# well? how are your tomatoes doing?



## boomchakabowwow (Jul 6, 2013)

mine..meh. i lost a Cherokee tomato plant to some thing mysterious. maybe a burrowing rodent.

the rest are okay. i am getting alot of that sunburn thing going. today, i am making fish tacos for the wife..so i need a salsa or pico de gallo. fresh tomatoes and jalapenos from the garden!!

best thing about summer are fresh produce and long days. other than that, i hate summer. 

how are your fruit hanging?!!


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## Lucretia (Jul 7, 2013)

Slicing tomatoes are approaching walnut size, some of the cherry tomatoes are almost big enough to start coloring up pretty soon.


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## kalaeb (Jul 7, 2013)

I got nothing on the vine yet....it was a long winter...


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## Brad Gibson (Jul 7, 2013)

There is about 10 green heirlooms on the plants here at my house. My black tomatoes havent even started budding up yet. Its a bummer!


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## DeepCSweede (Jul 7, 2013)

Long winter - cold spring here. Some cherries are getting close and a few heirlooms the size of cherries but most plants don't have anything yet. I am hoping those and the cukes take off while I am on vacation.


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## JMJones (Jul 7, 2013)

Nothing yet here for me.


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## CoqaVin (Jul 7, 2013)

Brad Gibson said:


> There is about 10 green heirlooms on the plants here at my house. My black tomatoes havent even started budding up yet. Its a bummer!



I need to get myself some heirloom seeds...I love me some heirlooms so cool looking in all the different colors and shapes...and I live in NJ supposedly the best state for tomatoes


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## franzb69 (Jul 7, 2013)

and when you do have heirlooms you can save the seeds and you're good for the rest of your life. pick the ones that grow well and you're golden.


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## Dream Burls (Jul 7, 2013)

We're getting there. Some greenies so far.


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## rahimlee54 (Jul 7, 2013)

My mother bought a few boxes this weekend. They turned into this 





The ones I am growing will be ready in a week or two.


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## TamanegiKin (Jul 7, 2013)

Front yard herb and veg garden. It's my first time gardening and it's been a whole lot of fun.


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## tripleq (Jul 7, 2013)

Gorgeous. Congratulations.


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## mr drinky (Jul 7, 2013)

I was given one plant and I have two tomatoes that are almost ripe. In general I no longer grow tomatoes. My farmers markets do a lot better job, and I focus on stuff that I can't get at the markets. Once I have a huge as.s garden that may change, but for not that is the case. With that said, my daughter and her kid friend neighbor plant stuff and have some tomato plants growing. No fruit now -- and they may never come to fruit. 

k.


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## Craig (Jul 8, 2013)

My plant (the only one that has come up yet) is about three inches tall.

Gardening in Canada kinda stinks. Next year I won't bother with seeds, the growing season just isn't long enough. If only I had a good spot to start them indoors.

Oh well, at least the basil is doing well. Less tomato sauce, more pesto I guess.


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## franzb69 (Jul 9, 2013)

growing in the tropics is harder. =(


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## maxim (Jul 9, 2013)

here in DK still very green, not many grow them outside. I give it a go this year. 
Seems they doing just fine  

View attachment 16856
View attachment 16857


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## Lucretia (Jul 9, 2013)




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## Craig (Jul 9, 2013)

Craig said:


> My plant (the only one that has come up yet) is about three inches tall.
> 
> Gardening in Canada kinda stinks. Next year I won't bother with seeds, the growing season just isn't long enough. If only I had a good spot to start them indoors.
> 
> Oh well, at least the basil is doing well. Less tomato sauce, more pesto I guess.



In the 6 hours that followed this post, my garden got 125 mm of rain, which translates to just under 5 inches for you Yanks. It was already too wet this spring, I think pretty much everything is struggling with being over watered.

Other than the basil. Man does my basil ever love water.


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## mkmk (Jul 9, 2013)

Mine are already finished, and it was my worst crop in years. Cool spring, then just when they should have had their best production in May/June, it got too hot. Mrrrph.


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## Salty dog (Jul 9, 2013)

My heirlooms had fruit about a week ago. The beefmasters just popped yesterday.


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## WildBoar (Jul 9, 2013)

Craig said:


> In the 6 hours that followed this post, my garden got 125 mm of rain, which translates to just under 5 inches for you Yanks.


We understand it:

"halfway in between a nice parer and a useful petty"

Our basil is going nuts, as is the cilantro, parsley and arugula. But our tomatoes are doing poorly; combination of a late start + the soil mix we put into the new boxes is not all it should be. If we are lucky we'll have a crop in mid-August. Peppers are struggling as well.

Our next door neighbor's tomato plants are going great. He planted about 3 weeks earlier then we were able to, and his soil is primo. His crop is going to all hit at once, in about 1-2 weeks. We worked out an arrangement where he will share his July tomatoes with us, and we will share our August tomatoes.

Usually I'm making salsa a couple nights a week by this time of year. My nakiri is really upset with me.


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## Mingooch (Jul 9, 2013)

Mine is really growing well so far. The cherry toms are starting to turn red, ate a few already that beat the rest to red. Have some beefsteak and san marzano that are ready and sitting on my counter. More will be ready soon. We have sandy soil in NJ near the shore, the tomatoes love it as long as I give them plenty of water. I don't think I can over water them with our soil. I would guess I have about 80-90 tomatoes growing now, not including the cherry ones. I expect about 400-500 by the end of the growing season if there are no issues with critters or disease.


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## Lucretia (Jul 17, 2013)

Some of the cherry tomatoes look like they're thinking about turning...

:hungry:


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## boomchakabowwow (Jul 18, 2013)

i'm off to the races..racing with my squirrels to get to my harvest first.

making shrimp cocktail tonight (mexican version)

starting with some heirloom version i've long since forgotten the name of...


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## DeepCSweede (Jul 19, 2013)

I picked two cherries and one orange sun gold last night. First ones are always the best. Starting slow but hoping for a great finish. Picked the only pepper that is growing so not sure how those are going to end up. Plants are still really low. Should have cukes by Sunday.


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## Lucretia (Jul 22, 2013)

Picked the first Sungolds last night. Should have let them go another day, but couldn't wait anymore. They were really, really sweet.





More are on the way, and the cherry romas are starting to color up!


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## boomchakabowwow (Jul 22, 2013)

i jarred all my Romas last night. still having issues with cramming enough of them in the jar so i dont get that watery dead space. they shrink while in the water bath. 

tonight, i am making tomato jam!! i have so many sweet heirlooms. dont want to waste them.


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## Lucretia (Jul 24, 2013)

Sooooo close:


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Still a long way to go:


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## boomchakabowwow (Jul 24, 2013)

made tomato jam last night. canned a bunch of it.

my harvest is winding down.


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## eaglerock (Jul 24, 2013)

Got 3 plants, they are very big with loads of flowers and some green tomatoes. i don't think i can get many before the frost. i started very late


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## Lefty (Jul 24, 2013)

If you guys followed me on Instagram, you'd see pics. Sorry.....


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## DeepCSweede (Jul 24, 2013)

Isn't there a fire you can be fighting right now?


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## Lucretia (Aug 16, 2013)




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## DevinT (Aug 16, 2013)

Yea, why ruin it with some lettuce when you have tomatoes like that.

Hoss


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## stereo.pete (Aug 16, 2013)

DevinT said:


> Yea, why ruin it with some lettuce when you have tomatoes like that.
> 
> Hoss



+1


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## JBroida (Aug 16, 2013)

our tomatoes are doing really well, but people keep stealing them from us. We always see the ones just before they are ready and always say, "lets eat them tomorrow". Then, when we come the next day, they are gone. Its not rodents or anything... just rude people passing by. Really sucks.


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## Lucretia (Aug 16, 2013)

I had a big pineapple tomato turning, and went to pick it and a slug had hollowed it out from underneath. :curse:

The cherry tomatos are going nuts right now. We're saving the lettuce for them. Making BLT salads--quarter the cherry tomatoes, sprinkle with sea salt, and let drain for a bit. Mix up a dressing of mayo, red wine vinegar, and lots of black pepper. Stir in the tomatoes and some chopped scallions, then put on a bed of lettuce and top with chopped bacon. We've got so many cherry tomatoes right now that I'm using some of them to check my sharpening.




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## Lucretia (Aug 17, 2013)

Using a pop-up greenhouse really made a difference this year--we're actually getting some beefsteak tomatoes. This bad boy has a BLT in his future...







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## dharperino (Aug 18, 2013)

Where we live the fog "reigns" during the summer which means we have given up growing out own tomatoes. But. We have a wonderful source of San Marzanos grown in Watsonville!! I cook them in a slow oven for 6 hours or so, put them through a tomato mill and freeze the most wonderful sauce/paste you have seen!


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## Lucretia (Aug 20, 2013)

If you really need lettuce along with the B&T:


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## Salty dog (Aug 21, 2013)

Currently harvesting Beefmasters. Good season.


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## Salty dog (Aug 21, 2013)

This morning's harvest.


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## WildBoar (Aug 21, 2013)

Nice haul! Due to our very late start and soil issues, the plants are just now fruiting. Our harvest won't really start for a couple more weeks. it will be a very short salsa and fresh tomato sauce season for us. At least out basil plants have been kicking butt; we've been swimming in pesto.


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## DeepCSweede (Aug 21, 2013)

I am ticked off because two of the plants that I bought that were supposed to be Cherokee Purples are some type of Roma cross with a cherry tomato hybrid. They taste ok but I never would have bought them and for what I paid, I really wouldn't have bought them. I am still waiting on the last one that s/b Cherokee to start to color. Sun Golds and Sweet 100's are coming in like crazy now, but the plants are no where near as full as past years.


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## Lucretia (Aug 22, 2013)

Wow, Salty! Those are beautiful!


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## WildBoar (Oct 7, 2013)

Finally reaping the fruits of our labor 
Pulled these in over the last 3 days. There are at least 3 dozen partially-ripe medium/ large tomatoes on the vines, and 2-3xs that amount of cherry/ plums. And over 50 very green medium/ large tomatoes. Unfortunately temps are dropping here today and we will be in the low 50s at night and only around 70 during the day, so most of what is out there may not make it to full ripeness


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## Lucretia (Oct 7, 2013)

:drool: Our finished up a couple weeks ago. All we have left are ugly babies that are only good for demonstrations of pedal dexterity. Lots in the freezer, tho. 

Have you ever tried pulling up the plants and hanging them in the garage upside down to ripen? I've heard that will work, although you want to put something under them to catch all the leaves that fall off. There's always fried green tomatoes.


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## Mucho Bocho (Oct 21, 2013)

I know these aren't tomatoes but thought this would be the best place to put the pic. Harvested the sweet potatoes yesterday in our small raised bed. This was the first year i did them. Some large ones and lots of small ones. The eggplants are still going strong too.


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