# planting tomatoes



## reel thing (Jul 1, 2010)

Going to plant my tomatoes this weekend. when should I get tomatoes? It seems like by mid June the temps start getting too hot for tomatoes? What are the best varietrys to get for good size and good eating flavor?


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Million dollar ? LOL! I'm going with celebrity and beefmaster. Plus two cherry's. Some guys here use heatmaster and say they take the heat better. I plant thirty plants every year.


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## 1528mac (Oct 17, 2016)

I do early girl, better boy, celebrity and a grape mater.

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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

I'm planting 26 this year. I've got 6 in feed tubs I've been hauling in and out of the barn to try and get some early tomadders. Heatmaster and Celebrity,and 2 cherry. My onions are looking good, and the rabbits have backed off.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

I'll probably set out something like around 15 plants late next week mostly celebrity and romas, then another 10 in about three weeks mostly cherry and parks giants, then my heatmasters in about another month. We like to eat fresh tomatoes all the way through to September and this approach enables that. 

My heatmasters will be planted where they get afternoon shade starting about 2:30 and they will produce all the way to Sept. in spite of the heat. That late afternoon shade really helps keep them going in the hottest times.


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## 1528mac (Oct 17, 2016)

Got the rest of mine in today and redone my soaker hose from 1/2" to 5/8". Works better now. Just 1 herb so far, sending mama to get what she wants later.

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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Meadowlark said:


> I'll probably set out something like around 15 plants late next week mostly celebrity and romas, then another 10 in about three weeks mostly cherry and parks giants, then my heatmasters in about another month. We like to eat fresh tomatoes all the way through to September and this approach enables that.
> 
> My heatmasters will be planted where they get afternoon shade starting about 2:30 and they will produce all the way to Sept. in spite of the heat. That late afternoon shade really helps keep them going in the hottest times.


Parks Giants I've never seen or heard of them. I googled them that's what I want . Talk about slicers. I'll get those if I can find them.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Rubberback said:


> Parks Giants I've never seen or heard of them. I googled them that's what I want . Talk about slicers. I'll get those if I can find them.


Check your local Lowes, RB, or better check with any Bonnie's carrier. Great, great, tomato for eating right off the vine with salt shaker in hand.

Bonnie actually calls it the "whopper"...and it really is, LOL.

http://m.bonnieplants.com/varieties/tabid/61/id/69/Parks-Whopper.aspx


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## goatchze (Aug 1, 2006)

To answer your of how long, it depends on the tomato, but most produce fruit about 60-70 days after planting. The weather matters too, as different varieties will only set with particular daily high and low temperatures (the larger the tomato, the more finicky).

We plant celebrity, sweet 100s, and romas. The celebrities tend to set earlier, IMO, then the romas. The sweet 100s (cherry) seem to set last, but do well even in the heat of the summer and carryover OK into the fall.

We put them in the ground weekend before last, expect to get fruit around late April / beginning of May.


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

Meadowlark said:


> I'll probably set out something like around 15 plants late next week mostly celebrity and romas, then another 10 in about three weeks mostly cherry and parks giants, then my heatmasters in about another month. We like to eat fresh tomatoes all the way through to September and this approach enables that.
> 
> My heatmasters will be planted where they get afternoon shade starting about 2:30 and they will produce all the way to Sept. in spite of the heat. That late afternoon shade really helps keep them going in the hottest times.


That's a good idea about planting Heatmasters late where they'll get a little break from the heat. Both my Grandpa's planted Red Clouds,and when summer started kicking in,would run a wire or hay-rope on the west side of the rows and hang split tow-sacks to block afternoon sun. Those Red Clouds would look like ****, losing all their leaves,but would just keep on blooming and producing. I finally found some seed a couple years ago,but the plants completely drowned out at bearing size,and that's with very good drainage.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Meadowlark said:


> Check your local Lowes, RB, or better check with any Bonnie's carrier. Great, great, tomato for eating right off the vine with salt shaker in hand.
> 
> Bonnie actually calls it the "whopper"...and it really is, LOL.
> 
> http://m.bonnieplants.com/varieties/tabid/61/id/69/Parks-Whopper.aspx


I found them today and bought 12 plants. Actually all the plants I bought today look good.
I guess mine are bonnie's they say whopper on the label.


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## Ready.Fire.Aim (Sep 22, 2009)

Big tomatoes like Beefsteak stop fruiting earlier as it heats up. Get your plants in ASAP. Mine are already 18" tall, blooming and some have set fruit. 

I plant two dozen plants. Six Romas and six San Marzano for sauce. My wife's homemade spaghetti and pizza sauce with home grown herbs is better than ice cream. It is really good. 

I always plant a half a dozen Carnivals and Celebrity for canning and fresh eating. Always a cherry type, this year it's a chocolate -grape variety 
Always try a couple new varieties, usually the new dark flesh "purple or black" varieties. 

Have fun
RFA


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## dbarham (Aug 13, 2005)

I already ate a few off my patio plants


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

dbarham said:


> I already ate a few off my patio plants


Dang I am behind. Good for you.


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## trout250 (Aug 24, 2005)

have 12 celebrity and 12 sweet Chelsea ready to go, will plant next sat. in wire cages wrapped with a frost cloth which makes kinda a mini green house effect until they get going good. have 12 fooled you peppers, have 16 zavory peppers seeded waiting for them to come up.


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## 2Ws (Jun 28, 2016)

Been planting Mountain Pride for 15+ yrs, always do a few Roma's. A local nursery does several thousand of these each yr, sometimes you can find them on a Bonnie truck.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Northern MN .... I've started all of my pepper seeds and will start all of my tomatoes after the peppers have germinated. Probably next weekend. All of this is indoors of coarse. If I could buy these varieties as started plants, I wouldn't mess with starting from seed. However, the majority of these varieties just aren't available as started plants..... so if I want them, I have to grow them from seed. I do buy some started plants like Jalapenos and some of the cole plants. Gardening is too time intense for me to be growing plants that aren't really what I want to grow.

Peppers:
TAM Jalapeno: (very mild Jalapeno like "Fooled You") = 6
Pizza Pepper: A small thick walled pepper with moderate heat =6
Yum Yums: Small, very sweet peppers. Great for snacking =12
NuMex Suave Orange Pepper: 1st time trying this one. Like Habanero w/o much heat = 12
Aji Dulce: Also like Habanero w/o heat. Smoky/fruity taste. I make sauces with this = 12
Anaheim: This is a popular pepper, but I can't find plants up here! = 6

Tomatoes:
Early Girl: Good flavor, produces heavy and early, good for canning too. = 12
Giant Belgium: Big, meaty, excellent flavor. I've had a cluster of 3 weigh over 5#s =12
Sweet Million: Improved version of the "Sweet 100" I'll only keep 2 of these = 6
Delicious: New for me. Grows huge. I'll have to see about production and flavor = 6
Oxheart: Growing for a friend. May keep 1 for myself = 6
Roma: Also growing for a friend. May keep 1 or 2 for myself to can, but not fond of it's flavor = 6

I'm hoping for a germination between 80% and 90%. Around 5 plants per 6 seeds started. Over 1/2 of these plants will be given to friends and family.


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## bowmansdad (Nov 29, 2011)

I'm hanging my tomatoes soon, Have a bunch of small ones, mushroom compost is wonderful! 8 plants in the ground on Feb. 5th and the others on the 25th, I've got 2 Celebrity's and 6 assorted dark plants, Black Krims, etc. and 2 dark cherries. Japs and Serrano are starting to take off, planted them on March 5th. Going to put everything else in tubs behind the greenhouse and in our backyard rose bed to see how that works.


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## bowmansdad (Nov 29, 2011)

Dang it!


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

I finally got my 30 in the ground today. Sure hope we don't get an April freeze. I noticed my pecans tree's haven't budded out yet.


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## Dick Hanks (Aug 16, 2007)

Bowmansdad: Those are some great looking raised beds. That looks like some HD galvanized,corrugated metal and pro level joints. Did you do those joints, or is there some kind of a kit out there? If it is a kit, how do I find it?

Will you be leaving the pails on the plants for the whole season, or do they come off after the cool weather? If you leave them on, make sure that there are no leaves left on the plants below the rim of the pail. It would invite disease.

If I knew how to flip the picture for you... I would..... but I don't!


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Not trying to be negative. I haven't had much luck at growing maters in buckets. You get some but I never got any yield.


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## dbarham (Aug 13, 2005)

Rubberback said:


> Not trying to be negative. I haven't had much luck at growing maters in buckets. You get some but I never got any yield.


Same here


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## bowmansdad (Nov 29, 2011)

Dick Hanks said:


> Bowmansdad: Those are some great looking raised beds. That looks like some HD galvanized,corrugated metal and pro level joints. Did you do those joints, or is there some kind of a kit out there? If it is a kit, how do I find it?
> 
> Will you be leaving the pails on the plants for the whole season, or do they come off after the cool weather? If you leave them on, make sure that there are no leaves left on the plants below the rim of the pail. It would invite disease.
> 
> If I knew how to flip the picture for you... I would..... but I don't!


I bought these through Gardeners Supply, I think. Google "corrugated tin raised beds" should do it. I took the buckets off today and hung my tomatoes to the supports overhead, trimmed the low branches off also. My wife decided I needed to put soaker hoses in the beds, off to Lowes for hose, pvc and hose clamps tomorrow..


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## JFolm (Apr 22, 2012)

bowmansdad said:


> I'm hanging my tomatoes soon, Have a bunch of small ones, mushroom compost is wonderful! 8 plants in the ground on Feb. 5th and the others on the 25th, I've got 2 Celebrity's and 6 assorted dark plants, Black Krims, etc. and 2 dark cherries. Japs and Serrano are starting to take off, planted them on March 5th. Going to put everything else in tubs behind the greenhouse and in our backyard rose bed to see how that works.


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## bowmansdad (Nov 29, 2011)

Thanks, JFolm!


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## 1528mac (Oct 17, 2016)

Hope we don't get any hail on Friday....big front coming thru with high winds and 90% chance of rain and thunder storms. 









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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

We need some rain bad here in Livingston area. My sprinkler system is down waiting on parts and have to water the old fashioned way.

Don't need any hail, but some rain would be welcome here.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Yes, need some miracle grow right now. Come on mother nature. Pray for rain.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Meadowlark said:


> We need some rain bad here in Livingston area. My sprinkler system is down waiting on parts and have to water the old fashioned way.
> 
> Don't need any hail, but some rain would be welcome here.


The bucket! I've been there done that. I usually use the bucket when I first plant.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Rubberback said:


> The bucket! I've been there done that. I usually use the bucket when I first plant.


x2...but it sure is nice to just turn on that sprinkler. When it doesn't work (valves) you realize how much pain those buckets are, LOL.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Meadowlark said:


> x2...but it sure is nice to just turn on that sprinkler. When it doesn't work (valves) you realize how much pain those buckets are, LOL.


I use some drip and T-tape. I like it but I really need to see how yours is set up. 
The reason why is I can't water for a cover crop. And I don't plant much in the fall. So the garden turns into one big weed pit. LOL!


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## 1528mac (Oct 17, 2016)

Here it comes, hope it's gentle when it gets here...don't need any hail supposed to be more on Sunday with 70mph winds.









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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

70 mile winds. My gardens will be toast. I did hourly and never saw winds even close to that #. Hope my weather station is more accurate. That is hurricane weather.


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## 1528mac (Oct 17, 2016)

You know that a weather forecaster that has a full time job can get payed a full salary and only be right some of the time. This was revised today for Sunday. 









Probably won't even be that windy!!

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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

1528mac said:


> You know that a weather forecaster that has a full time job can get payed a full salary and only be right some of the time. This was revised today for Sunday.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ok then! I can live with that. 70 mile an hour winds. No Thanks...... My gardens would be toast.


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## Rubberback (Sep 9, 2008)

Now its saying wind advisory gust over 30. I should of staked the maters. But maybe it will just make for a stronger plant. I've been through this before. Think they will be fine. Their still baby's.


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