what are you most excited about growing this year?

[MissS]

Originally Posted by Tormato

300 seedlings on the edge of the driveway, the morning after a rain shower. There's a slight depression in the center of the driveway that fills with water, and is a perfect birdbath. One morning my cousin comes over, and swerves his truck away from the bathing bird. He ran over the first 150.

A few days later, with seedlings about a week old, my brother decides to help me by watering them...with the garden hose. Several plants barely survived to transplant, with one or two dying each day, finally leaving me with three. Two of the three (well, 300) made it. The third, it stopped growing at about 7" (an indeterminate variety) by producing a huge fused blossom at the tip of the leader. Blossom dropped, plant died.

Sgt Peppers was on of the two survivors, but...really stunted. It grew to about 18" and produced 1 1/2 ounce hearts.

The one other plant thrived all summer long with really tasty, but mid sized pink fruit. It was sent to me as "Big Pink Ukraine", but I'll trial it again to see if it's big.

Have you thought about this... You might have more success if you stop having the 'family' over.

[Fritz77]

Originally Posted by Tormato

300 seedlings on the edge of the driveway, the morning after a rain shower. There's a slight depression in the center of the driveway that fills with water, and is a perfect birdbath. One morning my cousin comes over, and swerves his truck away from the bathing bird. He ran over the first 150.

A few days later, with seedlings about a week old, my brother decides to help me by watering them...with the garden hose. Several plants barely survived to transplant, with one or two dying each day, finally leaving me with three. Two of the three (well, 300) made it. The third, it stopped growing at about 7" (an indeterminate variety) by producing a huge fused blossom at the tip of the leader. Blossom dropped, plant died.

Sgt Peppers was on of the two survivors, but...really stunted. It grew to about 18" and produced 1 1/2 ounce hearts.

The one other plant thrived all summer long with really tasty, but mid sized pink fruit. It was sent to me as "Big Pink Ukraine", but I'll trial it again to see if it's big.

Gary, your posts are always hilarious, but this one really cracked me up! I read it last night before going to sleep and I started laughing so hard that I had one of my strange asthma attacks caused by severe laughs.
I know it was not fun for you, but I couldn't help myself
For some reason this story of you and your struggle to grow tomatoes despite your huge commitment, reminded me of the squirrel and its unreachable acorn in the movie Ice Age
After reading about your struggle with your garden last season, I appreciate even more your enormous effort to supply us with all those precious seeds!

[Gardeneer]

I should've mentioned that I am excited about having a brand new garden in my new location , here in down southeast NC.
My garden is waiting.

grdn-nov14-1.jpg

Almost 600 sq-ft, just by my shovel and me, converting grass into garden and amending.

[NarnianGarden]

Originally Posted by Fritz77

Last year my neighbor, who's 86 and grows some of the most delicious RED tomatoes I've ever tasted, thought it was really strange that I had some tomato plants with PL in my garden

I can't wait to see his face when he spots Lucid Gem or Girl Girl's Weird Thing next summer

At least try to be careful with the old gentleman, try not to scare him too badly.
I might go the opposite direction this year and actually plant some RED tomatoes.. imagine that just to prove I'm a proper tomato grower... I always thought that there are plenty of red tomatoes growing already, and one can always get them at every supermarket. But maybe I have been too closed-minded, and I should give red varieties a fair chance.
At least my neighbors will be happy to receive some REAL tomatoes, instead of these wacky ones ..

[robertamell]

Originally Posted by Keen101

I'm excited for the following. Last year being the first major time attempting tomatoes from seed i lost about half of what i was excited to try. Some i will attempt again, others are new. I have some new 50W LED grow lights that i didn't have last year. So far my winter test seedlings are much more darker green and Very healthy, so i think tomato seedlings in spring will be no problem this time.

Magnus - as a seedling last year was my most vigorous. The potato leaves were huge. Excited to try this one again. Reported to have a much higher out-crossing rate which is what i want.

Solanum galapagense - excited for the little orange hairy fruits. Grew one S. cheesmaniae last year that wasn't bad. Interested to see the differences.

1 accession of S. cheesmaniae reported as having brown fruits. 1 reported as having red fruits (perhaps mis-identified?).

Orange Peach - orange hairy fruits sound cool. Good vigorous seedlings last year. here's to trying again.

Various promiscuously pollinated diploid TPS potatos.

Purple Smudge - excited because apparently this has S. peruvianum heritage. Looking forward to trying to backcross to S. peruvianum since apparently they are hard to cross to domestic tomatoes. Who knows this variety might be more easily crossable because of it's heritage.

Solanum habrochaites and S. peruvianum

Turkish striped monastery

various orange tangerine types and crimson types.

various wild boar farms tomatoes.

1 accession of S. lycopersicon as having brown and/or anthocyanin anthers. Hopefully it turns out true.

any thoughts on Turkish Stripe Monastery verse Tigrella?

[ginger2778]

My season is starting. I am most excited about growing Karen's crosses. Every. Single. One.