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Post by mrsk on Jun 16, 2015 13:42:55 GMT -5
Many of you might remember that I got caught with a late storm in MAY. I had already put out my tomatoes, which I had carefully planted inside, and then transplanted outside in walls of water. I had planted 9 and lost 2 to the storm. In the garage, was an extra tomato that I thought was dying cause it got to close to the lights, but with some healthy neglect in the dark, it was growing some new leaves, so I planted that one. One of the others that I lost was the one that Lisaanne is always bragging up, big beef hybrid. One had made it, and really 8 tomatoes would be enough for us, so on a whim, I planted by seed, in the spot the other one had died. three seed, thinned to one. The seed one is at the bottom of the picture, the transplanted one is at the top. Same plant seed. Truthfully, I think the one planted weeks later will catch it by August. it will be interesting to see if there is a difference in the first fruit ripe date.
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Post by tbird on Jun 16, 2015 13:45:37 GMT -5
excellent methodology mrsk! Please continue with your data collection and reporting.
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Post by desertwoman on Jun 16, 2015 16:52:01 GMT -5
I did that a couple of years ago.... seed stated indoors, one start put out earlier, one later and one direct seeded. And they all produced around the same time!
They will just sit there if conditions aren't warm enough. It will be interesting to see if you have the same results, mrsk.
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Post by Mumsey on Jun 16, 2015 18:18:09 GMT -5
I have so many volunteers this year it is unbelievable! They are everywhere. And they are not cherry tomatoes. I dug up 24 or so and took to Dad because of the dastardly groundhog who ate 50 of the 100 I grew for him. Those volunteers are catching up quickly with the ones that survived the attack!
So there is a silver lining to every tragedy, even the loss of tomatoes! And we learn so much and wonder why we were impatient! Our impatience will teach us to learn patience.
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Post by lisaann on Jun 16, 2015 19:38:21 GMT -5
You lost the Big Beef! Boo hoo! Wait a minute. Did you say 1 Big Beef made it?
Tell me you know what made it and what did not.
I want to know! I will reread!
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Post by tbird on Jun 17, 2015 6:47:07 GMT -5
Those volunteers are catching up quickly with the ones that survived the attack! hmmm - are we making too much work for ourselves?
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Post by desertwoman on Jun 17, 2015 9:21:53 GMT -5
lol...you have a good point
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Post by ecsoehng on Jun 17, 2015 10:43:55 GMT -5
I have several volunteers with fruit set already. One I know is the yellow tomato I had in the flower garden because it is in the same spot. There is another volunteer in the back of the flower garden. Who knows what that one is. Still another volunteer is coming up through the peas. My urban garden also has a volunteer, This is on a plot I didn't have last year.
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Post by binnylou on Jun 17, 2015 10:53:29 GMT -5
With so many of us being "tomato snobs".....including me...needing to plant that special tomato...I'm surprised at how many of us are willing to plant volunteers....not knowing what they will get.
The one time that I cultivated a volunteer, I got the awfullest tasting red cherry-type of tomato. I think that may have taught me a lesson.
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Post by octave on Jun 17, 2015 12:41:20 GMT -5
You're right binny, with tomatoes it pays to be finnicky.
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Post by brownrexx on Jun 17, 2015 13:43:41 GMT -5
I get lots of volunteers and I always pull them out. I only get one chance per season for tomatoes and I like to be reasonably sure what I will be getting. I grow lots of hybrids so the volunteers are possibly good or possibly bad so I don't bother with them.
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Post by desertwoman on Jun 17, 2015 14:14:57 GMT -5
Binny, you're an oak! Stand tall, dear Binny, and think of the strength of the stately and majestic oak as you heal.
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Post by desertwoman on Jun 17, 2015 14:19:16 GMT -5
I only grow heirlooms (except for the sun golds) so I would probably get a good tomato from volunteers.
But I agree, we wait so long and somewhat patiently for our "one chance" for tomatoes that we want to be assured we're going to get the best we can.
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Post by brownrexx on Jun 17, 2015 19:35:30 GMT -5
Most of my volunteers are from near the compost pile and they could even be babies from some yucky "store tomato" that I threw in there over the winter. What an awful thought.
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Post by desertwoman on Jun 17, 2015 20:16:49 GMT -5
That's funny. They are yucky.
I don't buy store tomatoes. They are always so disappointing. So I have to get my fill from the garden during the summer.
I'd rather use canned organic tomatoes off the shelf, in a prepared dish if I really felt I needed a tomato. But I have my frozen ones that usually get me through to about April, for those dishes.
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