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Old 20-07-2003, 09:02 PM
Dawn
 
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Default why do my tomatoes lack flavor?

I'm looking for suggestions on what to improve or change for next
year.

This spring we planted 6 nursery 'Better Boy' plants, in clay soil we
amended with manure and peat moss. I got huge plants and tons of fruit
coming.

Unlike last year, the squirrels aren't all over them. Last year I lost
most of my tomatoes to squirrels. This year I haven't seen a single
one. The new neighbor's large dogs may have something to do with that.

Also last year the yield wasn't very good to start with, we have heavy
clay soil here, which is why we added to it this spring. Last year we
broke ground on the garden at this house, so we have a fair amount of
work to do to improve the plot.

I've got beautiful plants. Lots of blooms until it got hot, lots of
fruit coming along, I had mites right after I planted (in April) but I
sprayed and they've been pest free ever since. I've got a drip hose on
the garden now that it's staying hot and they get sun from morning to
early evening. It would seem I've never had a better year for
tomatoes.

The problem is my tomatoes have very little flavor. Is it just this
variety? I prefer to plant Romas, but couldn't get them this spring
and I had heard Better Boy was a good variety. Could it be something
in the soil? Is there something I could do to get better tasting fruit
next year? I'm not sure anything can be done this year....



Dawn

d duperault at ay oh el dot com
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Old 21-07-2003, 06:26 AM
Lee Hall
 
Posts: n/a
Default why do my tomatoes lack flavor?

(Dawn) wrote in message . com...
I'm looking for suggestions on what to improve or change for next
year.

This spring we planted 6 nursery 'Better Boy' plants, in clay soil we
amended with manure and peat moss. I got huge plants and tons of fruit
coming.

Unlike last year, the squirrels aren't all over them. Last year I lost
most of my tomatoes to squirrels. This year I haven't seen a single
one. The new neighbor's large dogs may have something to do with that.

Also last year the yield wasn't very good to start with, we have heavy
clay soil here, which is why we added to it this spring. Last year we
broke ground on the garden at this house, so we have a fair amount of
work to do to improve the plot.

I've got beautiful plants. Lots of blooms until it got hot, lots of
fruit coming along, I had mites right after I planted (in April) but I
sprayed and they've been pest free ever since. I've got a drip hose on
the garden now that it's staying hot and they get sun from morning to
early evening. It would seem I've never had a better year for
tomatoes.

The problem is my tomatoes have very little flavor. Is it just this
variety? I prefer to plant Romas, but couldn't get them this spring
and I had heard Better Boy was a good variety. Could it be something
in the soil? Is there something I could do to get better tasting fruit
next year? I'm not sure anything can be done this year....



Dawn

d duperault at ay oh el dot com


My first guess is too much watering. I usually cut back on watering
when a plant has tomatoes ripening since too much water seems to
dilute the taste. The variety is probably also a factor since most of
the mainline hybrid tomatoes are grown for productivity, uniformity
and shelf life; not for taste. Another possibility would be soil that
is too alkaline but in clay with added peat moss, I doubt that is the
case. Do you have any blossom end rot? That could also point to too
much watering which interferes with calcium uptake.

If you want to take a quantum leap in growing tastier tomatoes, try
starting heirlooms from seed. In the beefsteak line, Mortgage Lifter
and Mortgage Lifter Red are very large and productive. Brandywine is
one of the finest tasting tomatoes there is but I haven't been able to
make them produce much in my climate.

Lee Hall
Zone 6B - Tennessee
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Old 21-07-2003, 05:42 PM
simy1
 
Posts: n/a
Default why do my tomatoes lack flavor?

(Dawn) wrote in message . com...
I'm looking for suggestions on what to improve or change for next
year.

This spring we planted 6 nursery 'Better Boy' plants, in clay soil we
amended with manure and peat moss. I got huge plants and tons of fruit
coming.

Unlike last year, the squirrels aren't all over them. Last year I lost
most of my tomatoes to squirrels. This year I haven't seen a single
one. The new neighbor's large dogs may have something to do with that.

Also last year the yield wasn't very good to start with, we have heavy
clay soil here, which is why we added to it this spring. Last year we
broke ground on the garden at this house, so we have a fair amount of
work to do to improve the plot.

I've got beautiful plants. Lots of blooms until it got hot, lots of
fruit coming along, I had mites right after I planted (in April) but I
sprayed and they've been pest free ever since. I've got a drip hose on
the garden now that it's staying hot and they get sun from morning to
early evening. It would seem I've never had a better year for
tomatoes.

The problem is my tomatoes have very little flavor. Is it just this
variety? I prefer to plant Romas, but couldn't get them this spring
and I had heard Better Boy was a good variety. Could it be something
in the soil? Is there something I could do to get better tasting fruit
next year? I'm not sure anything can be done this year....



Dawn

d duperault at ay oh el dot com


Three possibilities are too acid soil, too much water, not enough
trace elements, as others have said. The first and third can be fixed
with a handful of wood ash, two month ahead of time, for each plant.
You can also try saving your kitchen scraps for the winter, which
typically have a good amount of trace elements, and give them to the
tomatoes at the start of season. You should also stop watering some
fifteen days before first crop, unless you are in a drought.
If the site does not have good draining, consider a raised bed.
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Old 21-07-2003, 07:52 PM
Dawn
 
Posts: n/a
Default why do my tomatoes lack flavor?

Repeating Decimal wrote in message ....

I have found better boy to be a very flavorful tomato. Do you replenish your
trace elements? Have you checked soil pH?


Last year we planted into unadulterated local Missouri clay. This
spring we added the first manure and peat moss to it. Haven't had time
or need to replenish anything.

What kind of pH is good for tomatoes? Is there some kind of kit I can
buy to do the test?



Dawn


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Old 21-07-2003, 10:32 PM
FarmerDill
 
Posts: n/a
Default why do my tomatoes lack flavor?

I'm looking for suggestions on what to improve or change for next
year.

This spring we planted 6 nursery 'Better Boy' plants, in clay soil we
amended with manure and peat moss. I got huge plants and tons of fruit
coming.

Unlike last year, the squirrels aren't all over them. Last year I lost
most of my tomatoes to squirrels. This year I haven't seen a single
one. The new neighbor's large dogs may have something to do with that.

Also last year the yield wasn't very good to start with, we have heavy
clay soil here, which is why we added to it this spring. Last year we
broke ground on the garden at this house, so we have a fair amount of
work to do to improve the plot.

I've got beautiful plants. Lots of blooms until it got hot, lots of
fruit coming along, I had mites right after I planted (in April) but I
sprayed and they've been pest free ever since. I've got a drip hose on
the garden now that it's staying hot and they get sun from morning to
early evening. It would seem I've never had a better year for
tomatoes.

The problem is my tomatoes have very little flavor. Is it just this
variety? I prefer to plant Romas, but couldn't get them this spring
and I had heard Better Boy was a good variety. Could it be something
in the soil? Is there something I could do to get better tasting fruit
next year? I'm not sure anything can be done this year....



Dawn

Flavor is for the most part a function of variety. Of course flavor is somewhat
reduced with reduced sunlight and excess water. A cool wet summer as oppsed to
warm relatively dry summer. Taste and flavor choices also vary greatly with the
taster. I f you like Romas than chances are you would not care for the
different flavor of the juicy red canning types of which Better Boy is a prime
example. I would suggest that you experiment with different varieties next
year. Romas and other paste types are usually available, Saladette types are
some what in between. You could even try some of the beefsteak types like
Mortgage Lifter or Brandywine. Each group has its adherents. But each group has
unique flavors, which varies considerable even among cultivars within that
group.

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Old 22-07-2003, 04:57 AM
Noydb
 
Posts: n/a
Default why do my tomatoes lack flavor?

Dawn wrote:

Repeating Decimal wrote in message
....

I have found better boy to be a very flavorful tomato. Do you replenish
your trace elements? Have you checked soil pH?


Last year we planted into unadulterated local Missouri clay. This
spring we added the first manure and peat moss to it. Haven't had time
or need to replenish anything.

What kind of pH is good for tomatoes? Is there some kind of kit I can
buy to do the test?



Dawn


It took me an hour to find this ... but here it is! :-)

For processing tomatoes it is recommended to maintain soil pH between
6.5-6.8 (2003 Ohio Vegetable Production Guide - Bulletin 672-03). At pH
below 6.0 the availability of K, Ca and Mg to the plant is reduced. Liming
to achieve a pH above 6.8 can lead to a cation imbalance and ultimately
affect the levels of K in the soil solution. At alkaline pH (above 7.0) the
fixation of K tends to increase, affecting the amount of K readily
available to the plant. http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/tomato/pH.htm

and also

Fertility: Tomato is a moderately tolerant crop to a wide pH range. A pH of
5.5- 6.8 is preferred though tomato plants will do well in more acidic
soils with adequate nutrient supply and availability. Calcium availability
is also very important to control soil pH and nutrient availability.
http://www.uga.edu/vegetable/tomato.html

Bill
--
Zone 5b (Detroit, MI)
I do not post my address to news groups.

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Old 22-07-2003, 10:20 AM
---Pete---
 
Posts: n/a
Default why do my tomatoes lack flavor?

On 20 Jul 2003 12:01:56 -0700, (Dawn) wrote:

The problem is my tomatoes have very little flavor. Is it just this
variety? I prefer to plant Romas, but couldn't get them this spring
and I had heard Better Boy was a good variety. Could it be something
in the soil? Is there something I could do to get better tasting fruit
next year? I'm not sure anything can be done this year....

-------
Dawn, I just did a search and found a post I made on this
topic from June of 2001 that should help you. In addition to
the info below, I have since added Ironite to my soil to
replenish the micro nutrients and last year I had the the
best tasting tomatoes ever. However, someone in this
NG told me informed me that Ironite has questionable
levels of lead and arsenic so you might want look into that.
(See 7/8/03 post titled... Good tomato fertilizer?)

Post by ---pete-- from June 2001...
I'm in NJ and a several years ago I experienced bland tasting
tomatoes.The first thing I did was to amend the soil at the end of
the growing season using dried leaves that I turned into the soil when
we had some warm weather in Dec/Jan. In Feb/Mar I added peatmoss
and turned the soil again. I also balanced the PH using lime. That
season it was somewhat better but it was still not right.

The next year,I got smart and performed a soil test using these simple
$4 test kits available at the local garden center and discovered that
my soil was depleted of nitrogen and potash and my PH was low.
As a quick fix, I amended the soil with, lime, chemical fertilizers
and a very limited amount of compost that I had begun to generate.
I retested the soil a month or so later and it was still slightly low
in potash but acceptable. After all that, my tomatoes tasted great
and the plants were a nice deep green and healthty looking instead
of a pale green. All my plants grew to twice the size of previous
years with more yeild too.

PS: In more recent years, I am composting more in an
attempt to eliminate the use of the chemical fertilizers.

As for watering vs taste, I've read that it is best to cut back or
stop watering just prior to harvesting to enhance the flavor
of tomatoes. What does "just prior" mean? I'd say about
a week prior.


What can you do at this late stage in the season?

1.) Test your soil now to see where you are at with
your N/P/K nutrients and soil PH.

2.) Ammend the soil using natural fertilizers if you
can research that topic well enough to know what types
to use to correct for speific deficiencies of N/P/K.

3.) If step#2 is too overwhelming at this late stage in the
season, then just for this year, use the recomended
amounts of chemical fertilizers to correct/ammend
your soil as directed on the soil test kit.


What can you do for next season?

1.) Start a compost pile now!
Check with your local municipality and see what
they do with their leaves collected. Some will offer
the partially composed leave for free. Some compost
it and sell it back to the residents.

2.) Perform a soil test in the FALL of this year.

3.) Ammend your soil with compost and fertilizers
as per the soil test.

4.) In the spring, do another soil test and repeat
step#3 above.

5.) Continue composting all season.


Har, Har, Har, I used to think you just planted the seeds
and things would just grow. Not true! It typically takes
3 to 5 years for the new gardener to get the soil in a
new garden plot optimized. Its a science, it's about
chemistry, it can be very complex and challenging.
But most of all, in the end, it is all worthwhile smile.

---pete---


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Old 22-07-2003, 12:22 PM
Penny Morgan
 
Posts: n/a
Default why do my tomatoes lack flavor?

Try backing off on watering while they are ripening. They usually have more
flavor and will be less watery tasting. Some people also water with a
little sugar added to their water to sweeten them. I've only read this and
have not tried it. I grow Better Boys every year and have not had any issue
with flavor. I, unfortunately, planted my garden extremely late this year
and still have green tomatoes. I've finally got baby cucumbers and green
beans coming.

Penny
Zone 7b - North Carolina
"Dawn" wrote in message
om...
I'm looking for suggestions on what to improve or change for next
year.

This spring we planted 6 nursery 'Better Boy' plants, in clay soil we
amended with manure and peat moss. I got huge plants and tons of fruit
coming.

Unlike last year, the squirrels aren't all over them. Last year I lost
most of my tomatoes to squirrels. This year I haven't seen a single
one. The new neighbor's large dogs may have something to do with that.

Also last year the yield wasn't very good to start with, we have heavy
clay soil here, which is why we added to it this spring. Last year we
broke ground on the garden at this house, so we have a fair amount of
work to do to improve the plot.

I've got beautiful plants. Lots of blooms until it got hot, lots of
fruit coming along, I had mites right after I planted (in April) but I
sprayed and they've been pest free ever since. I've got a drip hose on
the garden now that it's staying hot and they get sun from morning to
early evening. It would seem I've never had a better year for
tomatoes.

The problem is my tomatoes have very little flavor. Is it just this
variety? I prefer to plant Romas, but couldn't get them this spring
and I had heard Better Boy was a good variety. Could it be something
in the soil? Is there something I could do to get better tasting fruit
next year? I'm not sure anything can be done this year....



Dawn

d duperault at ay oh el dot com





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Old 22-07-2003, 12:32 PM
Pat Kiewicz
 
Posts: n/a
Default why do my tomatoes lack flavor?

---Pete--- said:

PS: In more recent years, I am composting more in an
attempt to eliminate the use of the chemical fertilizers.


Don't forget that even if you manage to go to all compost, you will have
to bring in off-site material to replenish the nutrients carried off in your
harvest. (The particular vulnerability here is potassium.) There will be
some loss through leaching even if you and everyone else who eats
your produce uses and composting toilets and... recycles to the garden.
(I'm assuming you all don't.)

Alfalfa meal or pellets used as a fertilizer provide N, K, micronutrients and
organic matter. Seaweed is also particularly good for readily available K
and micronutrients. (Alfalfa can be made into a 'tea' for foliar spray and
seaweed is also used as a foliar spray.)

Choose the right varieties for your area and personal tastes, pump up the K
and the micronutrients to ensure good flavor and then hope it doesn't pour
down rain when the green tomatoes are putting on their growth and particularly
when they are ripening.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)

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Old 22-07-2003, 08:32 PM
Dawn
 
Posts: n/a
Default why do my tomatoes lack flavor?

Thanks for the tips. I will look into getting a soil test kit this
fall and seeing if I need to add anything.

I'm getting the impression the tomato bed needs to be DRY while they
ripen. I'd been watering a little since the temps hit 90-ish because
all the plants fell over as soon at it got really hot and I was afraid
they'd dry up.

I started composting last year, but it wasn't ready for this spring
(thus the bagged manure) and at the moment I have volunteer cantelope
growing in the bin, so I'm hesitant to do anything much with it right
now.

FWIW, I took the dozen or so ripe tomatoes from yesterday and made
tomato bisque, and with some onion and fresh basil it tasted pretty
good.



Dawn
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Old 23-07-2003, 12:08 AM
FarmerDill
 
Posts: n/a
Default why do my tomatoes lack flavor?


Thanks for the tips. I will look into getting a soil test kit this
fall and seeing if I need to add anything.


Watch out for the home soil tests kits. Many of them are VERY unreliable.
Virtually all state agricultural colleges laboratory testing through local ag
extention agents (county agents). Used to be free but many now charge a nominal
fee
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Old 23-07-2003, 11:02 AM
---Pete---
 
Posts: n/a
Default why do my tomatoes lack flavor?

On 22 Jul 2003 20:42:51 GMT, (FarmerDill) wrote:

Watch out for the home soil tests kits. Many of them are VERY unreliable.
Virtually all state agricultural colleges laboratory testing through local ag
extention agents (county agents). Used to be free but many now charge a nominal
fee

-------
I agree trhat the home soil test kits can be unreliable, from my
experience, I've found that the little capsules with the test
chemicals dry up and deteriorate. For the RapidTest brand I've
used, the Blue Potash capsule deteriorates first.

With that in mind, see if you can find out when the kits are stocked
at your local store and only buy the test kit if you can get it within
a month or so of being newly stocked. Even then, look real close
at the package and see if the capsules are beginning to deterioate.
I've found that you can see the Blue Potash test capsules becoming
discolored and spotty when they begin to deteriorate.

There are other high quality test kits you can buy either online or
from garden supply catalogs but they are generally too expensive
for doing just a few samples on the home garden.

Of course, the better way to go is to have the soil tested
professionally. Here in New Jersey, the local county AG
Extension Agent does them for about $10 and you get a more
complete analysis than just the N/P/K & PH tests that the home
test kits give you.

---pete---

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Old 24-07-2003, 02:12 AM
Milt
 
Posts: n/a
Default why do my tomatoes lack flavor?

Want to learn how to grow tomatoes?
Study with the man who wrote the book, How to Grow World Record Tomatoes by
Charles Wilbur.
He grows tomato plants 28 Feet Tall! with over 340 pound of tomatoes to a
plant. Plants spaced 5 feet apart. There are some amazing pictures in this
book and tons of great information!!!!!!
Here is an amazon.com
linkhttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0911311572/104-8504678-854
2336?vi=glance

but check your library first!


"Dawn" wrote in message
om...
I'm looking for suggestions on what to improve or change for next
year.

This spring we planted 6 nursery 'Better Boy' plants, in clay soil we
amended with manure and peat moss. I got huge plants and tons of fruit
coming.

Unlike last year, the squirrels aren't all over them. Last year I lost
most of my tomatoes to squirrels. This year I haven't seen a single
one. The new neighbor's large dogs may have something to do with that.

Also last year the yield wasn't very good to start with, we have heavy
clay soil here, which is why we added to it this spring. Last year we
broke ground on the garden at this house, so we have a fair amount of
work to do to improve the plot.

I've got beautiful plants. Lots of blooms until it got hot, lots of
fruit coming along, I had mites right after I planted (in April) but I
sprayed and they've been pest free ever since. I've got a drip hose on
the garden now that it's staying hot and they get sun from morning to
early evening. It would seem I've never had a better year for
tomatoes.

The problem is my tomatoes have very little flavor. Is it just this
variety? I prefer to plant Romas, but couldn't get them this spring
and I had heard Better Boy was a good variety. Could it be something
in the soil? Is there something I could do to get better tasting fruit
next year? I'm not sure anything can be done this year....



Dawn

d duperault at ay oh el dot com



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