Fall 2011

I started some Fall Cherry tomatoes a few weeks back.  They were doing very well until we had 6" rain in 6 days.  The Black Cherry, Sweet 100 and Aunt Molly Husk Cherry continue to do well.  The Egg Yolk Cherry dampened off.  Also, I scattered some daikon radish seed out in the S. Garden on a Dime.  The stuff has not only sprouted, but is continuing to grow.  Go figure.  I really only hope for soil builder, but heck - if we can eat it all the better.

Seeds started last week:  Bell Peppers, Fish Pepper, Pepper Tree

Seeds started today:

Cherry Tomato:  Egg Yolk, Dr. Carolyn, WoW!

Indeterminate:  Jubilee (Orange), Tropic Boy (Red), Lemon Boy Hybrid,  Mountain Magic Hybrid Compact (Red)

"Mountain Magic is an indeterminate hybrid with fruit size of 1.5- 2 oz. It is similar to the high quality greenhouse hybrid Campari but is adapted to field culture and has resistance to both early blight and late blight (Ph-2 + Ph-3 genes combined). It is the hybrid of the large fruited early blight/late blight resistant line NC 2 CELBR crossed with the high sugar, rin grape tomato line NC 2 grape. Fruit are high in sugar with long shelf life and are well adapted to marketing as a specialty tomato in plastic clam shell containers."

Determinate: Lime Green Salad

Brassicas:  Green Glaze Collards, FL Variegated Collards, Tuscan Kale

Celery

Hansel Eggplant

Tomatoes starting this coming week:
 Indeterminate:  Cherokee Purple, Virginia Sweets, Black from Tula, Nyagous (Black), Sweet Carneros (Pink Stripe)
Oh, and Lady Lucy, information is:

Lady Lucy --From the Nantahala Forest area in Northern Georgia, comes this large pink oblate tomato with sweet complex flavor with an acid zing, good for slicing/canning, vigorous potato leaf, OP, indeterminate. Grower Keith Nicholson, Franklin, North Carolina, discovered these plants when he stopped at a Yard Sale along the road way. I liked it so much I shared seed with my mentor and friend, Merlyn Niedens; he grew it and shared seed with Baker Creek Seed and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Merlyn died last May while working in his garden. He and his wife, Mary Ann, spent their lives growing, developing, and preserving many heirloom seed/plant varieties.

Determinate:  Red Alert

Dwarf:  Dwarf Wild Fred, Dwarf Champion, Mini Gold

Pictured is the 'Outdoor' nursery.  East facing, protected from heavy rain.  Plagued by snails and slugs.  Goal this week:  get the garage NICU up and running.

I have ordered Granadero and have high hopes for being able to grow this in ground on the rose arbor.

"Granadero produces very high yields of uniform, attractive, bright red, 4-5 oz. tomatoes with very good flavor. Thick-walled fruit are good for fresh tomato sauces, salsas, and salads. Broad disease resistances, including IR to TSWV and Nematodes, and low susceptibility to blossom end rot, keep Granadero healthy even under heavy disease pressure. Indeterminate"

"A plum tomato especially for open field production. Large fruits with high productivity. Medium to early plant maturity. Compact, vigorous plant habit. Average weight 5 oz. (150 gr.). Resistances: HR: ToMV/Lt/Va/Vd/Fol:0,1. I IR: TSWV/Ma/Mi/Mj."

I have pruned and planted in the compost zone most of the spring tomato plants.  I've also tried to start a few cuttings.  Will be interesting to see how it works out.