Steve wrote:

Dr. wrote:

Greetings,
...............................
I think I may know what I did wrong. I started them in my basement, which is
kinda cool.. as basements tend to be. I left them on the heat mat the entire
time. I'm thinking those seedlings may have grooved a little too much on all
that heat. The light was always withing a couple inches of the top of the
seedlings. They just got happy.

Next year, should I remove the heat mat right after they germinate?
...............................................

I would (and in fact I do) use the heat only to get them to
germinate quickly. Then they go under the basement lights with no
heat added.
I think providing that heat not only makes them grow too big but
also makes them more tender. Maybe it didn't happen this year but
sometimes the weather might turn cold right after you get them into
the garden. Plans that grew slower under cooler conditions would be
less stressed by cooler weather.

Steve

I can't tell you how glad I am to hear you say that. I had a helluva time
starting my seedlings this year and resorted to a heating pad. Then I put them in
the cool window until I planted them out. It's been a very cool and wet season
here, but the tomatoes are handling it very well. The fruit is plentiful, if
behind in ripening, but the plants are very healthy.

EV

Steve wrote:

Dr. wrote:

Greetings,
...............................
I think I may know what I did wrong. I started them in my basement, which is
kinda cool.. as basements tend to be. I left them on the heat mat the entire
time. I'm thinking those seedlings may have grooved a little too much on all
that heat. The light was always withing a couple inches of the top of the
seedlings. They just got happy.

Next year, should I remove the heat mat right after they germinate?
...............................................

I would (and in fact I do) use the heat only to get them to
germinate quickly. Then they go under the basement lights with no
heat added.
I think providing that heat not only makes them grow too big but
also makes them more tender. Maybe it didn't happen this year but
sometimes the weather might turn cold right after you get them into
the garden. Plans that grew slower under cooler conditions would be
less stressed by cooler weather.

Steve

I can't tell you how glad I am to hear you say that. I had a helluva time
starting my seedlings this year and resorted to a heating pad. Then I put them in
the cool window until I planted them out. It's been a very cool and wet season
here, but the tomatoes are handling it very well. The fruit is plentiful, if
behind in ripening, but the plants are very healthy.

EV

Here's a great place to get some unusual vegetable seed, tomato too.

http://www.territorial-seed.com/ter/stores/1/index.cfm

Spark


"Dr." wrote in message
...

"STEPHEN PEEK" wrote in message
ink.net...
Yellow Brandywine is my favorite yellow & Cherokee Purple is a must try.
Steve

Thanks, Steve.

Both of those are added to my list. Yup. Definitely need to cut up more
sod.

Gary

Here's a great place to get some unusual vegetable seed, tomato too.

http://www.territorial-seed.com/ter/stores/1/index.cfm

Spark


"Dr." wrote in message
...

"STEPHEN PEEK" wrote in message
ink.net...
Yellow Brandywine is my favorite yellow & Cherokee Purple is a must try.
Steve

Thanks, Steve.

Both of those are added to my list. Yup. Definitely need to cut up more
sod.

Gary

DigitalVinyl wrote in message . ..

Grew Sweet 100 (grape sized) this year. Flavor is decent, but there is
a slight flavor that doesn't strike me as tomato in them. Not
bad...just different. About 80% of them split on me so far. They do
fall off the plants easily. Hard to pick ripe ones without knocking
off the next not-ready one. I will not grow this one again.

I grew Sweet 100's this year (Northern Virginia USA). Nearly 100% of
them are split and I don't even harvest them any more - I'll eat a few
as I'm harvesting other varieties, but I'm letting the rest just fall
off the vine. I had already decided weeks ago that I'll try something
different next year. Maybe it's all the torrential rain we're getting
this year, but they have been a disappointment.

DigitalVinyl wrote in message . ..

Grew Sweet 100 (grape sized) this year. Flavor is decent, but there is
a slight flavor that doesn't strike me as tomato in them. Not
bad...just different. About 80% of them split on me so far. They do
fall off the plants easily. Hard to pick ripe ones without knocking
off the next not-ready one. I will not grow this one again.

I grew Sweet 100's this year (Northern Virginia USA). Nearly 100% of
them are split and I don't even harvest them any more - I'll eat a few
as I'm harvesting other varieties, but I'm letting the rest just fall
off the vine. I had already decided weeks ago that I'll try something
different next year. Maybe it's all the torrential rain we're getting
this year, but they have been a disappointment.

DigitalVinyl wrote in message . ..

Grew Sweet 100 (grape sized) this year. Flavor is decent, but there is
a slight flavor that doesn't strike me as tomato in them. Not
bad...just different. About 80% of them split on me so far. They do
fall off the plants easily. Hard to pick ripe ones without knocking
off the next not-ready one. I will not grow this one again.

I grew Sweet 100's this year (Northern Virginia USA). Nearly 100% of
them are split and I don't even harvest them any more - I'll eat a few
as I'm harvesting other varieties, but I'm letting the rest just fall
off the vine. I had already decided weeks ago that I'll try something
different next year. Maybe it's all the torrential rain we're getting
this year, but they have been a disappointment.

writes:

Good to hear that the Sweet Millions did well in the ground though. The
only cherry I have out there is a Sungold which is trying to take over the
entire garden. Very prolific and very sweet. I definitely want to plant
it
again next year but I'll have to reconsider my lay-out since it takes up a
ton of space (I only have a 15 sqft plot,unfortunately).

Last year, I put a cattle panel up beside several of my tomato plants
which worked very well. I supported it in two places with metal fence
posts. This year, I had made a sort of hoop house of one and was not at
all happy with it so removed the plastic. I left it in place and planted
my Sun Golds and other cherry-type tomato plants at each corner. It is
working wonderfully. If it were a normal year, I'd have a completely
covered tomato arbor at this point.

FYI, a cattle panel is 16 feet long, four feet high, with 8-inch mesh.
Because it is designed to keep large farm animals where they belonged, it
is heavy duty. Unlike rebar, it does not rust as it is a fence. In our
area, the panels sell for just under $20. They will last indefinitely.

If I had the intestinal fortitude and strong hands and heavy duty
lineman's cutters, I'd made some great cages of the panels. Even cut to
place as four-feet long pieces shaped to a right angle would work well and
stack very well in the off season. Supports could be eight feet tall
getting two from each panel if one wanted them that tall (or three 6-ft
cages). Of course, the tomatoes would need additional training with only
two sides. Metal electrical conduit cut to the appropriate height would
work well as a stabilizer (stake).

This year, where I had the tomato plants on the cattle panel last year, I
have cucumbers with the pepper plants between the cucumbers and the
walkway. Many of you have also had a bumper year of cucumbers so can
imagine how well this has worked for those.

I had planned to have one on one side of the garden for raspberry vines
but didn't get it done this year, but it should work well for those as
well.

This year has definitely not been my best tomato year though I must admit
I've had no bad tomato years, just late ripening this year as everyone
else seems to have had.

Those Sun Golds are definitely keepers . . . and plant-againers. :-)

Glenna

On Sat, 21 Aug 2004 22:59:57 -0700, (Glenna Rose) wrote:

(snip)
If I had the intestinal fortitude and strong hands and heavy duty
lineman's cutters, I'd made some great cages of the panels.

I picked up some cages like that at an auction. Somebody else had made them from
the cattle panels. They're about 5 feet tall and about 4 feet on a side. Nice
and strong.

Even cut to
place as four-feet long pieces shaped to a right angle would work well and
stack very well in the off season. Supports could be eight feet tall
getting two from each panel if one wanted them that tall (or three 6-ft
cages). Of course, the tomatoes would need additional training with only
two sides. Metal electrical conduit cut to the appropriate height would
work well as a stabilizer (stake).

This year, where I had the tomato plants on the cattle panel last year, I
have cucumbers with the pepper plants between the cucumbers and the
walkway. Many of you have also had a bumper year of cucumbers so can
imagine how well this has worked for those.

I had planned to have one on one side of the garden for raspberry vines
but didn't get it done this year, but it should work well for those as
well.

Have you tried making a trellis from the cattle panels? Just put two fence posts
in the ground about 8 feet apart, then put the panel over them, making a hoop of
it with the ends held down by the bottoms of the fence posts. It makes a nice
trellis for cucumbers, peas, and anything else you want to let climb on it.
(snip)