Mark's 2018 crop

[AKmark]

Another GH full of heirlooms, and GH hybrids like Tomimaru Muchoo

[AKmark]

Some outdoor tomatoes and peppers.

[AKmark]

This is the first GH to have the tops hacked.

[Sherry_AK]

Mark -- I thought I could hear some of your outdoor tomatoes splitting in all this darned rain! I think we are scheduled for 1-1/2 days of not-rain, then more rain. Ack! My outdoor tomatoes are looking rough.

[Barb_FL]

Mark - Re: your comment having the tops hacked, mean the same as having them topped to minimize their height? or is it because the season is ending?

I think I remember your season goes long into the fall.

Tomatoes look great as they always do.

[KarenO]

Looking amazing as always.
KarenO

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by Sherry_AK

Mark -- I thought I could hear some of your outdoor tomatoes splitting in all this darned rain! I think we are scheduled for 1-1/2 days of not-rain, then more rain. Ack! My outdoor tomatoes are looking rough.

We finally got some sun Sherry, yay. I am surprised that more have not cracked with all of the rain we have had. The birds don't help either.

[AKmark]

We are winding down, but still have a few tomatoes to pick

[Barb_FL]

A few???? ha ha.

Winding down, meaning done for the year? I thought you went way longer.

Did you have a successful season for your standards?

Your plants look great.

[efisakov]

Great looking "Winding down", agree with Barb.

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

A few???? ha ha.

Winding down, meaning done for the year? I thought you went way longer.

Did you have a successful season for your standards?

Your plants look great.

We will run a couple of GH's into October, but have to start cleaning some out within two weeks. It take a couple of days to clean each one up and sterilize it.

I had about an average season, some surprises, mostly just the same ole.

What I really accomplished this year was a narrowing of market quality varieties. Next year I will grow less than 10 varieties, most will be the crosses that Sherry and I have worked on. They are simply earlier, produce great, less cracking, and we captured the taste of the heirlooms used, and then some.

I am going to do the following hybrids too. Big Beef, Tomimaru Muchoo, Damsel, and some cherries which will be U pick.

I need to continue to improve management practices, pruning comes to mind, and I need to split up hybrids and heirlooms into different GH's. They have slightly different fertilizer needs.

Next year I will send off monthly leaf samples throughout the entire season, then I will have numbers that pertain to my daylight changes.

I am installing low CFM fans in each GH to vent all night, these will help keep humidity down at night.

All in all I am mostly happy with my season, but I can do much better too. The more GH's the more I rely on others, that can be an issue too.

Next year I am doing much more outside, it is going to be a challenge.

[imp]

Mark, back 1 page on page 16, the last post, is that an orange tomato or still ripening to red?

[AKmark]

That is Yellow Brandywine. Late in the summer they smooth out and are a great market tomato. In the spring they are ugly and I want to chop them down. LOL

[RJGlew]

Hey Mark,

Thank you for the pictures, things look very good. Have you settled on any particular Saraev varieties for your outdoor beds, or are you still growing a bunch of them? Is that Druzhnya in the recent "Outside Plants" pictures? tia

[imp]

Originally Posted by AKmark

That is Yellow Brandywine. Late in the summer they smooth out and are a great market tomato. In the spring they are ugly and I want to chop them down. LOL

Might have to try that one. I'm looking or a tasty deeper colored tomato for the yellow/orange slot.