I haven't planted this year's tomatoes yet and some volunteers are
appearing. Have you had good luck with tomato volunteers? Should I
let them grow or should I just plant known hybrids?

Should I round up the plot and transplant tomatoes in a few weeks or
should I transplant them now and just get used to having a lot of
weeds?

writes:
I haven't planted this year's tomatoes yet and some volunteers are
appearing. Have you had good luck with tomato volunteers? Should I
let them grow or should I just plant known hybrids?

Should I round up the plot and transplant tomatoes in a few weeks or
should I transplant them now and just get used to having a lot of
weeds?

I've always had excellent luck with the volunteers. They are definitely
hardy. However, I grow almost exclusively heirloom tomatoes, so they are
all super.

I used to very carefully plant everything, concerned I might destroy the
plants. Two years ago, I had so many volunteers that I gave away
literally dozens and dozens of "mystery tomatoes" to folks I knew. When I
could not longer find homes for them, I finally had to pull them up (I had
at least 4 dozen plants growing already). I just didn't have the heart to
throw them on the compost pile so put them in a bucket, added water and
later planted them in the 135-ft long strip between my fence and sidewalk,
outside the yard. I then gave a plant to each of the neighbor children
(some two). The children chose their own plant(s) and cared for them. I
did add water since the little ones would bring only a cup or two which,
of course, was not enough. I also prepared tags for each tomato and
identified who the owner was or if they were "public" tomatoes for anyone
to pick. Even though the plants were not handled with care, remember they
were pulled like a weed and dumped in a bucket, every one grew and
flourished. The children had all types of tomatoes and were amazed at
what they had . . . remember these were heirlooms so there was a good
variety. It was a cool thing! I suspect that, all in all, there were
hundreds that I gave away or planted out there. Many who received them
saved seeds and grew more of what they got, and all were thrilled.
Everyone got something they had not seen before! I took volunteers from
several parts of the garden so everyone got at least three varieties.

They are great! If you like surprises, it's the only way to go. I've
never eaten a bad tomato. :-)

Transplant now or later . . . just plant them deeper when you replant so
they can establish a good solid root system for a healthier plant. They
will start out smaller, of course, than the ones you buy, but by the end
of July, you won't be able to tell which is which.

It was sad last spring when I had no volunteers, no mystery tomatoes. I
had let the chickens run free and they not only cleaned out all the slugs
but all the seeds in the garden as well, so no volunteers. I should have
left the cages up until the chickens were penned for the garden season.
Oh, well. The good thing is that garden was well cultivated. g

Enjoy your volunteers . . . surprises are great!

Glenna

James wrote:

I haven't planted this year's tomatoes yet and some volunteers are
appearing. Have you had good luck with tomato volunteers? Should I
let them grow or should I just plant known hybrids?

I'll echo Glenna - volunteers are good. Hardy tomatoes that like your
climate.

For years, I had a line of cherries that out-produced every tomato I'd
start from seed. (I live near the Pacific coast, and it's foggy and
cool.) Alas, one year I didn't plant a garden, and I lost that line.

--

programmer, author http://www.midnightbeach.com
and father http://www.midnightbeach.com/hs

In article ,
Jon Shemitz wrote:

James wrote:

I haven't planted this year's tomatoes yet and some volunteers are
appearing. Have you had good luck with tomato volunteers? Should I
let them grow or should I just plant known hybrids?

I'll echo Glenna - volunteers are good. Hardy tomatoes that like your
climate.

For years, I had a line of cherries that out-produced every tomato I'd
start from seed. (I live near the Pacific coast, and it's foggy and
cool.) Alas, one year I didn't plant a garden, and I lost that line.

Agreed... :-)
Volunteer tomatoes seem to be the hardiest.
I always leave them be!

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

On Sat, 29 May 2004 23:55:34 -0700, Glenna Rose wrote:

However, I grow almost exclusively heirloom tomatoes, so they are
all super...

I am just trying some Brandywine so-called heirlooms. Got them from a
major seed company, so I'm not sure if they really qualify as heirlooms.
But it's weird to see the potato-leafed plants coming up--not what I've
assciated with tomatoes in the past. Can you tell me what heirloom
varieties you like the best, and if your growing techniques are any
different than with the usual hybrids?

..I've never eaten a bad tomato. :-)

Alas, that's what got me back into gardening. It was seemingly impossible
to find a good-tasting tomatoe in a store anymore.

In article ,
Joe Williamson wrote:

On Sat, 29 May 2004 23:55:34 -0700, Glenna Rose wrote:

However, I grow almost exclusively heirloom tomatoes, so they are
all super...

I am just trying some Brandywine so-called heirlooms. Got them from a
major seed company, so I'm not sure if they really qualify as heirlooms.
But it's weird to see the potato-leafed plants coming up--not what I've
assciated with tomatoes in the past. Can you tell me what heirloom
varieties you like the best, and if your growing techniques are any
different than with the usual hybrids?

..I've never eaten a bad tomato. :-)

Alas, that's what got me back into gardening. It was seemingly impossible
to find a good-tasting tomatoe in a store anymore.




No kidding....... ;-D

K.

--
Sprout the Mung Bean to reply...

,,Cat's Haven Hobby Farm,,Katraatcenturyteldotnet,,

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...user id=katra

Joe Williamson wrote:

On Sat, 29 May 2004 23:55:34 -0700, Glenna Rose wrote:
However, I grow almost exclusively heirloom tomatoes, so they are
all super...

I am just trying some Brandywine so-called heirlooms. Got them from a
major seed company, so I'm not sure if they really qualify as heirlooms.

If they're Brandywines, they're heirlooms no matter where you
bought your seed.

But it's weird to see the potato-leafed plants coming up--not what I've
assciated with tomatoes in the past. Can you tell me what heirloom
varieties you like the best, and if your growing techniques are any
different than with the usual hybrids?

What heirlooms do best for you will depend to a certain extent on
where you live and what your zone is. I'm in the South, so I
mostly select heirlooms that were developed to withstand our hot,
muggy summers. Lately the onslaught of spit! thrips and their
weapon of mass destruction, Tomato Spotted Wilt virus has
forced me to drop some varieties that I've grown for years and
search for some that have better disease resistance.

Interestingly Brandywines have so far shown the most resistance
to the spit! thrips. I'm trying some Arkansas Travelers, a
variety of Mortgage Lifters, Black from Tulsa, and Andrew Rahart.
Oh, and Stupice, which I planted as my early tomatoes. I started
getting ripe tomatoes about two weeks ago, so I'll certainly
plant the Stupice again next year.

..I've never eaten a bad tomato. :-)

Alas, that's what got me back into gardening. It was seemingly impossible
to find a good-tasting tomatoe in a store anymore.

I bought the most beautiful, perfect tomato from the organic
grocery store about a month ago. Lovely, smooth pink skin,
and it was at that perfect stage of ripeness.

Paper has more taste than that tomato had. It was awful!

Penelope
--
"Maybe you'd like to ask the Wizard for a heart."
"ElissaAnn"

writes:
On Sat, 29 May 2004 23:55:34 -0700, Glenna Rose wrote:

However, I grow almost exclusively heirloom tomatoes, so they are
all super...

I am just trying some Brandywine so-called heirlooms. Got them from a
major seed company, so I'm not sure if they really qualify as heirlooms.
But it's weird to see the potato-leafed plants coming up--not what I've
assciated with tomatoes in the past. Can you tell me what heirloom
varieties you like the best, and if your growing techniques are any
different than with the usual hybrids?

..I've never eaten a bad tomato. :-)

Alas, that's what got me back into gardening. It was seemingly impossible
to find a good-tasting tomatoe in a store anymore.

Whoops! I wasn't specific enough . . . that should have been "I've never
eaten a bad homegrown tomato. Even more so, I meant from my garden,
referring to the heirlooms, etc. :-)

Glenna

g'day james,

i like volunteers of any sorts in my gardens as stated already they
are generally the hardiest and produce very well. the only catch might
be if you ahve been planting F1 hybrids there may be some doubt as the
quality of fruit. stick with the open pollenated heirlooms and you
won't miss.

i have grape, cherry and pear tomatoes that i never plant all
volunteers and we get inundated with fruit.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gardenlen1/

On 29 May 2004 12:57:42 -0700, (James) wrote:

I haven't planted this year's tomatoes yet and some volunteers are
appearing. Have you had good luck with tomato volunteers? Should I
let them grow or should I just plant known hybrids?

Should I round up the plot and transplant tomatoes in a few weeks or
should I transplant them now and just get used to having a lot of
weeds?
True, it is hard to kill little tomato plants, but I get so many of
them--especially after tilling--that I mercilessly shovel them in.

I've gotten abundant yields from Zucchini and Pumpkin volunteers.
DaveH