Harvest pics (was Fruitset!)

[duajones]

Originally Posted by MargeH

I have been taking in some of my unusual ones for a taste testing at work.

One of the ones I took in today was a Cherokee Purple. When I cut it open, I got the usual reaction, "Is it rotten?" one of my co-workers exclaimed. After tasting it, they decided it was just fine.

I also took in a Kellogg's Breakfast. Almost everyone liked it but didn't think it tasted like a "tomato."

One of my younger co-workers has been shocked by all the colors of tomatoes I have been bringing in. She didn't know that tomatoes could be anything but "round and red."

Marjorie

My younger coworker asked if the BK was "supposed to look like that" but really enjoyed it to the point that he asked for some more samples. Gave a coupe of My CP's to tomato lovers that I know. Got a call this afternoon from one claiming hands down best tomato she had ever tasted. You can describe all you want, giving them a taste lets them know exactly what you mean. Nothing wrong with round and red but there are so many others out there and so little time.

[honu]

Originally Posted by Worth1

I cannot stress this enough folks need to leave the sungolds on the vine until they are good and ripe.

I mean a deep dark orange, if you are worried about splitting just make sure they are well watered and no dry spells.

These tomatoes will LOOK ripe for a long time but you need to leave them alone, they should almost fall off on their own.

I totally agree w/ everything Worth1 said. I will risk the splitting and dropping to get that awesome sweet-tart intense flavor, and that only happens when I pick them perfectly ripe.

[duajones]

Todays tomatoes along with cukes

[sirtanon]

Very nice.. making me jealous. I've only got one fruit on one plant starting to turn color, and it's nowhere near as big as some of yours.

What's that yellow tomato?

[duajones]

Originally Posted by sirtanon

What's that yellow tomato?

That is Azoychka, not quite ripe but at least the mockingbirds wont beat me to it.

[RDUN]

Very nice duajones!!!

Here in DFW things are looking like this:



From left to right:

Box #1 Aker's WV
Box #2 Aunt Ginny's Purple
Box #3 Carbon/Kimberly
Box #4 Cherokee Purple/Paul Robeson
Box #5 Black Cherry

#1 and #2 have not set any fruit... It's been rainy and very humid for 2 straight weeks. The others all set a fair amount of fruit prior to the humid spell... Kimberly and Black Cherry continue to do so. Carbon and CP both have several large fruit... nothing ripening yet. Hopefully we'll get a little drier air here for a couple of weeks before it gets really hot and my red's will produce something... otherwise it will be all purples and blacks... they are all new to me so anything will be good.

Here's another picture of my "matoe" helper in front of the Black Cherry:

[duajones]

Love your HEB set up there! Great looking plants and cute little helper too. What type of cages are those?

[RDUN]

The containers are Gardener's Supply version of the EB.

http://www.gardeners.com/Self-Wateri...t/35-901RS.prd


The cages are ones that they no longer sell that happen to fit perfectly in the boxes. I didn't buy what they called the "Tomato Success Kits" I just bought the planter and the cages separately, and bought the mulch, planting mix, and fertilizer here locallly. All of it is a little overpriced... but it seems to work better (and look better) than anything else I could think of to use in the driveway.

Ryan

[sirtanon]

That Black Cherry is MASSIVE! What sort of planting mix and fert are you using in those things?

[Worth1]

Road Kill and swamp water.

Worth

[CLa]

Good question sirtanon, those plants do look good.

[RDUN]

Planting Mix: Pro-Mix (Sold locally at Home Depot)
Fertilizer: Tomato-Tone - I'll have to check my file at home, but I think I mixed 1 cup into the mix and put 1 cup in a strip on top of the mix (like the real Earthbox instructions). I have not done any additional feeding. I also have 1 cup of Espoma's Garden Lime mixed in.

Due to the size of all my plants, I have been wondering if they are actually getting too much Nitrogen, but they seem to be blossoming pretty well. As I said earlier, fruitset was going well until about 2 weeks ago, then the T-storms and humidity started and haven't really stopped since. The 2 week forecast looks much better, so hopefully I'll get some more fruit in the next couple of weeks...

[RDUN]

That.... and Road-Kill/Swamp-Water Slurry

[Ruth_10]

Duane,
It's been my experience that a Sungold picked and left on the counter for 24 hours (or even 12) does not taste very good. Maybe it's because the tomatoes are so small, they lose their flavor components fast. Something like that. Fresh picked from the vine is the way to go. I actually like them at various stages of ripeness--a tiny bit of green is fine by me.

[duajones]

Originally Posted by Ruth_10

Duane,
It's been my experience that a Sungold picked and left on the counter for 24 hours (or even 12) does not taste very good. Maybe it's because the tomatoes are so small, they lose their flavor components fast. Something like that. Fresh picked from the vine is the way to go. I actually like them at various stages of ripeness--a tiny bit of green is fine by me.

Intersting Ruth, I have a couple dozen that are in various stages of color at this point, I guess I need to just pull one occasionally and try it. I just might try one now. Thanks