Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] tomatoes

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Pat Meadows <pat AT meadows.pair.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] tomatoes
  • Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 11:48:11 -0400

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 08:42:29 -0600, you wrote:

>Pat,
>
>I found your post interesting. I have grown tomatoes up to six feet high
>under a plastic tent. (Six poles, plastic stapled around and over top.)
>When they began to flower, I cut off a strip at both ends for the insects to
>pollinate my plants. When the tomatoes were getting large, I took off the
>top to allow them to get plenty of sun to ripen. When frost threatened, I
>covered the plants.

Incidentally, you don't need to worry about insects for
pollination. Tomatoes are largely self-fertile: i.e., each
blossom fertilizes itself.

Indoor tomatoes only need to be jiggled a bit when in
blossom (to simulate breezes) for pollination.

>
>This year I have many tomatoes in my two hoophouses (first year). I am
>worried they won't ripen without removing some of the plastic sheeting. I
>used 4 or 6 mil plastic on the greenhouses. There are open window on each.

I bet they will ripen without removing the plastic. I have
successfully grown ripe tomatoes indoors, in winter, in my
large bay window. They were mini-tomatoes, but still
tomatoes. They ripened fine.

I had fluorescents lights hanging over them, to supplement
the short days of winter (and for days without sunshine).

>Some of the best tomatoes I grew were next to my house. But I only tasted
>one! Then I needed a place to park a calf for a few weeks. Into the yard
>went the calf, and into the calf stomach went my "almost ripe" tomatoes.
>Yup. Steers eat tomatoes-ripe or green. He left them alone for the first
>week, so I thought he could be trusted not to eat the tomatoes and flowers.

Oh dear. :(

>60-65 days is our growing season.
>
>I am really excited to try Glacier tomatoes next year.

With that short of a growing season, I think they'd be very
good for your location.

There are other tomatoes - varieties from Siberia, mostly -
that will ripen in a similarly short period of time. I know
a lot of people in my area grow Stupice.

I think maybe the most different varieties of tomato seeds
are found at:

http://www.tomatogrowers.com

They are a useful supplier, because they list their tomatoes
in various categories, including 'early', 'mid-season', etc.
They have a lot of really early tomatoes.

Pat
--
CLICK DAILY TO FEED THE HUNGRY
http://www.thehungersite.com/





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page