Thought it was time to bring you up to speed on our tomato swap. Hope you do the same!

Okay pic of Black Krim, left. Aussie, Right.

Planted 2/28, and potted up last night to bigger pots. Target date to set outside, Well, pondering 5/1 at the moment.

Have you planted any seeds yet?

Gonna update this thread, as time progresses and show cross pollination on these puppies, if I can.

Have you started going to the community garden yet? How many people are working it this year? Hope all goes well there!

Looking forward to an update from you! Here is my pic:

tamaters are a sun plant, they love sun, lissann, you have them in a pot labeled shade plant, not sure if it will grow very good less you get it in a sun plant pot

Those are some great looking tomato's!!

Bumping for Z.

Hey Lisaann!
Your plants are really gorgeous!! I am quite impressed - yeah for Lisaann. I started my 'maters about 10+ days later than yours, but they only seem to be about half the size of yours. I started about 14 varieties, with 2 seeds in each pellet. Most sprouted with 2 seedlings so I kept them both. W-a-a-a-y too many plants, but have already found homes for many of them. Just need to transplant about 25 more when I get another grow light. I have 6 bus boxes filled with tomatoes transplanted so far. I've never planted so many. OOPS. WHOOPS. or OH-OH.

Your Back Krim seeds had 100% germination and they look great. Thanks for such great seeds! Can't wait to hear what you think of Aussie - good flavor, very large. Will be even better when you combine the two!

As for the church garden, we'll have a total of 7 people, including the HeadStart kids, who have their school in the church. I shoveled a bunch of llama poop onto others' plots (really sore back), shredded more leaves for them, dumped about 100 lbs. of coffee grounds onto the compost pile for now. We probably won't rototill until May 3 or 10, depending on weather and when hubby returns. Planting is planned for the week of May 12.

I told organicbaby about the poop flinging and muddy garden. I'm sure everyone gets that cabin fever.

I'm trying Chamomile tea to keep little buggers from being problems on the tomatoes. So far so good. We shall see how things fare down the road. Just hope the tea wasn't too strong. I used 6 tea bags per gallon. Any other suggestions for bugs? Didn't use the tea (or boiling water) for the peppers and you can predict the outcome - little green squishables about every other day in addition to the fuzzy ones.

Kimm1 - I used boiling water on the peat pellets and then the tea when the tomatoes got transplanted. So far, so good. Thanks for that suggestion. The peat pellets swelled up almost immediately versus more than 5-10 minutes with cold water.

Lisaann - keep us all up-to-date on your 'maters and how the cross pollination progresses. You're one brave lady. I just may try it . . . depending on your successes. Someday.

Have you started fertilizing them yet? Just transplanted yesterday so they're still quite moist. In another week?

Hi Z,

Glad to hear from you.

Yep, you definitly have a lot of tomatos going.

I'm only planting a total of 5 plants here at my house. 3 at my mom's, and my uncle will be growing 2.

I don't normally have pest problems on the tomatos and peppers, but blights, wilts and all that good stuff can sometimes be an issue.

I'm lightly fertilizing the plants with Seamate right now. Don't want to fertilize too much while they are inside, or they get too huge.

I'm potting up my few peppers this morning. Bells, no hots.

I've rearranged my garden plans on paper so many times now, that my paper is wearing out!, and my eraser is shot. HaHa

Can't wait to start hardening the plants off and get them out there.

Doesn't seem like cross pollination is too difficult. But the timing of it shall be a challenge. Hoping the 2 week vacation I have in July gives me a proper chance.

Okay, well, hit me up when you can, throughout the spring and summer.

I forget, do you have a camera? Oh yeah, I think you do. Oh goody! Pictures!

This week I think I learned an important lesson in the secret to tomato success.

I planted all of my seeds in jiffy regualr sized pellets. 1 per pellet. I bought a mini greenhouse with the largest pellets they make 25ct for about 5 bucks and planted some Mortgage Lifter, Habanero Pepper and False Jalapeno in them. These seeds were started about a month after the others. I can tell you that the ones in the larger Jiffy's are 4 to 6 inches taller, fuller and overall much more healthy looking. It obviously has to do with the amount of space the roots can grow into with those larger pellets. Next year I will only plant in those larger ones. I think it also saves me a re potting or two.

Hi Worm,

Yep I start my seed in 3 or 4 inch pots, then end in these 6 inch puppies. Lots less work, since I only pot up once that way.

Only have room for a few plants here, 5 this year, and all 5 are different.

You getting in on the tomatoe growing contest? Saw you on the garlic thread, so know you are in on that! We love garlic here. Much fun to chitchat with each other.

It's very addicting here, once you plant your feet. You will find yourself popping in everyday to say hi, or post or just catch up with each other.

Glad you found your way here!

lisaann

Update with PIC:

Aussie (left), Black Krim (right)

They are slow growing this year, but at least they are growing. And my crossing skills suck. So, that might not happen. I haven't given up yet though.

How's it going out there?

Looking good, guys!

Gee, Lisaann, your tomatoes are growing so TALL! That Aussie is really looking good. And you even have broccoli! My wee plants are about 6" tall and just waiting patiently.

Hope to be saving Aussie and Black Krim seeds for myself, as well as Ada's Red Hope, since I shared just about all of my seeds with others this year. The community garden is coming along slowly with tons of bindweed, etc. Have to weed there at least 2x a week just to keep up. Got lots of volunteer cilantro and dill and a few volunteer potatoes from last year. Time for tacos or burritoes??

Thanks for the pics. Love to see other gardens.

Hey TomatoZ,

Update!

Holy Cow, look how much bigger the Aussie is than Black Krim! Remember, all started at the same time, just showing growth patterns here!

Has any fruit set on yours? Man those Aussies are flat puppies, ain't they? Cool!


Cross pollination, you ask? I suck at that! Hope nature did it for me! hahahahah
Show me pics of yours!

2 pics:

Hey Lisaann!
Your 2 tomato plants are super looking. That Aussie really holds promise, huh? Just you wait and see the size of the fruit. Hopefully they'll live up to expectations.

No pics yet. Just got a new computer since the other laptop bit the dust - or really came close to losing everything. Will try later.

Got lots of flowers and a few greenies on most of my tomato plants. The Aussies are huge - almost to the top of the cage - which is about 5' tall. So far they're doing the best. I also have your Black Krim, which is second in height and width, then Cherokee Purple, and then Pink Girl, a hybrid, and my favorite producer.

I was hoping Mother Nature 'might' do the trick with pollination since we have so many bees lately. Must be all the flowers, esp. the lavender.

I've also got Loamy's aunt's Ada's Red Hope partitioned away. We'll see if that does any good. I've isolated a few flowers just to make sure.

Can't wait to see your huge 'maters!

HEY WOMAN!


So Glad ya found the pink girl seeds and they are working for ya! Where did ya find them? I still have my notes here to look for them, but I never spotted them! Glad you did!

Cool about aunt ada's from loamy! Lot's of people are growing them.

Make a thread and let's see how those plants are comparing!

Hey Lisaann!
Here are our tomatoes side by side.
The Aussie is on the left and the Black Krim is on the right. 7-15-08