Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2

[kayrobbins]

Baker Creek has impressed me again. I had order two packs of seeds and some purple sweet potato slips from them. They had to be shipped at different times but the shipping charge was still only $3.95. I got the seeds right away and just got a shipping confirmation email. They are coming from Mt. Dora. I wonder what farm is growing for them. The last two places I ordered sweet potato slips from charged really high shipping rates just for the one item.

[efisakov]

The hogfish is great too.

[alexita]

It is crazy, we buy off a local guys truck on Saturdays

We use a local fish monger out of a truck, too. Prices are decent but the quality is outstanding. Buying fish from grocery stores around here is too much of a gamble, in my experience.

Has anyone ever tried hitting up a marina, particularly one that has those touristy fishing party boats? My dad always said it's the cheapest way to get fresh local fish. Still not grouper, but hey.

Originally Posted by Imthechuck

How is everyones season going?

It was stated earlier that our weather patterns this winter were "funky" super hot cold etc... and then this week its perfect.

What great weather lately, right? Such a relief. Dry, sunny days, cool nights, lower humidity and fantastic breezes... what more could we ask for?

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by efisakov

The hogfish is great too.

I love hogfish, haven't seen it last few years in the markets.

[Zone9b]

Barb,
Back in September you kindly sent me some Brandywine Cherry Dark seeds. I now have I believe 4 BCD plants in raised beds. All are doing well. 3 plants have numerous smallish tomatoes set on them while one has somewhat larger (up to 3" diameter) tomatoes on it. All the plants look as is they are the same variety and the tomatoes have the same shape and look but as I said the plants on 1 are significantly larger. I have pictures below. The tomato is actually has more of a wine color than my picture shows. I know the fourth is not from any of my other seeds because I don't have any seeds for plants at all similar to this. Is it possible that the BDC is not completely stable and is somewhat variable. I want to keep seeds from this plant because it may represent my best success of the season. However, I would like to know more certainly what it is. Barb, please let me know what you think. Also, most of the tomatovillians on this post know much more about these OP plants than I, so if you'd like to comment please do.
Larry

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Zone9b

Barb,
Back in September you kindly sent me some Brandywine Cherry Dark seeds. I now have I believe 4 BCD plants in raised beds. All are doing well. 3 plants have numerous smallish tomatoes set on them while one has somewhat larger (up to 3" diameter) tomatoes on it. All the plants look as is they are the same variety and the tomatoes have the same shape and look but as I said the plants on 1 are significantly larger. I have pictures below. The tomato is actually has more of a wine color than my picture shows. I know the fourth is not from any of my other seeds because I don't have any seeds for plants at all similar to this. Is it possible that the BDC is not completely stable and is somewhat variable. I want to keep seeds from this plant because it may represent my best success of the season. However, I would like to know more certainly what it is. Barb, please let me know what you think. Also, most of the tomatovillians on this post know much more about these OP plants than I, so if you'd like to comment please do.
Larry

Larry, I just grew that. It looks exactly like the ones I grew, only about an inch bigger. Color, greenish shoulders, ribbing, flattened roundness all same.

[MarlynnMarcks]

Growing dwarf tomatoes seems like a good thing for those of us without a lot of space and have to grow in bags due to nematodes in the soil. KI have read, however, that they are hard to grow in Florida. Has anyone had any experience with them in Florida?

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Larry, I just grew that. It looks exactly like the ones I grew, only about an inch bigger. Color, greenish shoulders, ribbing, flattened roundness all same.

Great so you have the name. Is it BDC, I hope?

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by MarlynnMarcks

Growing dwarf tomatoes seems like a good thing for those of us without a lot of space and have to grow in bags due to nematodes in the soil. KI have read, however, that they are hard to grow in Florida. Has anyone had any experience with them in Florida?

It seems that a lot of varieties that we might have thought of as bush indeterminate, bush semi determinate or bush determinate our now classed by many as dwarf indeterminate. These seem to include bush early girl, bush goliath, and many more. It appears size of the plant in itself doesn't determine the size of container required. For me bush early girl is happiest in a large container and does very poorly in a 3 gallon. I have to assume that the huge amount of flowers and fruit it produces requires a greater amount of nutrients and water than typically a 3 gallon would provide. While on the other hand I have a Tomande F1 indeterminates in 3 gallon, 6 gallon and 10 gallon containers and it grows and produces tomatoes in all. A very versatile tomato plant. Bush Goliath also works fairly well in a 3 gallon but for me most don't. Possibly if I watered every day it would help but I don't plan on doing that. Interested to hear what works best for you in small containers.

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Larry, I just grew that. It looks exactly like the ones I grew, only about an inch bigger. Color, greenish shoulders, ribbing, flattened roundness all same.

I have guess: Black Brandywine
It looks like the images online and just as you describe it with 2" diameter.
Tell me, Tell me, Pretty Please

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by Zone9b

I have guess: Black Brandywine
It looks like the images online and just as you describe it with 2" diameter.
Tell me, Tell me, Pretty Please

No that can't be it. They say black shoulders and 2lb for Black Brandywine.
I'm stumped!

[kayrobbins]

Last summer I was experimenting growing Rocoto peppers. I had some success with them and was able to overwinter a couple of the plants. The first picture is from one of those plants. It is 5 ft tall and has 17 peppers. That is more than it ever had last year and is producing much earlier. Those were from seeds I bought from NWSU Chile Pepper Institute.

The 2nd picture is a plant I started in November with seeds I saved from my plants last year. It already has 19 peppers on it. I think I am making progress with the Rocoto and hope seeds saved from my 2nd generation plant will do even better. It still is the most difficult pepper I have ever germinated. It takes forever and the germination rate is pathetic.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Zone9b

Great so you have the name. Is it BDC, I hope?

Black Cherry Dark, from Barb.

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Black Cherry Dark, from Barb.

Thank You so much. Very productive plant and there is something else I like a lot about it. That is it appears to be highly resistant to Early Blight. Two of the plants, including the one that has somewhat larger tomatoes, are towards the center of a Raised Bed. On one side are 4 Champion II Indeterminate plants which are not resistant to EB but still do fairly well and on the other side are 2 Granada Indeterminate plants which seem a little more tolerant than the Champ IIs but still have EB. In between are the BCD plants with no signs of EB at all. Definitely looks like a Keeper. Also, thanks to Barb again for the seeds.
Larry

[Zone9b]

I harvested my first 2 heads of Castle Dome broccoli from this crop. The number of days from transplant was 37. I wouldn't have dreamed that it possible to produce broccoli in that short of time. Amazing the difference between varieties.