Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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October 4, 2018 | #16 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
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October 4, 2018 | #17 |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
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Do any of you remember the tomato called Endless Summer?I do since they trialed it at a place in W NYS, I bought seeds,I raised a few plants and got fruits, and those fruits stayed red, as they were supposed to, with no change, for at least 3 months on the counter, so I said the heck with this and threw them out.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Endl...&bih=815&dpr=1 Carolyn
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Carolyn |
October 4, 2018 | #18 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: El Lago, Texas
Posts: 1,100
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Can I do it??
Three varieties...Husky Cherry Red (in pot...65 days). Better Bush and Bush Goliath in the ground (68 days each). Grow! Grow! Grow!
Donna, Texas Gulf Coast |
October 4, 2018 | #19 |
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I just hauled out an old book I haven't read for many years - The Edible Indoor Garden by Peggy Hardigree, St Martin's Press, New York, 1980.
Lots of information on tomatoes, but I'll just copy a bit about light. Experiments from 1957: Even though the tomato is day-neutral and can blossom in a wide range of day-lengths, it produces more flowers with 9 hours of light. Those plants flowered 10 to 14 days sooner than plants given 16 hours of light. Unless the plants are given at least 7 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night, they won't bloom. |
October 5, 2018 | #20 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Czech republic
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"Experiments from 1957: Even though the tomato is day-neutral and can blossom in a wide range of day-lengths, it produces more flowers with 9 hours of light. Those plants flowered 10 to 14 days sooner than plants given 16 hours of light.
Unless the plants are given at least 7 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night, they won't bloom." Very interesting information!! Vladimír |
October 5, 2018 | #21 | |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
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http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=17126 Carolyn
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October 5, 2018 | #22 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
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October 6, 2018 | #23 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: connecticut,usa
Posts: 1,150
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I have a garden where the plants are exposed to street lights/porch light at night,so the garden is never 100% in the dark.
I suppose the light spectrum must play a role. |
October 9, 2018 | #24 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 3,194
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My indoor tomato plants are on 24 hours of light because the timer is broke. They produce flowers, bloom, and produce tasty fruit. Perhaps they would perform much better with a light/dark schedule, but they do perform in 24 hour light.
Nan |
October 9, 2018 | #25 |
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Join Date: May 2014
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I was about to post here. Two very loud thunder bursts erupted causing the cat beside me to jump up off of the chair and run to hide behind the freezer. I took the cat into my arms and calmed him. That's some of the loudest thunder I have heard...and I live in tornado ally.
Anyway, first a reply. Nan, just from what I have experienced/seen myself - tomato plants do a lot of growing in the dark of night. Now, what I visited the thread for: In a way, I wish I could say that I sleep like farmers used to (Go to bed at 9pm and wake up at 5am) but I don't. As far as lighting goes, I have experimented with the timing. Generally, I provide light for 10 hours and dark for 14 hours - however, the 14 hours of dark isn't exactly that because the sun rises before I do. Light comes in from the window. I have chosen to wait to start the tomato seeds to overwinter on October the 15th. That's the same day I start onion seeds. |
October 13, 2018 | #26 |
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This is being written for those of us who live in a house, trailer home, apartment, condo, etc. People that have Winter (Thread Title) and don't have heated greenhouses (No disrespect intended - most of us would want one or five.)
October 15th is getting close. Of course, it's the coldest day in the forecast, but the seeds are being started inside, so that doesn't matter. I was thinking of the varieties of tomato and onion seeds I will be starting. The tomato seeds come from Europe and might be F1s or I don't know? The onion seeds were sent to me from the UK and the northern US. I am excited about growing them all. The tomatoes are just an experiment born from experience of growing them in spring/summer a few years ago in ground. I saved seeds, and we'll see what they do planted in containers in winter. ...if they germinate. The onion seeds are completely new to me. Exhibition onions from the UK and Candy onions that are supposed to grow in most areas. Why not give them a try? The last time I looked in the mirror, I noticed my eyebrows are turning salt and pepper colored. I need to try some things not just for me and my wife, but so our children and grandchildren can learn too. Gardening is a good thing to show them. (This paragraph was not only written from the heart, but also to inspire you to try growing some things inside this winter.) Onion plants growing in December and January in a flat on your chest-of-drawers out of the way is kind of like having a chia pet or a bonsai tree, and those onion plants actually like attention. You know, talk to them, give them a haircut, and give them water, light, and protection, and depending on what mix you plant them in - maybe feed them too. You can even pet them, and that's a good thing. (They sound like pets to me). I promise you, it's worth trying. I can explain everything in the paragraph above if asked with facts and experience. About growing tomatoes overwinter - I'm new to it, so all I can do is report results. It works or it doesn't. |
November 2, 2018 | #27 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: El Lago, Texas
Posts: 1,100
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growing outdoor tomatoes now
I'm trying a few outdoor plants in an attempt to get a few tomatoes this fall/winter. Here's Husky Cherry Red today (in a pot). One baby fruit. If i fail to succeed, at least it was worth trying.
Donna, Texas Gulf Coast |
December 3, 2018 | #28 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: connecticut,usa
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I have 2 red tomatoes on my 4th of july hybrid clone.
I had to pollinate with an electric toothbrush, so it should be interesting to see if they have seeds. The plant looks anemic/distressed, so that may have sped up the ripening process. I didn't expect red tomatoes for another month. |
January 2, 2019 | #29 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: connecticut,usa
Posts: 1,150
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I fertilized and the plant is nice and green with new blossoms.
That is just with the light from a south window. Would be nice to duplicate that feat at the normal planting time outdoors. The tomatoes tasted like real tomatoes. |
January 10, 2019 | #30 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: El Lago, Texas
Posts: 1,100
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Husky Cherry update
This the same plant as in post number 27. I just moved the pot to a sunnier location. The bottom of the plant looks awful, but the top has nice growth. I've had to carry this plant into the garage on two occasions when I thought it would get cold damage. I've gotten only one ripe fruit so far (taste was OK). The green fruit is taking forever to ripen, if it ever does. They may not taste very good, being on the plant for so long.
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Donna, Zone 9, Texas Gulf Coast |
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