call. He loves brassicas but not tomatoes, thank goodness. Though he will knock over trays of seedlings for fun . Wants to sample them but doesn’t really like them. He did devour a tray of broccoli transplants and left stubs.
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7CDC1944-8F04-4791-A02A-13958D372AC6.jpeg
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#118

Post: # 9752Unread post Ginger2778
Mon Feb 10, 2020 7:22 pm

There are like a hundred peacocks at Flamingo Gardens. The staff say they are like vermin. They even have all white ones.
- Marsha

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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#119

Post: # 9754Unread post MsCowpea
Mon Feb 10, 2020 7:33 pm

Mon. Feb. 10. Juliet in regular container. Didn’t get tied up so it is all over the place. Hate when that happens :( The branches will kink when the fruit comes. Plus it is easily gets over 7 feet or taller if you cage and tie it up but now it will just sprawl.

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Tomatoes in our little round ‘raised beds’.
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Re: Winter Tomatoes in Fl. (Plus veggies)

#120

Post: # 9757Unread post Nan6b
Mon Feb 10, 2020 7:49 pm

:lol: Ms Cowpea, I love that "altar" and the "offering" of tomatoes for the birds! Did it work?

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