So Texans, Where do you Stand on Tomatoes?

[karstopography]

@TomatoNut95 the word Heirloom on the right upper corner doesn’t pair well with the word hybrid next to Better Boy. Maybe they at Ferry Morse consider Better Boy hybrid an heirloom since it has been around a long time. Or maybe they at Ferry Morse figure putting heirloom on a package of a hybrid tomato like Better Boy makes it easier to sell.

[TomatoNut95]

Is "Giant Belgium" and "Giant Pink Belgium" basically the exact same variety?

[SpookyShoe]

Things are coming along...


Paul Robeson

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Cherokee Carbon

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Carmello

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[karstopography]

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Everyone rocking along. Hope I don’t mess them up. Weather has been benign and positive. Bugs nonexistent. No squirrel high jinx yet.

Head of the class for flowers and fruit set, Sart Roloise, that is if I don’t count Principe Borghese and A’Grappoli D’Inverno. Second place and the set of steak knives goes to Pruden’s Purple.

Red Barn is an impressive plant and bloomer. That one might overtake Pruden’s Purple in time. Black Krim and Black from Tula both look good.

Missouri Pink Love Apple and Brandywine Cowlick’s are still in hibernation. Maybe they’ll wake up and think about some procreation at some point.

[TomatoNut95]

Why they're all beautiful! ❤ You said you have Missouri Pink Love Apple? How big can that get?

[karstopography]

Why they're all beautiful! ❤ You said you have Missouri Pink Love Apple? How big can that get?

Thank you, but the tomatoes get all the credit .
First time growing MPLA. Seems like from the seed vendor descriptions it’s a 10-14 ounce pink beefsteak. The plant looks like a vigorous potato leafed indeterminate. I’m hoping it will want to bloom more as it grows larger. I think MPLA is in competition with Brandywine Cowlick’s for the least productive tomato of 2024 in my garden, but it’s still early so maybe both will rally and surprise me in the end. I’m more or less feeding them all the same, but the response from the various tomatoes varies quite a bit.

I have I think 10 new to me varieties this season and five that are ones I have grown before. Mix of 2022 and 2023 MMMM swap seeds, individual swap seeds, commercial vendor seeds and self-saved seed.

I’m already working on what I want to grow in 2025.

[Wildcat82]

Yesterday I picked 3 Sun Golds so I met my goal of ripe tomatoes by 1 April. I would show a nice picture of them today but my wife wiped them out before I could get a picture. You'll just have to trust me on this one.

[karstopography]

Yesterday I picked 3 Sun Golds so I met my goal of ripe tomatoes by 1 April. I would show a nice picture of them today but my wife wiped them out before I could get a picture. You'll just have to trust me on this one.

How’s the weather been over there? Pretty favorable for tomatoes?

[Wildcat82]

Yesterday I picked 3 Sun Golds so I met my goal of ripe tomatoes by 1 April. I would show a nice picture of them today but my wife wiped them out before I could get a picture. You'll just have to trust me on this one.

How’s the weather been over there? Pretty favorable for tomatoes?

The past couple weeks have been beautiful and the good weather should continue on for the next few weeks. We haven't gotten any hail unlike other areas in south Texas so I'm grateful for that.

[TomatoNut95]

Is bone meal good for tomatoes? I have a big bag just sitting around not being used. How much per plant could I mix into hole prior to planting?

[karstopography]

Bone meal is a good source of phosphorus, the P in the N-P-K.
Tomatoes need more potassium than anything else, but Nitrogen is a close second and Phosphorus comes in fourth behind Calcium. https://www.haifa-group.com/crop-guide/ ... -nutrition

https://www.haifa-group.com/tomato-fert ... mendations

Nutrients needs per life cycle.

[Wildcat82]

Is bone meal good for tomatoes? I have a big bag just sitting around not being used. How much per plant could I mix into hole prior to planting?

At least in my garden, adding bone meal seems pretty effective at preventing blossom end rot for any kind of tomato bigger than cherry size. I just add a handful to the planting hole.

[MissS]

@TomatoNut95 Bone meal is a staple in my garden. It's a great source of phosphorous, calcium and also has nitrogen. It is slow release. It needs to breakdown before it is available to your plants. I add some in the fall and then I also add a handful it each planting hole come plant out day.

[TomatoNut95]

Thanks! I planted Suttons Peach Blow, Gogoshary and 2 peppers outside today.

[Tormato]

Why they're all beautiful! ❤ You said you have Missouri Pink Love Apple? How big can that get?

Thank you, but the tomatoes get all the credit .
First time growing MPLA. Seems like from the seed vendor descriptions it’s a 10-14 ounce pink beefsteak. The plant looks like a vigorous potato leafed indeterminate. I’m hoping it will want to bloom more as it grows larger. I think MPLA is in competition with Brandywine Cowlick’s for the least productive tomato of 2024 in my garden, but it’s still early so maybe both will rally and surprise me in the end. I’m more or less feeding them all the same, but the response from the various tomatoes varies quite a bit.

I have I think 10 new to me varieties this season and five that are ones I have grown before. Mix of 2022 and 2023 MMMM swap seeds, individual swap seeds, commercial vendor seeds and self-saved seed.

I’m already working on what I want to grow in 2025.

10-14 ounce average is what I've seen for MPLA, very rarely to about twice that size. Average production in my garden. Flavor is superb, a 9, which translates to about the top 5-10 % of pink beefsteaks that I've tried. It was grown a few times, in perfect weather.

[TomatoNut95]

Nuts. For some reason I thought MPLA was a big slicer. Flavor is what, sweet or more like that of a red variety?

[Tormato]

Nuts. For some reason I thought MPLA was a big slicer. Flavor is what, sweet or more like that of a red variety?

I underwater plants on purpose, in order to increase flavor to the max. Perhaps 12 to 20 oz fruit can be had, but then bland fruit is a risk. It has typical pink beefsteak flavor, much more sweet than balanced.

For the flavor of a red, in a pink, I would recommend Seek-No-Further Love Apple. But, again not a huge variety.

[TomatoNut95]

Nuts. For some reason I thought MPLA was a big slicer. Flavor is what, sweet or more like that of a red variety?

I underwater plants on purpose, in order to increase flavor to the max. Perhaps 12 to 20 oz fruit can be had, but then bland fruit is a risk. It has typical pink beefsteak flavor, much more sweet than balanced.

For the flavor of a red, in a pink, I would recommend Seek-No-Further Love Apple. But, again not a huge variety.

How less do you water to be considered underwatering?

[karstopography]

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Weather has been good for setting some fruit. The tomatoes are getting stronger every day. Been very dry and that’s helping. Good beginning to 2024 tomato season.

[karstopography]

Texas tomato growers be aware I found 15 tobacco hornworm eggs on my tomatoes this morning, none apparently that have hatched, but these are the first of 2024. They are coming to a tomato garden near you.