[QUOTE=kayrobbins;547404]Barb, it will be worth the wait when you see how pretty they are and how good they taste. Being further north I plant later than you and my Painted Pink doesn't even have any tomatoes yet.[/QUOTE]


I have this one growing also. Just starting to get tomatoes as i didnt plant out until the first week of March.

Barb how long isbit taking them to mature?

Ginny

[QUOTE=Barb_FL;547353]
Larry - Any verdict on the broccoli? I've been going for the side shoots and Packman wins out by far with the best/biggest shoots. Can you save broccoli seeds? My only broccoli in the container I let flower (for the bees) and the flowers are all gone so could harvest seeds. I pulled 2 of the Premium Crop plants yesterday; they were in the raised beds and any new broccoli was small. Weird, that the ones in the sand are actually producing more.
Likely reason is that I only was feeding the raised bed organic plant food and gave the stuff in the ground the all purpose non-organic that I don't use anymore. I'm still getting enough daily for 2 people. Goal is to get through May including what I froze early on.
[/QUOTE]
Barb,
I have never tried to save Broccoli seeds. I believe almost all varieties grown in Florida are hybrid, so what you got from seed may be questionable. Packman may be a good one to try given its propensity to bolt fast, at least in my opinion. Farmadilla (a person who seems to have a lot of broccoli experience and knowledge) once posted,
"Green Goliath is the only open pollinated variety that makes a large head for me."
My second crop is all in the freezer now. I grew only Premium Crop and froze 77 quarts of broccoli, average head weight just over 1 lb with heaviest head at 2 lbs.
My 3rd crop has been in for 3 weeks and consists of Premium Crop, Lieutenant and Castle Dome varieties. I will try to post a picture of them from a couple of days ago.
They all seem to be doing well, so I can't make a projection as to the most successful at this point. I squeezed the spacing tighter with 11 3/8" between rows and 8" between plants in a row. I'm hoping Castle Dome will equal Premium Crop's size and quality and be a week earlier. That may be a tall order given Premium Crop 1975 AAS vegetable award winner's performance.
In picture: Premium Crop foreground, Lieutenant middle and Castle Dome far end of bed.
All the best,
Larry

I never ever grow hybrids. I am so hard core that I will only grow open pollinated or heirlooms and usually have good success. Things like broccoli require vernilization to produce quality seeds. That is just a fancy word for the type of cold we do not get. I will save pepper and tomato seeds and let the northern gardeners do that.

You may remember all those pepper pictures I posted earlier. I am glad to say that the Herbal Faire was this weekend and I am finally free of all those plants. I had said I would never do that again but I made $600 and I got to stand out there and talk to so many people about how to grow and use peppers. So I am already thinking about what to do differently next year.

The Purple Pippens, Shi★★★★o and Grande Jalapeno sold out the 1st day. I sold all of my small Rocotos but still have 3 large ones left. The Rocoto peppers from last year are already loaded with little peppers.

Barb,
You said, "I pulled 2 of the Premium Crop plants yesterday; they were in the raised beds and any new broccoli was small. Weird, that the ones in the sand are actually producing more.
Likely reason is that I only was feeding the raised bed organic plant food and gave the stuff in the ground the all purpose non-organic that I don't use anymore."
I find that interesting. I tried to grow Broccoli and Cauliflower a few times in native soil and they always did poorly, however, I was using the variety Belstar which I never tried in compost. Brussel Sprouts on the other hand did just as well in the native soil as they did in compost. Except I had to stake them in compost because they kept falling over. Hope to give Brussel Sprouts another shot in the fall. I prefer their taste to broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.
Larry

Larry - Thanks for the info above re: broccoli. I grew Brussell Sprouts once; I should say it was a Brussell Tree and at the time the weather started getting warm so fruit set wasn't going to happen. Out it went.

Kay - I picked one this color and ate it. Taste was great; and not soft. Is the the desired color? Several have turned this color over the last couple of days.

Mine were a little lighter pink instead of the rosy pink yours has but I had mine in a spot that did get full sun last year. This time they are in full sun so we will see. I am glad you liked it. I think that is one that is staying on my grow list.

[QUOTE=kayrobbins;548703]Mine were a little lighter pink instead of the rosy pink yours has but I had mine in a spot that did get full sun last year. This time they are in full sun so we will see. I am glad you liked it. I think that is one that is staying on my grow list.[/QUOTE]

Barb- that picture is stunning!

Kay- with you loving it so much, and now Barb, I think I must put it on my August grow list.

Ginny - Painted Pink set fruit fast but seemed like forever to start changing color but once they started changing, I thought they got to this color very fast.

Kay - I will leave some tomatoes on the plant to see if the color changes even more. Will report back.

All - This is a dynamite cherry - besides the taste, skin is not too thick, NO CRACKING.

I'm also growing Dragon's Eye (from WBF) which is a really nice plant and setting a lot of fruit. Will keep everyone posted; reminds me a lot of Painted Pink.

Marsha - how did your Wild Boar Farms plants do?
Do you still have Karma growing?

---
Remember when I said how Sweet Scarlet hates me. Then after 3 packs of purchased seeds, I finally had a plant that with fruit (not many - maybe 4). A couple of days ago, I found big chunks from worms (catepillars) out of the fruit. One of my Dwarf Project tomatoes had 4 tomatoes with the same chunks out. UGH..... I've been watching these tomatoes like a hawk too. One day they are fine, the next ruined.

None of my non-dwarf plants were affected; Over the last week, I found a couple of catepillars and Hornworms on them but at least they went for the leaves first.

Sprayed all my dwarf plants with BT. Will watch the others.

---
Marsha - Can you add BT to neem oil and if so what is the formula?

[QUOTE=Barb_FL;548719]Ginny - Painted Pink set fruit fast but seemed like forever to start changing color but once they started changing, I thought they got to this color very fast.

Kay - I will leave some tomatoes on the plant to see if the color changes even more. Will report back.

All - This is a dynamite cherry - besides the taste, skin is not too thick, NO CRACKING.

I'm also growing Dragon's Eye (from WBF) which is a really nice plant and setting a lot of fruit. Will keep everyone posted; reminds me a lot of Painted Pink.

Marsha - how did your Wild Boar Farms plants do?
Do you still have Karma growing?

---
Remember when I said how Sweet Scarlet hates me. Then after 3 packs of purchased seeds, I finally had a plant that with fruit (not many - maybe 4). A couple of days ago, I found big chunks from worms (catepillars) out of the fruit. One of my Dwarf Project tomatoes had 4 tomatoes with the same chunks out. UGH..... I've been watching these tomatoes like a hawk too. One day they are fine, the next ruined.

None of my non-dwarf plants were affected; Over the last week, I found a couple of catepillars and Hornworms on them but at least they went for the leaves first.

Sprayed all my dwarf plants with BT. Will watch the others.

---
Marsha - Can you add BT to neem oil and if so what is the formula?[/QUOTE]

Barb, my WBF were planted later, except in the community garden, where they are grown for all. I never saw a mature one! They were snatched up first. I have them growing here too. I applied Met52 which I went in halsies with Gerardo on, its not too costly when you realize you only need 1/2 teaspoon per gallon. Its a fungus that invades insects, makes them explode, and it stays in the soil. Trouble is it takes 3 days to work, and the TRMs can do some major damage in 3 days!
I think I will cover with the copper spray on Friday anyway.
Barb- I WOULD NOT use BT with Neem. Neem is anti fungal and bacterial, and an oil to boot, I would be afraid it would kill the BT.

[QUOTE=ginger2778;548722]...
I applied Met52 which I went in halsies with Gerardo on, its not too costly when you realize you only need 1/2 teaspoon per gallon. Its a fungus that invades insects, makes them explode, and it stays in the soil. Trouble is it takes 3 days to work, and the TRMs can do some major damage in 3 days!
I think I will cover with the copper spray on Friday anyway.
Barb- I WOULD NOT use BT with Neem. Neem is anti fungal and bacterial, and an oil to boot, I would be afraid it would kill the BT.[/QUOTE]

I just checked out Met52 on the web; sounds really promising. Maybe I will order it for the fall season's white flies.

Has it been 3 days since you used it?

I guess you got the granular. I've only seen prices for the liquid which seems expensive but 100% Neem Oil in the end could cost more.

2 TBLS = 1 oz, 8 OZ has 16 TBLS, 16TBLS = 48 TSP, 1/2 tsp per gallon = 96 gallons (assuming 1/2 tsp per gallon is the same for liquid).

Marsha I will be saving seeds from Painted Pink and would be happy to send you some. I isolated it because I want to make sure there no chance of cross pollination. I think you will like it as long as you don't mind waiting a long time for it to turn. At least it is still pretty while the the tomatoes are with purple shoulders.

When do you start seeds for tomatoes in Southern Florida? I live in Port St Lucie and have tomatoes fruiting that I started a couple months ago. I now have some seedlings 6-12 inches high that are going out soon. But is it too early for Fall starts? I'm an ex Michigander so I don't know about the various times in Florida to start plants and to set out seedlings. It seems like almost anytime is a good time.

I would say it's far too early. Port Saint Lucie is in Central FL, on the cusp between Hardiness Zones 9b-10a. So it's a little different than S FL.

I found some planting calendars for C FL that recommend planting out in September, so you'd typically start your plants 6-8 weeks prior in July or August. Here we wait until October, to grow through winter, which might also work well for you.

Marylynn, the problem you may have with your 6" seedlings is if the night time temperatures average above 75 when it's time to set fruit. Actually, I think it is above 72 when problems start to occur. Just hope the night time temps stay in the 60s or low 70s throughout May.

I live about 1 hour north of Ft Pierce and wouldn't start seeds in July. I've tried staggering the starting times and think mid-late August works best.

2015 we had a very hot April and a very hot fall. Typically we see the night time lows good enough for fruit set starting in mid-Octuober. That did not happen in 2015.

A bunch of us used Vegi-bees for fruit set.

Barb, what do your nighttime lows look like right now?

We're dipping into the low 60s with this cold front coming through, but other than that my lows have been in the mid-upper-70s these past few weeks.