tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post6084683096771701065..comments2023-06-23T01:22:53.555-07:00Comments on Growing Tomatoes in South Florida: Starting the PlanningJon VanZilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post-67156979757985677522010-10-06T14:09:49.392-07:002010-10-06T14:09:49.392-07:00Clowe,
You must be an optimist :)
I'd be a...Clowe, <br /><br />You must be an optimist :) <br /><br />I'd be afraid of the heartbreak factor if I tried growing anything edible in the summer (other than mango, banana and avocado). Although I've heard sweet potatoes do pretty well. <br /><br />Thanks for the tip on Tomatofest.com. I've been using the Tomato Growers Supply Company for years and been happy with their seeds. I'm doing a plum determinate this season too, mainly because I can salsa and like to get heavy crops for large batches. <br /><br />Incidentally, I'll be using grow bags this season also, for tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. I use the 5-gallon bags with the expandable coir bricks. Just add water and poof! You get a nice growing medium.Jon VanZilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post-29907062488696717712010-10-06T13:41:54.924-07:002010-10-06T13:41:54.924-07:00Hi Jon,
I am a Miami local, and have 2 raised bed...Hi Jon,<br /><br />I am a Miami local, and have 2 raised beds for my tomatoes and veggies. I tried to grow tomatoes in spring, everything started out wonderfully (5' plants!), but summer came, and my dozen or so plants started to have caterpillars and other pesky bugs, and some got diseased. I got so frustrated! I did get some small cherries, but the heavy rain ruined them. I decided to remove all of them and wait until the true season for us started. I did get some great sweet basil and some bush beans, and am still growing some sweet potatoes. <br /><br />This past weekend I transplanted 3 varieties I started from seed a couple of weeks ago, Tomatoberry (like a strawberry) Chocolate Cherry and Principe Borghese (a plum determinate). In my seed tray I also have Zebra Cherry, though they are still too small to transplant. As a huge tomato lover, I ordered some more varieties I should get next week. I am also going to grow Cherokee Purple and Brandywine OTV. I got my seeds from Tomatofest.com. a great source for all things Tomato!<br /><br />I am not sure if my location is ideal, I am trying to decide if I am getting enough sun. I will be growing some of these varieties in grow bags in another location of my garden which has more sun throughout the day to see if I am more successful. I will be checking your blog for suggestions. Thanks for keeping us informed!clowenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post-62917981553271933282010-10-06T07:16:22.668-07:002010-10-06T07:16:22.668-07:00plainandsimple,
Thanks! That sounds awesome. I h...plainandsimple, <br /><br />Thanks! That sounds awesome. I have a lot of family and friends up north and visited this summer, when their vegetable gardens were in full swing. I was struck with veggie envy, waiting for our season to start. <br /><br />I've never grown a few of those varieties you mentioned, but I think green zebra is definitely on my list for next year at least. Also, I have another friend who LOVES Japanese Black Trifele. I also love the black cherries and have some yellow pears going right now, along with Cherokee purples I'm pretty excited about. In general, we can grow any kind of tomato here that can be grown up north, but the more difficult varieties (meaning most heirlooms) must be grown in containers. Even during the summer, we are more humid and our pests must be seen to be believed.Jon VanZilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post-14668121480255536972010-10-05T17:27:03.203-07:002010-10-05T17:27:03.203-07:00Hi Jon,
As a Northern grower, we're just finis...Hi Jon,<br />As a Northern grower, we're just finishing up our gardening season. In fact, our first frost was this morning. I've been growing heirlooms for several seasons and have tried about 100 varieties; they aren't all created equal. For your readers that are interested trying an heirloom variety or two, here are a few of my favorite from this year. I have NOOOO idea how they will perform in Florida, but they were all a hit this year at our house. Your local greenhouse may be able to advise.<br /><br />Our favorite cherry was hands down the Black Cherry. It is a dark purple color and very sweet. Yellow Pear is also a constant favorite. This was our first year for growing Juane Flamme, a large orange cherry, and it seems the hype surrounding this tomato was not without merit.<br /><br />The sauce tomato that outproduced any others this year for us was Heidi. It is an heirloom from Africa. The fruit is small and very plentiful. In fact, we still have some on the vine ripening long after everything else is done. <br /><br />Our favorite slicer this year was a new find: Little Lucky. It's a mid-size yellow with red blossom end. It was firm and resisted blossom end rot better than any of the other this year, and my step-daughter couldn't eat them fast enough. It was a faithful producer all summer.<br /><br />We also love Aunt Ruby's German Green and Green Zebra which have a bit of a citrus zing.<br /><br />My absolute favorite all purpose tomato is Japanese Black Trifele. It is a dark burgundy with green shoulders that is the size and shape of a bartlett pear. They are meaty enough for sauce, and a favorite for slicing. It is a great producer, manages to resist most rot and garden pests (at least in Indiana) and most fruit is in near perfect condition.<br /><br />The seeds came from Tatiana's Tomatobase, the Sample Seed Shop, and had saved some that I originally purchased from Baker's Creek Heirlooms. I also love SandHill Preservation, but as a winter grower, you would have to plan ahead as they are a very small homebased company.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post-60337217810815218872010-10-05T12:38:25.715-07:002010-10-05T12:38:25.715-07:00Hey Jon! Okay, so root knot is pretty common down ...Hey Jon! Okay, so root knot is pretty common down here-that's interesting. I will definitely look for 'VFN' on the starter tomatoes or at least ask about this wherever I end up purchasing my starter plants. Neem will also be on my list, since you've mentioned fungus both here and in your post;)<br />Thanks so much, Jon.<br />Stella<br />p.s. Neem really helped our cucumbers in Georgia. We didn't see any type of mold destruction-just big, crunchy cucumber galore!Stellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12441053969652689705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post-54573015884266525392010-10-05T06:53:14.825-07:002010-10-05T06:53:14.825-07:00Hi Stella!
I'm pretty new to cucumbers mysel...Hi Stella! <br /><br />I'm pretty new to cucumbers myself, so I'll stick with tomatoes ... The variety you pick depends on a bit on where you're growing (in the ground versus a container). We have pretty bad nematodes here, so if you grow in the ground, you'll have much greater luck with a VFN tomato. If you're growing in containers, you can grew pretty much whatever you want (although you'll still have fungal issues and caterpillars to deal with). <br /><br />Either way, you're definitely not too late to start your veggie garden! Lots of very experienced gardeners are still weeks and weeks away from putting in their vegetables. <br /><br />Good luck!Jon VanZilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026643422328853037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1904077667313642692.post-35896230316983081002010-10-04T19:44:31.424-07:002010-10-04T19:44:31.424-07:00Wow! Thanks for all of this information.
I just m...Wow! Thanks for all of this information. <br />I just moved to Fort Lauderdale, and I'm about to try to grow some tomatoes. Is there a particular organic variety or two that are particularly hearty in this area (zone 10a)? Also, do you possibly know about a variety of organic cucumbers that do well here and resist mold and such? Ooh, and I'm I too late to start some mounds? <br />Sorry for writing a novel here (smile).<br />Thanks, Stella<br />thiswitchykitchen@gmail.comStellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12441053969652689705noreply@blogger.com