Calling all zone 8 and 9 er's how they growing?

[TJS]

We've got zone 4 and 5, and zones 6 and 7 represented, time for 8 and 9. I have 2,newly built 4' x 8' raised beds. My soil is very sandy here so better soil on top of the sand was a good idea.
I'm growing MP, CP, SG, KB, Brandy boy, German Johnson, Black Cherry, Purple Russian, Black Plum, Carbon, and Black Krim. So far for production the standout has been Black Plum. This tomato has a rich flavor but is on the mealy side but is great cooked in sauces.
I have harvested some Brandy Boy (was not impressed with flavor of first few). Mariannas Peace is flowerig like crazy and is about 7' tall but not 1 fruit set. I have tried thumping, shaking, and the electric toothbrush trick, all to no avail so far.
I started late with CP, SG, KB, GJ, BC, Carbon, and Black Krim since I had never even heard of them until I had already planted some hybrids.
All plants are heathy so far. We haven't had much rain recently but I have installed irrigation and have mulched thickly with compost.
Can't wait to try some of the newer plants that were started late. I think I have attached pics (still new to this kind of thing) probably not very good ones since I only have a camera phone.
So how are yours growin?

[feldon30]

Zone 9 here. Main harvest was 3 weeks ago. Plants have been mostly all ripped out and seeds started for the fall crop.

[duajones]

Im pretty much in the same boat as Feldon. I do have okra that is producing well, a couple of cuke varieties, and a stupice and Gary O' Sena that are flowering but no fruitset. And I have a few seedlings started for the fall crop, which included Flamme, but it has failed to germinate so far.

[Worth1]

The patch in the back is doing great and continuing to set fruit so I will leave well enough alone.

Worth

[feldon30]

Duane,

I am hoping that the millet as a trap crop, giving the plants a bit more spacing, and the spraying regime that Suze suggested will extend your harvest. In some ways, you are almost in a Florida-like growing environment and they have to spray if they want to get any tomatoes.

Should I start checking on a group hotel rate for SETTFest 2008? I know we intend to have it a week earlier so probably June 9th, 2008.

[TJS]

You guys in Texas must be burning up. What are the temps there? We have been in the range of low 80s- low 90s lucky for me I'm close to the ocean.
Tim

[feldon30]

Same temps here with 85% humidity and lots and lots of rain.

It's the evening temps of 70+ that cease fruitset.

[TJS]

Feldon,
Are your tomatoes diseased from all the rain,why are you pulling them now?
Tim

[jwr6404]

Here in the PNW(98467) we are finally getting a break. The last couple of days has been in the low to mid 70s,however the nights have continued to stay in the upper 40s. It should be getting warmer as we expect,over the next several days in the upper 70s with the 4th of July hitting the 80+ degree mark. Night time temperatures will break the 50s also. The last two days has brought forth 4 little Brandywine greenies and with 50-100 buds I may get something off of the BW this year.

[supergirl]

So far, so good in Silicon Valley, just waiting impatiently for stuff to start ripening. Tomatoes are mostly 5' - 6' tall. Half went into the ground at the end of March (I was going to Hong Kong and realized about 3 days before that I would have no one to water the seedlings, so they didn't even get hardened off, just plopped outside), and the other half had to wait until late April when some of the bulbs finished up, since otherwise I didn't have room. We have near-perfect weather here - generally 80s during the day and 50s at night, low humidity. Occasionally it will push 100, but even then it almost always cools down at night - maybe 10-12 nights a year that it doesn't, except last year, which had a serious heat wave. I'm outside the coastal fog zone as well.

The March ones are a little bit ahead -- nice big greenies that I'm waiting to start ripening: Earl's Faux, a heart that I mixed up (will be posting for help with that), Druzba, Pruden's Purple seem to be cranking them out the best. The April ones are nice & big, smaller greenies though for the most part. I did have my first cherry (black cherry) yesterday, but otherwise have had to buy some heirlooms at Whole Foods while I wait...

This is my first year with them in the ground rather than containers (a few still in containers, but most in ground) and they seem to be doing great! I'm glad, since we trucked in a whole bunch of sandy loam mixed half and half with mushroom compost last year, vs. the original heavy clay soil. I went a little crazy as a result and crammed in 30 plants, 20 varieties -- I didn't even realize that I'd fit that many in until I counted yesterday. I'm hoping this will be the year that I'm overloaded and giving tons away, since I definitely can't fit this many in every year.

[duajones]

I do hope to make settfest next year. And maybe with a little luck, I will actually be able to bring some tomatoes. My millet is doing real well and will soon see how them dirty stinkbugs like it.. found them on my pepper plant yesterday. Just took a look at my Stupice and its not dropping blossoms and appears to be trying to set. That would be a pleasant surprise.

[FlipTX]

All my tomato plants are kaput except for the Arkansas Traveler that I don't think is really Arkansas Traveler. Whatever it is, it's still putting out nice big, rose pink tomatoes. I picked one this morning. The stink bugs seemed less interested in this plant than they did the others. Of course, now that all the other plants are gone they may swarm this one now.

Carmen pepper plants are still producing. I'm still getting cucumbers even though the vines look like they're ready to give up the ghost. Fortex beans are still producing a little, too.

[Rena]

Most of the tomatoes are at the end of the line. I cut everyone back and they are starting some regrowth. I took some volunteers from the bottom of some of my pots and potted them up Okra, cukes, peppers and watermelon are doing great. I took a few bags of cukes to the food bank. I ordered garlic from SSE as I NEVER can think about ordering it until it is toooo late. When it comes I will plant it. (Sept) Is it too late to do a round of winter type squash?

[maryinoregon]

Here in Oregon, zone 8 my plants are just starting to set flowers. Night temps in the 50s and days anywhere from 60s to 80s. Just the Pacific Northwest in the spring/summer. They are predicting around 90 F for July 4th. The first time we will have seen that temp this year. The weather is so variable from day to day, but all plants look excellent and the weather should really help start a major growth spurt. I can't remember all the varieties I'm growing this summer. Let's see: Atkinson, Sun Gold F3, Tartar of Mongolistan, Aker's West Virginia, Cherokee Purple, Blondkopfchen, Peacevine Cherry, Grub's Mystery Green PL, Green Giant PL, four or five volunteers that I have transplanted, Aunt Gertie's Gold, Grandfather Ashlock, Carbon. That's probably it.

[MargeH]

I pulled some of my plants today. I am going to North Carolina the middle of July and will pull the rest of them before a leave. Eva Purple Ball, Beefsteak, Homesweet, Brandy Boy, NAR and Kimberly still have some greenies so I am giving them a little bit more time to ripen.

Some of my plants have Yellow Leaf Curl virus so I have to pull all of them. In my research, I found that they recommend 6-8 weeks starting in July with NO plants to let the whiteflies with the virus die and hopefully send them on their way in search of other things they like.

I am going to start about 20 varieties while in North Carolina. They will be planted outside at home early in Sept. Some years we have a cold spell (low 30s) the end of December-beginning of January, but last year I was eating tomatoes until February.
_______
Marjorie