Tomato question

[skinnerc06]

Hey everyone. Its been a while. Last month of school has been tough but im done for a while. Anyways, I have decided to try and grow some of my own tomatoes. So far I have a few Brandywine seedlings about a week old. I live in Florida and was wondering if anyone knew of a decent website that might be informative and helpful to me. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone lives here in Florida that grows tomatoes, I would love to know what kinds you have had success with here in our blistering climate. Thanks for everything.

 

[abelman]

Look up Flash as he's in FL and doing tomatoes as well. He's a great guy and always helps when asked.

He's on the board here so you might want to send him an IM.

 

[desertlites]

Howdy skinner, I here in AZ 103 the last couple days-I have 6-7 types of tomatoes growing and 1 is the brandywine,at the moment I have tomatoes on all plants but that 1-it has flowers but no fruit yet-said it was good with heat-will have to see-heck I have a russian type that has a few fruits on it? go figure.good luck and maybe keep on the cool side of the house.

 

[placebo]

We have a forum dedicated to tomotoes right here on SMF!

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...splay.php?f=76

 

[davenh]

Here's a couple links to a few favorite ones.

Daves garden (not me

)

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/tomatoes/all/

Garden Web

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/tomato/

And just for the heck of it, a pic to my biggest tomato (not this year), we like pics

 

[desertlites]

now thats a tomato-WOW

 

[skinnerc06]

Thanks everyone. Great info and references.

 

[sumosmoke]

I second Bob with that WOW. You could make some killer fried green tomatoes with those!!!

Love the v-view

!

 

[geob]

We go for the Heat Wave tomatoes. Stands up great in La.
Haven't seen any in the 6" range though.

geob

 

[white cloud]

I lived in Nw FLA a long time ago and had a garden. but don't remember what I did about the maters. I see in all the catalogs I get a product called shade cloth which you stake up over the plants. I still have to plant mine but still abit cold. Brandywine is an old heirloom variety which you should save some of the seeds from the fruit if you like them, since not being a hybred. When you say a week old, does that mean that you started them by seed? Or you bought the plants a week ago. If you started by seed you better wait until they get there true leaves and a few branches. Also you can plant maters real deep, just leave the tops out of the hole and bury the rest or plant almost horizontally and tip up the tops when you cover them. Don't worry they will grow roots along the stalk of the plant and take off. Need a gallon of water a week and fertilizer when you plant and then again when the blossoms form. Dont over fertilize the young seedlings

 

[davenh]

Those are Omar's Lebanese, I put a few in the garden each year. None this year, never had time to get the seeds started

.

 

[flash]

Well, we will never grow them as large as those NH ones. With the heat of Florida, you needed to already have seeds going back in February. Since you didn't I would head down to Wally World or your nearest nursery and pick up some different varities that should already have some blooms on them. I love ones called Julliettes. Kinda a cross between a Roma and a Grape tomato. Massive clusters. Plant 4 plants and you will still be giving some away. This year I did Grape, Julliettes and Patio. My neighbor did the bigger 'maters, Big Boy, Better Boy and some new Hybrid. I supply him with Salad tomatoes, he'll give me some for hamburgers and sammies.





They are over the top of the cages now. Keep the water and miracle grow on them due to our sandy soil. Drip irrigation seems to work best and is less wasteful.

Just picked my first mater yesterday.