Earliest tomatoes

[RpR]

Sept 13, 2015 9:16:08 GMT -5 galina said:

"minimum twice the size of any last year" I have never seen quite that much variation in fruit size from one year to the next with medium sized tomatoes. Are you sure they are Green Zebra? (see your post above)

If they really are, then keep doing what you have been doing this year (manure). Foliage is the power-plant of any tomato. Lots of foliage can sustain more fruit. If there is an imbalance - too much foliage/hardly any fruit - then the plants may have had too much n and not enough p.

Maybe you got it just right this year.

Yup, they were Green Zebras.

The largest was bigger than a tennis ball and never before have I ever had any even as large as a billiard ball.

One problem, even before she put in the sprinkler system was, all types, would get too big for their britches and split open.
I am amazed how quickly one with a split can get an off taste.

Another was there seeds would germinate and one would find a tomato with dozens of little green seeds trying to start a new plant.
The outside of those tomatoes felt like they had been stipled.
Didn't hurt the taste really but they were for lack of a better term, woody.

This only happened with the earliest tomatoes as none of the later ones did this.

I finally got a 2.5 gallon jug of Sonata, similar to Serenade and doused the whole garden and bushes liberally with it.
Do not know if it really helped the tomatoes as I am not babying them as I usually do but it spiffed up my cucumbers and chiles.

[galina]

So not such a success with the earlier fruits if they split. It can be difficult to judge when to harvest 'green' tomatoes. I am not familiar with Sonata or Serenade, they are not available here. Not sure what they do.

We are always taught to keep tomatoes on the dry side and not wet the foliage. Tomatoes that are kept drier produce fruits with more intense flavour and they are less likely to develop late blight (phytophtera infestans). Here splitting happens when, after a dry spell, a lot of moisture (either rain on irregular watering) causes the fruit to swell rapidly but not the skins.

That things are different in different climates and tomatoes need different treatment as a consequence, stands to reason.

[RpR]

Sonata and Serenade are fungicides, now both made by Bayer, that do a good job of killing most things that screw with tomatoes, vines, roses etc. I even used it on corn one year.

One tomato type, that I planted as a late after thought, it is doing real well all three places I planted it.
As all the others are now on the down side of the life time curve, it is kinda nice to have this late comer.

[steev]

I worked for years for "Buyer", (as pronounced), of Germany, not "Bayer", (nationalized American in WW2). Please bear in mind that "Buyer" is fundamentally a chemical company, like Monsanto, Dow, Syngenta, et al. They're really just selling chemicals and don't give a husky fuck whether there are negative results.

[RpR]

Sept 22, 2015 2:10:23 GMT -5 steev said:

I worked for years for "Buyer", (as pronounced), of Germany, not "Bayer", (nationalized American in WW2). Please bear in mind that "Buyer" is fundamentally a chemical company, like Monsanto, Dow, Syngenta, et al. They're really just selling chemicals and don't give a husky fuck whether there are negative results.

For the most part, Sonata was Buyer's response to Serenade but then a few years back they bought Serenade from the people who created it.

One site said, non-commercial it is best to alternate years between Sonata and Serenade as that helps prevent the bugs, not literal bugs, from adapting.

[littleminnie]

Thanks for the info on who makes Serenade. I bought it for the first time this really disease ridden year.

[farmermike]

My earliest tomatoes this year were:

1. Forest Fire
2. Silvery Fir Tree
3. Glacier (these were also very tall and viney, and kept producing all season long).

I'll be starting Forest Fire very early this spring!

[prairiegardens]

I was looking at Glacier tomato, what do you think of the flavour?

[farmermike]

Dec 9, 2016 22:18:37 GMT -5 prairiegardens said:

I was looking at Glacier tomato, what do you think of the flavour?

I believe the flavor was good -- though not particularly memorable. It was definitely good enough that I will be growing it again, considering the earliness and overall productivity. It was described as semi-determinate, but turned out to be one of my tallest, viniest tomato varieties. I will not be planting it in my determinate patch again next year. The seed I bought last year also produced some plants with yellow/orange fruit, but were otherwise identical to the red Glacier -- a welcome surprise!

[Earl]

I grow or am attempting to grow many on this list since I am the "keeper" of the province crosses and growers like Doucet:

prseeds.ca/seed_categories/solanaceae-nightshades/tomatoes/canadian-tomatoes/

I am growing over 100 determinate varieties in my hoophouse this season, wish me providence

[Earl]

Kimberley grown by a friend in MO

link

Developed in the mid-1980's by John de Rocque of Kimberley, BC, Canada, supposedly from a Siberia x Tiny Tim cross, selected for earliness, hardiness, and quality. It has not been confirmed that Siberia and Tiny Tim were the real parents of Kimberly, and genetically it does not make much sense, two regular leaf and dwarf/determinate varieties are unlikely to produce a potato leaf indeterminate.

Mine were just over an ounce.

[canadamike]

Hello fellow canadian.... I think you should try MANITOBA, amongst the earlies but really flavourfull. Here on the farm, we grow 25 acres of maters, I have one acre to do trials and research, we had BLOODY BUTCHER and BEAVERLODGE SLICER, a few days later, as our first ones ready for market. Bloody is a bit small but very flavourful, it is a cocktail tomatoes, but Beaverlodge Slicer came short after and we had the first local tomatoes of the season.

I have tried them all, the Glacier, the Sub-Artic series, Siberian, Stupice, The .....bec series from mr Doucet, Bloody and Beaverlodge beat them all if you want my opinion. Stupice always fight for first of the season with Bloody Butcher, but the taste profile is just ok all season long while Bloody will taste great... There is also a Beaverlodge italian...To me the Manitoba and the 2 Beaverlodge are what Canada has the best to offer in early tomatoes...

[keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.)]

Welcome back canadamike, we've missed you!

[steev]

Where you been, dude!

[Earl]

The following is my current hoophouse list, it includes Manitoba....sure I grew it before.

BTW I am in Northern Michigan I just collected this early/cold stuff

42 Days-red salad
Ace 55-red 6-12 oz tart flavor, sweet undertone, productive, resists V and FW from Michigan
Adventure-
Agatha-red salad from Ukraine
Alacrity-red 4-8 oz Canadian
Alaska-red round salad Canada/Russia
Alaska Fancy-Det-SD or IN depends the source, red plum
Anahu-Produced by Hawaiian tomato breeder Dr. Jim Gilbert, who named the Anahu variety after one of his students who died in the Korean war. This is a very productive determinate variety that produces 5-8 oz., round, red fruit.
Backfield-SD red slicer
Basket Vee- 8 1/2-9 oz beefsteak type that is crack free-market
Beaverlodge 48-211B-Farthest North x Fargo Yellow Pear = BES 52-03 (BES 52-03 x Bounty) Canada 1971
Beaverlodge 6808 Slicer-red salad bred at the Beaverlodge Research Center in Alberta, Canada
Beaverlodge Slicer-red early Alberta Canada
Bellstar-red plum Ontario Canada
Bison-red Yeager of North Dakota 1937
*Black Seaman-dark fruit
Boetz-red plum Siberia
Bonito Ojo-red, 2.5 inch
Bradley-SD, a short stake type of plant with heavy foliage cover. The fruits are pink with green shoulders average in the eight to twelve ounce range and have excellent fresh market qualities. Although they exhibit Fusarium wilt resistance, they can crack. Released in 1961 by Dr. Joe McFerran of the University of Arkansas. Received via Tomato Depot traveling trade box in 2012.
Brookpact-red Canadian slicer
Buckbee's New Fifty Day-red salad pre-1930 2-6 oz
Burbank Slicing-red slicer 1915
Bush Goliath-
Bushy Chabarovsky-pink det/dwarf Russia
Buzau 22-red, 3-4 oz Romania
Cabot-red salad from Nova Scotia.Developed in the 70's at the Agriculture Canada station in Kentville.
Campbell 22-( and any others)
Canabec Rose-pink slicer, Doucet variety Quebec Canada 1976
Canabec Rouge-red slicer, Doucet variety Quebec Canada 1967
Canabec Super-pink slicer, Doucet variety Quebec Canada 1975
Canary Rose-pink plum,
Caro Rich-Caro Rich is an improved “Caro Red”, developed by E.C. Tigchelaar and M.L. Tomes at Purdue University in Indiana. It was released in 1973. Said to have 5-10 times more beta- carotene than most tomatoes, but less lycopene.
Cold Set-red Ontario Canada Fireball x wild-fruited Filipino No. 2 (pink selection)
Craftmiller-?
Cyril's Choice-
Czech Bush-
Dad's Mug? (unfound)
Dansk Export-
Ditmarsher[/font]-pink oval cherry
(Doucet's Quebec) Early Market-red bush Quebec Canada
(Doucet's) Q-1121-red Quebec 1978
Dufresne-IN pink Canada
Dwarf Stone-
Earliana-bright red smooth 1900 Stokes/ Pennsylvania
Earliana (Schell's)
Earlicrop-Alberta 1953
Earlinorth-Alberta 1953
Early Chatham-red Yeager Michigan 1943
Early Girl (de-hybridized)
Early Maturing Siberian-
Early Pink (Clear Pink Early) Russian
Early Red Chief (IN) but I'm growing it
Early Rouge-
Early Stokesdale #4-British Columbia 1962 or before.
Efemer-
Eberta Peach-
Fakel-red Russian
Farthest North (CH)
Fireworks II-red
Forest Fire-red (Peters)
Gill's All Purpose-(SD) red, Gill Seed Co.Portland, Oregon (Wasatch Beauty X Pepper) IN or Det depends on what you read
Katja-(SD?) pink Russian
Hanky Red-seems a pink and red and PL varieties floating around as well
Golden Bison-yellow Yeager cross of Bison and Golden Queen
Green Sausage-paste
Health Kick-red plum
Heinz 1439- and any other Heinz'-red canner
Homestead-
Homestead 24-red selection of 'Homestead' whose parentage was a stabilized complex cross (Victor x Dobbie's Champion) x Pan American x Rutgers) 1956
Ida Gold-orange Idaho
Keepsake-red
Latah-Idaho bred-red
Legend-red
Liberty Bell-
Lisa King-red slicer 4-6 oz
Lyanna-red Moldava
Manitoba
Marglobe-
Maskabec-
Mocross Elgin #9-
Moira
Montreal Best-
Mormon Fifty Days
Moskovich-
Native Sun- says IN on my pack though
Nebraska Wedding-
New Hampshire Surecrop IN>??
New Yorker-
Ontario-
Ontario 1121-
Ontario 7519-
Oregon Spring Bush-
Ottawa-
Pearson-
Petitbec-
Polar Baby
Polar Beauty
Prarie Fire
Prebocibec-red salad Quebec (Doucet's) 1974
Prescott (Heirloom)-
Quebec
Quebec 1121
Quebec 2473
Quinte
Razzleberry Pink-
Red Alert (CH)-
Red Cloud-
Red House (DW)-
Red Rock-
Red Rocket-
Rocket-
Romec-
Rosabec-
Savignac-
Season Starter
Siberia-
Siberean-
Siberean #2-
Siberean Bushy
Siberean Fast-
Siletz-
Sioux-IN? It was originally released by the University of Nebraska in 1944. The vigorous vines produce 4-6 oz red globes that are perfect for canning but can also be used for slicing.
Sophie's Choice-
Southern Night-
Starfire-Morden CA
Sub Arctic Early-
Sub Arctic Mini-
Sub Arctic Midi-
Sub Arctic Maxi-
Sub Arctic Plenty-
Ultrabec (Doucet)-
Veepick-1976 CA paste
Veepro-
VR Moscow-
Victor-red Michigan State
Walter-
Wayahead PL? IN also known as 'Hudson Valley' or 'Potato-leaved Earliana red slicer Michigan
Yorkbec-red Quebec Canada Doucet in 1974
Yukon Quest-