Topic: How are your tomatoes doing!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tim]

Before this gets overheated, may we learn how any Lotterer can get 10lb of fruit per plant before most of us have a handful? And where do they go??

It would surely be a great boost to the movement.

= Tim

[valmarg]

Have you thought of changing your name from 'thegreatgardener' to 'thegrategardener' because you certainly grate on the nerves of a lot of the lovely members of this site.

valmarg

[thegreatgardener]

tim most of my success has to do with the fact that I planted out in ground, extra early (feb 15 )in my garden with special protection devices and soil heating cable.

[tim]

Fascinating! Must be a 'first'.

So how many plants can you grow, & how many trusses can you set within that protection?

When do you pick your first? And can your system carry them through the Autumn frosts? We have to clear out in mid-October.

You must also have a canning factory!!

[northener]

Nice one Ollie. Tim don't encourage him.

[thegreatgardener]

olliec,valmarg,northener guess you did read message Dan the moderator in this posted
in the  melon,or cucumber thread.

2       Produce / Edible Plants / Re: melon,or cucumber       on: Yesterday at 09:28:23
I'm not sure what is going on in this thread, or between the posters in the thread.

However, if everyone does not step back and act in a responsible manner,I will take action.

Thanks

Dan

 
so basicly I suggest you 3 answer the question like proper posters and stop acting in an improper manner. Or "DAN" may seek to take action against you.

[OllieC]

"ignore" & I'll keep it on this time.

[thegreatgardener]

tim  you need to realize that  it takes 6-7 lbs of paste tomatoes to make 1 quart of sauce after seeds,core, skin is remove and it is cooked down.
The canner holds 9 quarts so one full batch uses 63 lbs of paste tomatoes.

Each  protection set up which I have can hold between 20-25 plants.
tim As for trusses  on the paste varieties, I don't set any till  April. on the paste varieties.
But the plants usually don't flower till they are 5 ft high because of how I fertilize them.
Bigger plants produce more heavily then small ones.

[northener]

Ditto Ollie.

[tim]

Now, you see - that's bucking the trend?
Maybe we are too hidebound in witholding fertiliser?

So - say 20 plants X say 2 units X say 30lb divided by (why don't I have a sign for that!!) 6 = 200 quarts?

Your cupboads must be creaking?

And speaking of quarts - you're in the States?

[Baccy Man]

What climate zone are you in TGG? Britain is about Zone 8, apparently, so your results may not be comparable.

Zone 7 according to what he wrote on an organic gardening forum in a thread he started titled "Today is tomato seed starting day !! Dec 15 2007"
http://forums.organicgardening.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8041078301/m/3121001493/p/1

[Old bird]

Missed the beginning and middle of this thread - away from work for a few days!

Well - not being one to brag - but I have had quite a few tomatoes from both inside Tumblers and Gardeners Delight and outside Tumblers! 

This year I am growning a few italian seeds from Franchi and they are plum types that look as though they are producing very well - also my beef ones - Marmande and an italian variety which I can't remember the name of seem to be doing well - all in the polytunnel.

In my greenhouse at home I have the same variety but none of them are near ready yet!  The Gardeners Delight have set really good long trusses though - so with a bit of sun and the right amount of moisture and feed I should be OK.

did I tell you all that I am going to try drying them on the dashboard of the car?!

Obviously I will move them before driving - but on the warmth angle should be properly "sund dried"!  We will see how that experiment goes!

I never weigh my produce - so can't enter that debate - probably just as well having read through this thread!  I eat as i go!  Yummy!

Old Bird

 ;D

[ceres]

Zone 7 according to what he wrote on an organic gardening forum in a thread he started titled "Today is tomato seed starting day !! Dec 15 2007

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

[tim]

OK - but even then, 10lb per plant in 2 months is something amazing?

[thegreatgardener]

tim it not only how much fertilizer it what the components are.
The set-up I use is scalable from as little as one plant to an even a  more.
But then space and cost would become an issue.

Baccy Man: but those tomatoes plants where for fruit size not fresh eating or sauce.
As long as the temps where you live do not fall below -10 C for an extend period time
they should work anywhere.
Zone 7 is colder then zone 8. So it should be easier to do in UK.
Tim I don't eat all or use all tomatoes I grow for in house use. I trade and give a away quit bit
to others.

[tim]

Keeps you busy!!

[thegreatgardener]

tim less then you might think.

[davyw1]

Expected yield from an indoor Tomato plant is 8lb.
Expected yield from an outdoor plant               4lb.
Approximate time between sowing and picking indoor plants is   16 weeks.
Approximate time between sowing and picking outdoor plants is 20 weeks.
Sown and  in a minimum temperature of 50 to 55 deg. mid December.
Planted out in mid February to early March maintaining the minimum temperature
This should give the first crop of tomatoes in late May early June.
Taking Shirley as the heaviest cropper of normal size tomatoes, approximately 6 tomatoes to the pound at best you would have to have 64 plants yielding 10% of ripe fruit at once.
In your case you only have 30 plants so 20% of your plants are ripe at any one given time.
Is that correct

[thegreatgardener]

davyw1 so what is the source of your info.

[davyw1]

My personal knowledge i time various veg so i know when it is going to be ready.