tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post4942327218252512910..comments2023-06-23T01:22:53.555-07:00Comments on Growing Tomatoes in South Florida: To Pick or Not to Pick?Jon VanZilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post-10140232321231899432012-01-24T04:27:14.859-08:002012-01-24T04:27:14.859-08:00Hi Jon, Will from Naples here again. Hope you get...Hi Jon, Will from Naples here again. Hope you get notifications of comments on all of your blogs that are from the past! Anyway, do you have a preferred method for ripening off of the vine? I tried brown paper bags last year with a banana to produce gas and really wasn't that impressed. Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post-16181198483392222542011-01-21T12:24:02.793-08:002011-01-21T12:24:02.793-08:00Hey, Anon 12:01,
I've been wondering how you...Hey, Anon 12:01, <br /><br />I've been wondering how you're doing. I got my Burpee catalog a few weeks ago, and I've been eye-balling the Brandyboy hybrid. Lots of people have good things to say about it—better yield than Brandywine, but good flavor. <br /><br />Are you sure it's a bird? Norway rats (fruit rats) also like tomatoes. If it's getting eaten at night, it might be rat. Gross, eh? <br /><br />As for the harvest-by date thing, I've generally experienced the same thing. Harvest-by dates are figured from when you plant the tomato, not sow the seed, but it's still off in many cases. I planted this year around October 10, so January 10 would have been roughly 90 days. All of the tomatoes I planted had harvest-by dates within 80 days, but I'm just now starting to see more fruit. My paste tomatoes (determinate) will get picked this weekend, I've gotten a few ripe Cherokee purples, the Brandywines are still green, and the yellow pear is actually just now setting fruit heavily after my disastrous run-in with fungal diseases. <br /><br />For what it's worth, I typically am harvesting pretty heavily by now, so at least in my case this year, I think my disease issues slowed it down. I'm still setting fruit. <br /><br />Also (and this is just a theory), I think our backward season probably slows them down. December is often a fairly cold month, and tomatoes won't set fruit when it hits 50. So it's possible our harvest is slowed down by the temperatures.Jon VanZilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post-37201742479403806692011-01-21T12:01:14.240-08:002011-01-21T12:01:14.240-08:00update from the guy who bought the burpee combo pa...update from the guy who bought the burpee combo pack and transplanted 2 of ea on Oct 5th in ground:<br /><br />Big Rainbow - this plant has my first ripening tomato. It is yellow on the underside and green towards the top. I think I'll pick it in case the bird returns that already snacked on a green one. I might rename these medium rainbows -- fruit size isn't that big yet.<br /><br />Black Krim: These plants are on the short side, but producing pretty good #'s and decent size. None have changed color yet though.<br /><br />Supersteak: tall plants with loads of flowers, but I haven't seen one fruit yet -- strange.<br /><br />Brandywine pink: very slow growing, but is finally catching up to at least the black krim plants in height. Has a few clumps of flowers, but not fruiting yet.<br /><br />I know my transplants weren't in perfect condition when planting due to my just using egg crates, black kow soil, and a not so sunny windowsill, but the 80 or 85 days mentioned on seed packs has been way off for me. It will be more like 120 days for me. I guess next year I'll have to start those seeds with a little more care.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post-55486016098498599812011-01-20T00:17:34.612-08:002011-01-20T00:17:34.612-08:00Currently I have been working out of town for long...Currently I have been working out of town for long periods of time. When I returned after 6 months to my home in Ft. Lauderdale this Christmas, I was surprised to see a tomatoe plant flourishing in my backyard flower bed. Unfortunately I will not be there when the tomatoes are ripe, but that inspired me to plant tomatoes when I return permanently. Nature showed me the best spot to plant and proved tomatoes thrive with no help- who am I to argue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post-39403133133845660942011-01-16T12:56:46.063-08:002011-01-16T12:56:46.063-08:00Curtis,
Good question. My plants have all slowed...Curtis, <br /><br />Good question. My plants have all slowed setting fruit in the last two weeks because of the cold, but they finally started again. In general, you can encourage larger tomatoes by trimming the plant, but I couldn't find any source supporting the idea that picking ripe fruit will encourage more fruit to set. i think if you follow the basics (removing ripe fruit, selectively pruning, and removing yellowed and diseased leaves), the weather will take care of the rest. When it warms up again, we should start setting more fruit. <br /><br />(p.s., unless you're growing determinate tomatoes, in which case you pretty much only get one large harvest.)Jon VanZilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post-29408635050426744972011-01-14T07:27:51.313-08:002011-01-14T07:27:51.313-08:00Jon,
Will picking your tomatoes on the earlier si...Jon,<br /><br />Will picking your tomatoes on the earlier side reduce pressure on the plant and allow it to set more fruit? I have a bunch in the light red phase right now, but due to the cold weather, not a ton of green fruit coming on. Wondering if picking will allow the plant to make more tomatoes?<br /><br />Thanks,<br />CurtisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com