First Tomatoes!

[GoDawgs]

Yesterday we picked the first ripe tomatoes and they are all new-to-us varieties. The cherries seem to be to size but the others are way smaller than they're supposed to be. For example, the Santiago (the fluted one) is supposed to be an 8-10 oz beefsteak! Perhaps it's just because they're the first. Others on the same plant seem to be growing larger. Maybe it's the heat. Any ideas on that?

From the top and clockwise: 3 Super Sioux, two Rosella and one Camp Joy cherries, two Porter, One Santiago (fluted), "Fake" Early Annie, real Early Annie and 3 Brad's Atomic Grape. Oh, and the first Moule's Red Hot Cayenne that was ready.



I started two Early Annie plants. One came up regular leaf (which it's supposed to be) and one was a potato leaf and a lot bigger plant. AND the first tomato from that is yellow/orange. Early Annie is supposed to be red. Huh..... it's possible it was operator error because the only yellow/orange tomato I'm trying this year is one KBX which is a PL. Yes, I started 20 different varieties but I only sowed one variety at a time and carefully checked each one off the list as I went. Go figure. So we're calling this unknown tomato Fake Early Annie.

We will to a taste testing at lunch.

[bower]

Those look great! You will probably get bigger ones as the season goes on. Heat can make for small tomatoes, if they pollinate poorly or maybe another reason IDK. I've grown some that made seedless fruit when it's too hot, and those are really small! But the varieties grown in my greenhouse, which is glass, are always smaller than if I grow the same ones outdoors in the same containers and soil. They are smaller than if we grow the same varieties in the ground at the farm greenhouse, which is plastic (and of course, the best dirt!). The glass makes it hotter in there, but also the light is brighter. The high UV is a real challenge for the plants when we get it. Light in a plastic tunnel is diffused and is way better for plants. So I do think there is something about the intense heat and light that makes my tomatoes smaller in there.

[karstopography]

Pretty!

[KathyDC]

That's a beautiful sight! Let us know what you think of their flavor.

[GoDawgs]

[mention]Bower[/mention] , that's interesting about the difference in growth between indoor and outdoor containers. And in ground is always best but that wilt in the soil won't let me do that any more so yes, these are all in containers. Hmmm, maybe I should paint them all white. I wonder if that would make a difference. Too late to do that now as they're all tied together but something to consider for next year.

About half of these are up at the house with full sun most of the day and later afternoon shade. The others are down in the garden in a too shady area where other varieties seem to be sizing up. The big difference I see so far in exposure is the lesser quantity of tomatoes set on plants in the shadier area. So for right now I'd have to count out sun exposure as the reason for smaller fruit among the non-cherries. We'll see! Growing anything is always about learning new wrinkles.

[Shule]

Congratulations!

I'm impressed you have a pepper already, too.

The first couple trusses of tomatoes on a plant (especially the first truss) sometimes have smaller fruits than later trusses in my experience. Not sure why. It could be heat, but it gets even hotter later, usually. I think it has more to do with plant maturity than conditions.

[pepperhead212]

Nothing like those first tomatoes! Surprisingly, the cherries were behind a few of the others, but they seemed much more affected by the cold snap, in early may, when most of the plants showed no signs. Prime Rib, Big Beef, and Marion were the first non-cherry type tomatoes, and Sunsugar and Cherry Bombs were the first cherries, and I just saw a ripening Sprite, yesterday, and those are COVERED with tomatoes forming, and more blossoms! Surprisingly, the Tigers are behind, yet the green tiger was ahead of sunsugar, one year, as my first ripe one. But then, this I why I grow so many varieties every year!
Its starting! The Sunsugar and Cherry Bomb are getting a few more, the first Matina ripening, and the first black Prime Ribs. 7-03-20. by pepperhead212, on Flickr