Shule's 2025 growlog

[Shule]

I just finished pre-fertilizing the ground for the tomatoes. I gave them more than last year, per hole (but the same amount as the year before, per hole).

[Shule]

It looks like we're trying strawberries again, this year. Someone bought some plants for the garden.

We have Albion and Ozark Beauty.

[Shule]

It looks like we'll be growing Honey Rock melons. That's been a popular variety in seed stores for years.

[karstopography]

It looks like we'll be growing Honey Rock melons. That's been a popular variety in seed stores for years.

I’ve got a couple of Honey Rock melons out in the beds. I’m also growing three Napoli. I planted the Napoli first (first one started in a container in February for transplant in March) and direct seeded succession planted the rest.

Hurricane Beryl did me one favor amongst the all the curses and that was knocking down some trees to the east to improve my morning light. I figure I have good enough light now to do these melons with better results than in the past.

[Shule]

@karstopography
I'm sorry to hear about the hurricane, but that is great about the light, anyway.

Is it a Napoli tomato or melon? I know the tomato, but not the melon, if there is one.

That's cool that we're both growing Honey Rock. We could probably compare to see how it does in our different climates/conditions. I will probably give my melons (not watermelons) rockdust and lots of potassium sulfate.

[Whwoz]

It looks like we're trying strawberries again, this year. Someone bought some plants for the garden.

We have Albion and Ozark Beauty.

Albions are great if left to properly ripen on the bush, if picked like most commercial fruit at 90% ripe meh!

[karstopography]

It looks like we'll be growing Honey Rock melons. That's been a popular variety in seed stores for years.

I’ve got a couple of Honey Rock melons out in the beds. I’m also growing three Napoli. I planted the Napoli first (first one started in a container in February for transplant in March) and direct seeded succession planted the rest.

Hurricane Beryl did me one favor amongst the all the curses and that was knocking down some trees to the east to improve my morning light. I figure I have good enough light now to do these melons with better results than in the past.

https://www.reneesgarden.com/products/m ... ATcPgluLwf

https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/Tu ... s_2606.php

More on Tuscan style cantaloupes.

[JayneR13]

I've tried strawberries for a few years unsuccessfully! One bed ended up with a Phytophthora fruit rot. The next bed ended up with a bad case of chipmunks, who evidently laughed at the chicken wire fence. Since I have to dig that bed for the garage project, any crowns I find will be moved to one of the border areas. Try and try again! Rodent cages aren't the worst idea either.

[Shule]

I began planting seeds on Saturday. I only had time to plant half of the trays. I hope to finish the rest today.

Anyway, I planted 36 cells of Brandywine Pink. 18 of them are from the largest fruit last year, which was a darker color then the regular fruits, and it was dusky-looking (the rest of the fruits on the same plant were the regular non-dusky pink). 12 of them are from a regular pink one from last year. 6 of them are from assorted fruits from the year before last year (the same seed source I planted from last year).

I also planted 9 foam cups of winter watermelons (Winter Queen and/or King Winter), from seeds saved from the watermelons I grew in containers a few years ago.

I also planted 9 foam cups of Honey Rock melons.

I have two more trays. The soil is already in them. The plants are already labeled. I write on straws with an industrial Sharpie and cut them into pieces. I realized I could put the labels (the straw pieces) directly in the seed packets to make it easier to match up the seeds with the labels when I plant; so, I did that.

So, I'm planning to plant about 36 other kinds of tomatoes, primarily large ones (at least one plant of each). In addition to large-fruited varieties, there was demand for Roma, so I need to plant that (Roma VF). I'm only planning to grow one cherry tomato, and the winner for that position (I have a lot of cherry tomato seeds) is Galapagos Island from the largest fruit I harvested last year (selecting for size).

Also, I'm planning to plant orange bell peppers (they should mostly be Canary Bell), Blot peppers, and Orange Mini Bell peppers. The only ones from a store-packet are the Orange Mini Bell peppers. It's really late to be starting peppers, but I'm doing it anyway.

[Shule]

We need to put new black plastic down on half of the south part of the garden. I need to move the soil from by the blackcurrants over onto it, too, since it's heaped up there. And I need to till that soil, remove the weeds, prefertilize it, move the pile of wood ash (from burned blackcurrant branches throughout it, and such before we put the black plastic down. I'm hoping to plant tomatoes there. I'm hoping to put the melons and watermelons on the side of the house; lacking that, they can go on the side in the front yard (or I might put tomatoes there).

The soil I already prefertilized is mostly reserved for Brandywine Pink.

[Shule]

I just realized (not for the first time) that I don't have to grow German Pink in prime full-sun ground, since it still tastes great shaded. So, that should make things easier there. The plant grows large; so, if it likes shade, that's awesome.

[Shule]

I've gained a new respect for plant-breeding via monocropping recently (or at least, growing a lot of the same variety):

If you really think about it, it's a great way to go:

- You get to select by plant instead of only by fruit.
- Changes tend to be stable as soon as they happen.
- When changes do happen, they tend to happen incrementally instead of with a whole bunch of changes where you want to breed some of them out; it's easy to get favorable results that are already much like the regular variety (which you might enjoy a lot).
- You can improve a variety's vigor, production, fruit size, disease resistance, etc.

Anyway, I used to wonder how the Israelites in the Bible managed to breed plants since they weren't supposed to mingle their crops with diverse kinds of seed. But, now I can plainly see that it's not a bad way to go at all (provided you actually are doing selective breeding, looking for sports, and growing lots of plants).

Anyway, if you could only grow one variety, you could certainly get a wide vareity of others out of it, without hybridization.

[Shule]

Okay, I have these planted total, now. Still need to bury and water 72 cells of them. Edit: I'm editing in the dates they sprouted.

Tomatoes:
Note: All cells of Brandywine Pink had sprouted by 11 Apr 2025, whether or not they each sprouted before then.
• Amana Orange x 1 (RL; from a single fruit; I saved the seeds in 2023; the ancestral seed was from Marsha; sprouted 12 Apr 2025)
• Black from Tula x 1 (supposed to be RL; I saved the seeds on 5 Nov 2016; the seeds are a dark color; ancestral seed from Timeless Tomatoes in Nebraska; the parent seed was from Timeless Tomatoes in Nebraska; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Black Mountain Pink x 1 (supposed to be RL; from TomatoPassion of Dave's Garden; she saved them in 2015; I used all the seeds; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Brandy Boy Cross F3 B #1; earliest BBC; large; pink x 1 (PL; I saved the seeds on 3 Aug 2019; I think this is Picnic-B's ancestor; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Brandywine Pink Dusky x 18 (PL; I saved the seeds from a single large earlier darker dusky fruit in 2024; started sprouting 9 Apr 2025)
• Brandywine Pink x 8 (PL; I saved the seeds from lots of fruits in 2023; the extra two were planted on 7 Apr 2025; the rest were planted on 5 Apr 2025; those among the first 6 planted started sprouting 9 Apr 2025; the other two sprouted on 12 Apr 2025)
• Brandywine Pink x 12 (PL; I saved the seeds on 18 Oct 2024 from one fruit; those among these started sprouting by 9 Apr 2025)
• Burpee's Long-keeper x 2 (supposed to be RL; Burpee via Walmart.com; packed for 2024; 1 cell sprouted on 12 Apr 2025; the other sprouted later the same day)
• Cal Ace VF x 1 (RL; Isla's Garden Seeds via Walmart.com; no packed for date, but it says the expiration date is December 2023; sprouted 12 Apr 2025)
• Carolina Yellow x 1 (RL; Thresh Seed Company; packed for 2022; I used all the seeds; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Caspian Pink x 1 (supposed to be RL; harvested from a fused tomato from the largest chunk of the fuse; I saved the seeds on 30 Nov 2015; the parent seed was from totallytomatoes.com; sprouted 16 Apr 2025, but the seed coat is still over the leaves)
• Chris's Greek Mama x 1 (from a gift or trade; I think it was from a seed offer Marsha did; I used all the seeds; sprouted by 17 Apr 2025)
• Cuostralee x 1 (RL; I saved the seeds on 1 Oct 2016 from a 2lb fruit; parent seed from Timeless Tomatoes in Nebraska; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Cuostralee x 1 (RL; I saved the seeds on 27 Sep 2016 from a 2lb fruit; parent seed from Timeless Tomatoes in Nebraska; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Daniel Burson x 1 (supposed to be PL; from a trade or gift; don't know who; marked 2015; I used all the seeds; sprouted 16 Apr 2025)
• Emma Pink x 1 (supposed to be RL; from a seed offer of Jonny Rock; saved in 2019; I used all the seeds; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Galapagos Island x 1 (RL; I saved the seeds from the largest fruit of 2024; this plant is descended from the seeds I was talking with Nan on Tomatoville about from fruits that after the plants died, withstood several freezes and still looked fine; they've been volunteering every year since I first planted them; this line is different from the regular Galapagos Island that I grew before that because the fruits are variable sizes instead of almost unanimously the same size; I'm hoping to get them consistantly larger, at least, though; the link is where I got it, but they're normally much earlier than 70 days for me; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• German Lunchbox x 1 (supposed to be RL; Baker Creek; packed for 2022; sprouted 12 Apr 2025)
• German Pink x 1 (supposed to be PL; I saved the seeds on 2 Oct 2015 from a fruit with great taste, even in shade; the parent seed was from Baker Creek; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Giant Roo x 1 (no date, but I think I got it from Cole_Robbie at least 2 to 5 years ago; I used all the seeds; sprouted by 17 Apr 2025)
• Greek Domata x 1 (from a trade or gift; it says, from Tomatofest; 2014; I used all the seeds; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Greek Rose x 1 (supposed to be RL; from a trade or gift; it says, from Tomatofest; 2014; I used all the seeds; sprouted 15 Apr 2025)
• Kentucky Beefsteak x 1 (supposed to be RL; trade or gift; don't know when/who; I used all the seeds; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Marizol Purple x 1 (supposed to be RL; from Karla of Tomatoville; received on 16 Nov 2019; I used all the seeds; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025 but the seed coat was still entirely covering the leaves; it had mostly escaped the seed coat on 15 Apr 2025)
• Medium large red tomato with good shelf-life; maybe Cal Ace VF x 1 (RL; I saved the seeds in 2023; sprouted by 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Nebraska Wedding x 3 (supposed to be RL; True Leaf Market; 93% germinated; tested on 8/2/2023; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Northern Lights x 1 (if it's the beefsteak, it's supposed to be RL and bicolor; from Mike Beckman; I received seeds late 2019 or early 2020; I used all the seeds; sprouted 15 Apr 2025)
• Pepe Jose x 1 (supposed to be RL and red; from a trade or gift; marked 2015; I used all the seeds; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Picnic-B x 1 (PL; I saved the seeds on 8 Aug 2020; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Pierce's Pride x 1 (supposed to be RL; I saved the seeds on 3 Aug 2020; sprouted by 13 or 14 Apr 2025; probably on 12 Apr 2025)
• Pink Fang x 2 (supposed to be RL; pear-shaped; Baker Creek; packed for 2022; I used all the seeds; the first one sprouted 12 Apr 2025; the second sprouted by 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Ramapo OP x 1 (supposed to be RL; Heirloomtomaguy @ T.V.; email address included; 2014; I got these from Tormato; I used all the seeds)
• Rebekah Allen x 1 (Baker Creek; packed for 2022; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Roma VF x 1 (RL; I saved the seeds from the largest earlier fruit from the largest plant with the least BER; sprouted 12 Apr 2025)
• Roma VF x 1 (RL; I saved the seeds in 2023 from lots of fruits from the largest plant with the least BER; sprouted 12 Apr 2025)
• Rose x 1 (supposed to be RL; from TomatoPassion of Dave's Garden; she saved them in 2015; I used all the seeds; sprouted 16 Apr 2025)
• Sweet Ozark Orange x 1 (RL; I saved the seeds on 9 Sep 2016 from the largest fruit; the original seed came from the breeder; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025, but the seed coat is still on)
• Terhune x 1 (supposed to be PL; I saved the seeds in 2021; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Thorburn's Terra-cotta x 1 (Baker Creek; packed for 2022; sprouted 13 or 14 Apr 2025)
• Todd County Amish x 1 (supposed to be RL; gift or trade from KansasFarmGirl of Gardenweb; I used all the seeds; sprouted by 17 Apr 2025)
• True Black Brandywine x 2 (supposed to be PL; Baker Creek; packed for 2022; both sprouted 12 Apr 2025)
• Wins All x 2 (supposed to be RL; from TomatoPassion of Dave's Garden; she saved them in 2015; I used all the seeds; the first one sprouted on 13 or 14 Apr 2025)

Sweet peppers:
• Blott Pepper x 6 (I saved the seeds in 2023, from three fruits; possibly crossed with the nice yellow bell peppers that I'm also growing; the parent seed was from Baker Creek; 6 cells sprouted by 16 Apr 2025)
• California Wonder 300 TMR x 6 (Ferry Morse; marked $2.79; organic; packed for 2023; my neighbor gave this variety to me, so I think these are the seeds she gave me; I used all the seeds)
• Large Yellow bell pepper x 6 (I saved the seeds from a very large fruit in 2023; possibly crossed with Blott; 1 cell sprouted on 16 Apr 2025; all cells sprouted by 17 Apr 2025)
• Orange Mini Bell pepper x 1 (Thresh Seed Company; the text is faded, but I think it says it's packed for 2021; I only had four seeds left, and I planted them all)
• Yellow bell peppers x 6 (I saved the seeds in 2023 from multiple fruits; possibly crossed with Blott; 1 cell sprouted on 16 Apr 2025; 4 of 6 had sprouted on 17 Apr 2025)

Melons/Watermelons:
• Honey Rock melon x 9 (Burpee; packed for 2025; purchased at The Home Depot recently; marked $1.69; began sprouting 9 Apr 2025; 8 of nine cups had sprouted by 12 Apr 2025; the last cup sprouted on 17 Apr 2025)
• Winter Queen and/or King Winter x 9 (I saved the seeds on 15 Dec 2022; harvested well before then; began sprouting 10 Apr 2025; all 9 cups had sprouted by 12 Apr 2025)

Here are the mustards I plan to plant (1 seed sprouted on 17 Apr 2025):
• Chinese Bald Head mustard (Baker Creek; packed for 2022)
• Chinese Giant Leaf mustard (Baker Creek; packed for 2022)
• Green Wave mustard (Baker Creek; packed for 2022)
• Japanese Giant Red mustard (Baker Creek; packed for 2022)
• Komatsuna Old Tokyo mustard (Baker Creek; packed for 2022)

The Brandywine Pinks I'm growing, which I've been growing every year from saved seed since 2022 descend from a Livingston Seed Co. packet with barcode 048389049593, gifted to me by a local friend; packed for 2011; sell by 10/2011 LOT 10. The variety seems to have a high salt index tolerance. It can germinate and grow well as a seedling in colder conditions than one might expect. It germinates fast. I've been selecting for heat-tolerance and large fruit. It seems to be very heat-tolerant now (more so than initially, but it did set some fruits in the heat intiially).

Picnic-B and the Brandy Boy cross … are descendants of seeds I first grew in 2018 that were supposed to be a stabilized Brandy Boy (by John11840 of Gardenweb), but they were a cross, and RL instead of PL (but a very good cross that I prefer to Brandy Boy). The F2s had RL and PL foliage, and pink and dark pink fruits (mostly pink). The fruits were all about the same size. Most of the F2s tasted like Early Girl F1, some tasted more like Brandy Boy F1, and the F2 ancestor of these that I'm growing this year had a really good fine tart taste that I hadn't tasted before in a tomato. I later got new seeds and grew the uncrossed version of the stabilized Brandy Boy.

The Roma VF I've been growing didn't seem entirely stable when I first grew it (from the original packet) as far as plant size, days to maturity, and production go, but other traits were more consistent. I've been stabilizing it, selecting for vigorous plants with high production. The variety is remarkable in that the tomatoes are extremely firm; it seems like they have a bunch of pectin in them. I don't know if Roma VF is normally that way. It does seem to resist the Verticillium in our garden. I've been meaning to grow Roma VF from a new source to see how different it is.

I'm trying to list the leaf type of every variety I'm growing. Does anyone know what these are?

• Chris's Greek Mama
• Giant Roo
• Greek Domata
• Rebekah Allen
• Thorburn's Terra-cotta

[Shule]

Okay, they're all buried and watered. I might do the mustard in a few hours.

seeds planted by 7 Apr 2025.jpg

I plan to keep them in the house until they start to sprout. Then I plan to take them outside during the day (and in at night, at least for some of them).

[Shule]

I've learned that burying seeds with a fork when you overseed (I tend to overseed) is a lot easier than burying them with chopsticks. I only learned this because I ran out of chopsticks, but it's so much easier if you fluff the soil with a fork.

[karstopography]

I've learned that burying seeds with a fork when you overseed (I tend to overseed) is a lot easier than burying them with chopsticks. I only learned this because I ran out of chopsticks, but it's so much easier if you fluff the soil with a fork.

I use a dinner or salad fork to separate seedlings for transfer into new containers. I usually sow three seeds per cell and when they get some true leaves, I use the fork to basically take a bite of the soil taking the tomato plant with it to transfer to the new container. With the fork, I’m able to gently tease out any tangled roots without causing any serious trauma. No pulling or tugging the tomato stems at all. In fact, I try not to even touch the tomatoes at this point. The fork, literally, carries the load.

My sowing procedure it to place individual tomato seeds on the surface of the patted down and slightly compressed potting mix and come back with a very moist “paste” of Jiffy soilless starter mix and flatten that out to 1/4” thickness over the tomatoes resting on the baccto premium potting soil. The 1/4” is easy to measure as that conforms to the top of my six cell starter trays. No trying to press down tomato seeds to the correct depth, but instead the correct depth is ensured by adding sufficient starter mix on top.

[Shule]

I planted the mustard. How fast do these varieties grow?

[Shule]

I've seen roots growing on a Honey Rock melon seed (a fairly long root), and some of the Brandywine Pink Dusky ones. I overseeded, so some seeds didn't get perfectly buried. And just as a reminder, I'm looking for the tomato leaf types mentioned a few posts above (I edited that in late; so, maybe you missed it).

[Shule]

The Brandywine Pink tomatoes (primarily the dusky version of it) have been sprouting today. Later today, the Honey Rock melons began to sprout. I put them all outside for the sun.

[Shule]

The watermelons began sprouting on Thursday.