And about the soil, I still get Pro Mix delivered in the mail, and I look around to get free shipping otherwise is too costly. I use it to start plants and indoor plants.

Last season I used Kellogs soil from Lowes for the tomato plants but this season I went cheap and I bought soil from Ace, I saw that they had pine bark fines too.

I don't mix soil anymore but I use fertilizers and sometimes amendments.

Some of the tomato plants this season with the soil from Ace, I like that they are small bags easy to maneuver for me.

The tomato names are from the box of wooden sticks that you gave me, thank you.

Lately I need all the energy that I can get, I have 2 puppies to take care of....tomatoes will have to take second place.

I hope all the plans for your father-in-law tomatoes work out.

Hi Silvia,

Thanks for the response. I just saw your post about Lucy and Nikki, I'm so sorry for your loss but glad to hear you have some new babies to love and keep you company.

When I set up the hydroponics I ordered some indeterminate seeds for plants supposedly with a lower height (Jet Star and Marion), so I'll give them a try but don't have high hopes for production or disease resistance. It's interesting that virtually none of the seed distributors give any guidance on plant height, I picked these based on descriptions at the Bonnie website, I guess they provide this information since they sell plants rather than seeds. My FIL is only interested in red fresh slicers and not too picky on the acid, he just wants fair production so he can give some to his neighbors in his mobile home park. I gave up my grow lights so I know I'll have some problems with leggy starts but I don't recall you using grow lights in the early stages, tell me how you manage that aspect again. Also, which Promix are you using and what is the name of the bagged soil your trying from ACE? I'd like to know how things go with the Kellogs trial too.

Thank you Tom, my new puppies are certainly keeping me too busy.:)

When I lived in Arizona, they recommended Celebrity as a productive variety about 3-4 feet and takes the heat, I grew it there and is a good tomato, he might like that and probably can get it as a seedling in the store.

For many years I grew tomato seedlings in my porch only, and for the community garden too. They just have to be move around, sun, shade, rain. I had it in the plastic bins. Now I have an indoor set up with lights and for sure it makes it easier.

The Promix that I get is HP with Mycorrhizae. Tomatoes are resilient plants and do well in a lot of soils especially when you keep the correct fertilizers. Kellogs soil was good and the Ace cheap potting soil is their brand and looks okay, kind of heavy but clean, I just have to keep an eye on watering less.

Leggy starts are no problem, I just bury them deeper, what I do in the container is to gently bend stem and root when planting.

Tom, perhaps this might help you.

Tony

My 2019 Comprehensive Tomato Report -

Thanks Silvia, I've got some Celebrity seeds ordered and added Florida 91 to the order to try. It's really important I keep the height to 5' since the supports are only 4'. Been a while since I looked at the price of bagged mixes, yikes! I was using Jungle Growth for a few years for the reasonable price but got a bad batch that killed everything so went back to making my own mixes. I may keep making Al's mix since I can make 5CF for only $17, including a cup or dolomite pellets and CRF with minor elements. I'll just have to plan a trip to Treemart when I have errands over that way since 3CF bags of fines are only $3.65. I ordered a 2' desktop light, should be sufficient since I'll only need it for 8-10 starts.

Tony, thanks for the info too. Bolseno might be too tall but I will definitely check out BHN 589 if Marion is a dud (also a Rutgers).

Tom

Thank you Tony, you always have good varieties for us gardeners to try.

Tom, I know that if the soil is too expensive it makes the tomatoes too costly. Did you give away your mixer for the soil? I still have the water wands that you made, they have winning durability and they are perfect to use.

One year I grew like 100 varieties in my small place and as you can image I had so many tomatoes, the same year someone gave me seeds for a new variety not yet in the market and it was Plum Regal, it had so many tomatoes. Probably the most productive variety ever, I probably should try it again.

http://blogs.evergreen.edu/fieldstudy-patrick/variety-i-plum-regal/

Yes Silvia, the mixer and everything else was given away. I have a large wheelbarrow that I can use to make 5CF of mix by hand, not a big a deal for only two batches. I had the best results with 7 gallon pots so that is what we will use, I will sink 10 gallon pots into the ground to set the 7 gallon pots in to keep the soil cool. Actual volume is 5.8 gallons so for 8 plants we will need approximately 48 gallons of mix, my cost to make will that is approximately $22 for 4/3 batch, vs. $24 for 45gallons/3 bags of Jungle Growth, and I have not used Jungle Growth since I had that bad batch....

I have made some more wands but now use a garden hose male end instead of a shower head fitting, so that a Dramm 400 head can be attached for gentler watering and switched to a Dramm 170 and used with a Hozon for applying liquid fertilizer (Hozon won't work with the 400@12 GPM, works well with the 170@7 GPM). I'm sure your ball valve handles have broken off by now if you've used them, the plastic handle just doesn't hold up. When mine brake off I just take pliers to open the valves completely, then take a hacksaw to the valve shaft end to remove the remaining sharp edges of the shaft.

Plum Regal looks interesting....

That is a very good idea Tom ! I have 2 wands , the one in the porch and the other in the outside hose, we had to change a couple of times but I think you also gave me extra heads to switch. I have them for a few years, you can see the one in the picture of the porch and the tomatoes, because it is not exposed to the elements is in better shape but they are both working after all these years.

It is good to know that you are still gardening and hummingbirds are very rewarding. We went on a vacation one year to Manta, Ecuador where they have more than a thousand varieties of hummingbirds...

Tom, you must miss your Beefmasters, I cannot eat tomatoes from the store, I have to grow mine.

For the future of the tomatoes for your FIL, I found a good reference on a lot of determinate tomatoes.

https://snyderfarm.rutgers.edu/tomato-tasting/tomato-variety-list-2017.html

Thanks Silvia, I'll check them out, you're definitely right about missing my Beefmasters. Looks like trials for the fall/winter with be the short-height indeterminates seeds I already bought; Jet Star, Marion, Damsel and Kimberly, and for determinates I've ordered; Celebrity, Fla 91, Tasti-Lee and BHN 589. Probably will be hard to make an accurate assessment with only one plant each but it should keep my FIL busy, and likely to be some interesting cross-pollinations too :-)

One more question Silvia, what CRF are you using? I'm almost out of the 50lb bag of ag-120 CRF I had from Helena Chemical that lasted almost 10 years, and not going to go to Bradenton for a bag from Florikan, don't need 50lbs anyway. Florikan's 2lb jar of Dynamite is now $16-17, yikes!

Thanks Silvia,

I'll give it a try. "Fritted" is a new one on me, even looking up the definition it was as clear as mud ;-)

That is funny Tom, if you don't know, me either.:) but I have been using it for years.

Hey Silvia, I looked at that synderfarm link above and while surfing for info about Peachy Keen came across this website. I had never seen it before, the guy is here in Florida and provides some of the best geneology I've ever seen on the varieties he's selling. I split my screens and simultaneously crossed referenced his Heat Tolerant category with his Compact category and came up with several candidates; Anahu, Burrell's Special, Flamenco, Healani, Mica Red, Nano Ciliegia, Neptune, Peachy Keen and Sunneva.

Obvious to me I've been away from veggie gardening way too long :-) :-(

Thank you Tom for the info, it is a gold mine of new tomatoes for me.

The one that I am growing this season for the first time is Kewalo that falls in the category of compact and heat and humidity, I will post the results .

I am also growing this season in the category dwarfs Beauty King, Sarandipity, Lime Green Salad.

Hummingbird Spy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWOySU_hAz0

Amazing video Silvia, I forwarded it to several family members, thanks ;-)

How has your experience been with the Dwarf's? I have no experience with them so I'm just sticking with the compact varieties for now. I ordered the seeds I listed above except for Peachy Keen and Neptune, out of stock. I won't be able to try them until the next set but if you'd like to try any/all of them as well let me know and I'll send you some seeds for the winter/spring season.

Silvia, Lime Green Salad -- my favorite dwarf variety!

Give it a try, Tom.

Lime Green Salad dwarf tomato --- is anyone else growing it? -

Tony

Tony, I always like your reviews!

Tom, thank you for the offer, that Peachy Keen looks so promising, for sure would like to try it!

With the dwarf tomatoes depending on a lot of factors they are not consistent with the result, I think that when you grow few tomatoes it is better to stick with the compact.

You can always try a couple in a season and I can send you some seeds of the ones that I have for you to trial them.

Tony, beautiful plant. I like greens and blacks but my FIL doesn't :-( Occasionally I can talk him into ONE orange or gold but that's about it. My favorite non-red so far has been Aunt Gertie's Gold, but my success with non-reds has been dismal, they just don't seem to like something about this microclimate.

Sylvia, thanks for the offer. I'll let you know when/if I'm able to get some Peachy Keen seeds and after I've trialed what I have if we're not happy I'll take you up on the offer to try some dwarf's....

Tom, TASTI-LEE® VFFF HYBRID was on my radar for this year, but since BHN 589 did so well I didn't grow it. Since you'll be growing both, please, give us a comparison.

Thanks,

Tony

Will do Tony, bear in mind that we're only setting ONE of each so this is only an initial trial....

I'll post some pictures once the plants are safely set. I say that because in the past I've lost everything in the fall garden on two occasions due to hurricanes and tropical depressions, everything was either drowned or blown away. This little storm coming by us is a perfect example, came out of nowhere, looks like it will pass me by but could have easily wiped me out if the plants were in the ground now. My first three starts are ready to go but I'll wait another 7-10 days on them. The other five starts will go in around 10/01 if it doesn't look like the storms coming off Africa pose a problem.

Good thinking Tom, we can't predict the weather here. I have all my tomatoes parked in my porch for now, hope to putting them out soon...