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Dan Musicant 24-03-2010 07:31 PM

Tomatoes - Ace versus Early Girl versus ?
 
My main problem with the tomatoes at the moment is just that I can't
find a 6 pack of Early Girl. Seems that all the Orchard Supply Hardware
stores in the area aren't stocking them currently.

Does anyone know of a source of tomato 6 packs (Early Girl is what I'm
after) in the S.F. East Bay's I80 corridor? I'm driving from Berkeley to
Milpitas tomorrow and could make a stop for seedlings. Thanks for any
ideas. Suggest a store and I will call it.

Dan


Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

Dan Musicant 24-03-2010 09:22 PM

Tomatoes - Ace versus Early Girl versus ?
 
On Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:31:19 -0700, Dan Musicant
wrote:

:My main problem with the tomatoes at the moment is just that I can't
:find a 6 pack of Early Girl. Seems that all the Orchard Supply Hardware
:stores in the area aren't stocking them currently.
:
:Does anyone know of a source of tomato 6 packs (Early Girl is what I'm
:after) in the S.F. East Bay's I80 corridor? I'm driving from Berkeley to
:Milpitas tomorrow and could make a stop for seedlings. Thanks for any
:ideas. Suggest a store and I will call it.
:
:Dan


A manager at my local OSH just called me and told me that in 2 days
(Friday) they will have 6 packs of Early Girl. He said the supplier was
later than usual due to the heavy rains. I'm skeptical concerning that
explanation (kept that to myself), but thanked him. I'll go in Friday
(after calling them to confirm) and hope to finally score my seedlings.

Dan


Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

sueb 24-03-2010 09:28 PM

Tomatoes - Ace versus Early Girl versus ?
 
On Mar 24, 1:22*pm, Dan Musicant wrote:
On Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:31:19 -0700, Dan Musicant
wrote:

:My main problem with the tomatoes at the moment is just that I can't
:find a 6 pack of Early Girl. Seems that all the Orchard Supply Hardware
:stores in the area aren't stocking them currently.
:
:Does anyone know of a source of tomato 6 packs (Early Girl is what I'm
:after) in the S.F. East Bay's I80 corridor? I'm driving from Berkeley to
:Milpitas tomorrow and could make a stop for seedlings. Thanks for any
:ideas. Suggest a store and I will call it.
:
:Dan

A manager at my local OSH just called me and told me that in 2 days
(Friday) they will have 6 packs of Early Girl. He said the supplier was
later than usual due to the heavy rains. I'm skeptical concerning that
explanation (kept that to myself), but thanked him. I'll go in Friday
(after calling them to confirm) and hope to finally score my seedlings.

Dan

Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net


It's still too early for most places to have a wide variety of
tomatoes in stock. I would *never* plant Ace - it's the same
tasteless tomato that supermarkets stock. I usually rotate between
Early Girl and Better Boy for an early fruiting plant. They both have
small fruits but with good flavor.

And don't add sand to your clay soil - build it up with organic
amendments. The sand won't mix into the rest of the soil, it'll just
form a horizon.

Susan B.
in Sunnyvale

Dan Musicant 24-03-2010 10:03 PM

Tomatoes - Ace versus Early Girl versus ?
 
On Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:28:57 -0700 (PDT), sueb
wrote:

:On Mar 24, 1:22*pm, Dan Musicant wrote:
: On Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:31:19 -0700, Dan Musicant
: wrote:
:
: :My main problem with the tomatoes at the moment is just that I can't
: :find a 6 pack of Early Girl. Seems that all the Orchard Supply Hardware
: :stores in the area aren't stocking them currently.
: :
: :Does anyone know of a source of tomato 6 packs (Early Girl is what I'm
: :after) in the S.F. East Bay's I80 corridor? I'm driving from Berkeley to
: :Milpitas tomorrow and could make a stop for seedlings. Thanks for any
: :ideas. Suggest a store and I will call it.
: :
: :Dan
:
: A manager at my local OSH just called me and told me that in 2 days
: (Friday) they will have 6 packs of Early Girl. He said the supplier was
: later than usual due to the heavy rains. I'm skeptical concerning that
: explanation (kept that to myself), but thanked him. I'll go in Friday
: (after calling them to confirm) and hope to finally score my seedlings.
:
: Dan
:
: Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net
:
:It's still too early for most places to have a wide variety of
:tomatoes in stock. I would *never* plant Ace - it's the same
:tasteless tomato that supermarkets stock. I usually rotate between
:Early Girl and Better Boy for an early fruiting plant. They both have
:small fruits but with good flavor.
:
:And don't add sand to your clay soil - build it up with organic
:amendments. The sand won't mix into the rest of the soil, it'll just
:form a horizon.
:
:Susan B.
:in Sunnyvale

Where I am, the 6 packs are usually out by a week or two prior to now.
I've never seen this much delay. However, I did plant 4 weeks later in
2006 (April 21) due to an exceptionally rainy spring. There was just no
chance to prepare and plant sooner.

I had decent luck with Better Boy some years ago, but have done so well
with Early Girl, I haven't been tempted to stray.

You wouldn't believe the size of the compost pile I had this year. I
could have put more in, but I know I'll get a great crop. It's about the
same amount of compost as last year (5+ wheelbarrows), which was the
first time I didn't add ANY commercial fertilizer (either at planting
time or later)! I think it was on Wild Billy's suggestion last year,
I've stopped using commercial fertilizer on my vegetables.

It's amazing, though, how thick, solid and muddy the soil gets a year
later even with all that organic matter added (one year before).

Dan


Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

Pat Kiewicz[_2_] 25-03-2010 12:28 PM

Tomatoes - Ace versus Early Girl versus ?
 
Billy said:

Pat Kiewicz wrote:


I have the opposite problem, heavy clay. Organic mater and sand have
improved my situation greatly. Now I rely on rye and earthworms to
complete the soil transformation. I'm trying to switch out the rye for
buckwheat (both put amazing amounts of roots into the soil) because
buckwheat is high in rutin, which would make it healthy for the soil,
and healthy for me.

Have you added any clay to your garden? It would help with water and
nutrient retention.


Other than incidentally (as in rock dust applications, no). Not very
practical, either, for a number of reasons. Not much call for clay at
the local landscape supply places, for one. And no way to get anything
back there except by the barrow load (the garden is in the back half
of a *very* long narrow lot and completely land-locked).

With all that sand, are there earthworms in your garden? Any idea of the
biotic community in the garden soil?


The joint is jumping. Bursting with worms. Alive with mycorrhizal fungi.

Just drains very, very well.

You can still see active sand dunes along the coast of Lake Michigan,
and as you move inland from that lake there are successive bands of
older dunes (or what I have referred to as 'fossil' dunes).


I wouldn't have thought of lakes as having sand dunes. California lakes
must just be too small to have this feature.


Our Great Lakes are fresh water seas, don't you know. Created by
glaciers and surrounded by thick layers of glacial till. Something
you just have to see to appreciate, I think.

Have a visit sometime to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
(lower penninsula) and climb the dunes:

http://www.midwestguest.com/2009/07/conquering-the-sleeping-bear-dune-climb.html

Or check out the rock formations and dunes at Pictured Rocks National
Lakeshore (upper penninsula):

http://www.nps.gov/piro/planyourvisit/scenicsites.htm

And if you are up in that area, don't miss Paradise, the Whitefish Point
Coast Guard station, the Shipwreck Museum and memorial to the Edmund
Fitzgerald:

http://www.exploringthenorth.com/whitefish/whitefish.html


This year I have to start a new strawberry bed, as the old one is
really in decline. Best be prepared for some major tree root removal
when I renovate it...


Sounds like a challenge, given the breadth and depth of your root
problems.


I expect to have large loppers and a saw handy.
--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Vegetables are like bombs packed tight with all kinds of important
nutrients..." --Largo Potter, Valkyria Chronicles

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