We put our tomatoes in the ground early this year, and the weather has been cooperating temperature-wise, but not rain-wise.
We planted four Cherokee Purples, a Brandywine, a Pineapple, a Black Prince, and an Early Girl.
Who else is in the tomato bandwagon with me?
I really love fresh tomatoes! Even just growing- I adore how the plants smell.
Not to hijack, but I live in an apartment- can I grow tomatoes in pots on a fairly well lit balcony? It gets direct sunlight about half the day, then indirect the other half of the daylight hours.
Hijacks welcome. 
That sounds like you should be able to grow tomatoes. Get a variety that’s for patios or containers. At our local nurseries, you can find cherry tomatoes that are pre-planted in hanging baskets, but I haven’t had much success with that.
I’m trying a single cherry tomato plant on my balcony this year. We face east, so it will get a good half-day of sun or so. I sure hope it will turn out well - according to what I read, this kind of tomato plant is supposed to do well in a container. Guess I’ll find out!
crosses fingers
We planted a Sweet Million (cherry), Patio, Early Girl and Big Beefy Boy or something to that effect. They’re all blossoming and I can not wait. There is nothing better in the world than a summer tomato.
Great, now I’m salivating.
Last week, we planted six Juliets (excellent for cooking as well as eating out of hand; I always make and freeze lots of sauce over the summer) and a couple of Beefsteaks. I’m psyched.
I refuse!
I’ve tried for two years. The first plants got eaten by giant tomato hormworms. The second time stinkbugs ruined them. I think I got one tomato each season. But dang, they were good!
I guess I’ll just continue to pay too much for them. And the ones I can get aren’t close enough. Mmm, sun-warmed fresh tomatoes, eaten over the sink with a pinch of salt…
Yellow and white: White wonder, Yellow cherry
Red: Beefsteak, Big Boy, Red Pear, Roma
Orange: Orange Oxheart, Sungold (cherry), Amana Orange
Stiped: Pineapple, Mr Stripey, Isis candy (cherry), Rainbow
Pink: Brandywine, Caspian Pink
Black: Black from Tula, Black Krim
jsgoddess, did you buy the Black Prince seeds or plants? I would like to have some of those next year.
I try to stick to heirlooms (explanation of heirloom seeds from Wikipedia) so that I can save and share the seed, but some hybrids are hard to stay away from- especially the super sweet tiny orange cherry tomato called “Sungold”. They are especially yummy.
Any interest in a seed trade at the end of the season?
I’ve got my usual much-beloved “Celebrity” planted, staked and now surrounded by cages. I’m being careful this year to trim the lowest branches so that they don’t touch the ground and to water only the soil. I’m tired of losing one of them to some sort of fungus halfway through the season.
Celebrity was developed for hot summer areas and produces medium to large, deep red sweet juicy fruit with minimal seeds and jelly. When I make a chopped tomato bruschetta topping and put it on top of thick slices of toasted Italian bread, it looks like strawberry shortcake.
I have yet to find a tomato I’m entirely happy with. My wife called me from Lowe’s to say they had Rutgers, Celebrity, Bonnie II, and German Queen. The only one I hadn’t yet tried was German Queen, so that’s what I’m growing this years. Just a stab in the dark.
Diosa Bellissima, Jim Crockett (the first Victory Garden guy) said that English container gandeners grow tomatoes directly in a bag of potting soil. On one side of the bag, make one small slit at each corner, then lay that side down. In the middle of the top side, cut an X, and put your plant right there. At the end of the season, give away the soil, laden with fertilizer salts and tomato diseases. In the spring, start with a new, sterile bag of soil.
Dammit, I want a cigarette after reading that.
Last year I took two of the hanging plant cherry 'maters and planted them into self-watering containers ('cause I’m LAZY, plus I’m away a lot camping in the summer.) The squirrels really really liked the red ones, but pretty much ignored the orange ones, so my plan is to do the orange ones again and instead of the red cherry, try a full size heirloom in the other pot - so I can make fried green tomatoes! We’re too far north to get green 'maters in the supermarket.
I’ve got one Early Girl, six Better Boys, and three pink Brandywines. I grew the Brandywines from seed because I can’t always find them in my area. I love homegrown tomatoes.
I have a patio tomato planted on my front porch.
Are there any varieties that can be grown in a planter of some sort that actually grow nice big tomatoes?
I never have tried to grow anything before, other than a few houseplants, but we bought a house last fall and I thought I would try out the new backyard. I planted two grape tomato plants about a month ago, and they have grown a lot since then. I have them in tomato cages so the branches are supported now. I hope I can protect them from all the little pests and beasties. I’m not sure when I should expect actual tomatoes to show up, but I think we’re off to a good start.
I also planted a blackberry vine, which has done absolutely nothing. I think I got a dud.
If any of it works at all, I will try a few more plants next year.
We just planted some this weekend, yay! We didn’t have a garden last year due to moving, and hadn’t gotten one ready this year, so we’re running a bit late for tomatoes. We were all mourning the fact that we wouldn’t have homegrown tomatoes again this year, which propelled us into a massive gardening effort this weekend to get some in.
One each: Mr. Stripey, Boxcar Willie, Black Crim, Amish Sauce (all heirlooms) plus one hybrid better boy or beef boy or something like that. Got the hybrid in a gallon container hoping for some 'maters soon, the rest were 4" pots. Got a range of ‘days to harvest’ hoping to spread out the yummy goodness.
Never planted heirlooms before, I have great hopes for those. Any pointers for growing the heirlooms? And what do we need to do to save seeds? Do you have to start the seeds inside before the season?
I don’t know if blackberry vines are anything like grapes, but I planted a grape plant in my dad’s yard and it did nothing for two or so years. In fact, he almost ripped it out a few times. After 5 years, the damned thing grows and covers an entire length of fence (at least 40 feet) fully AND crawls out onto the flower beds and onto the grass. One plant. It’s insane.
Me! I created a whole new bed for them, even, as the bed they’ve been in previous years was worn out. Their new home is southern-facing and against a white wall for added light (and protection from any north wind). Yay!
We have Juliets, Roma, Mountain Pride, Early Girl, Wisconsin Something-or-Other, Mr. Stripey and an heirloom purple one.
Saving seeds is easy, but a little gross. Here is a link from the DIY homepage that describes the process in detail. Basically you squish the seeds and pulp from a ripe tomato into a jar, and fill with water. Let the stinky mush sit for a few days in order to ferment the pulp and seperate the seeds from the gel. Pour the gunk off the top of the jar; the good seeds are on the bottom. Rinse the seeds and lay onto a plate to dry, then label and store.
Some heirloom tomatoes are not quite as resistant to diseases and pests and can use a little extra help to stay healthy. Adding calcium (crushed egg shells or seashells are great, but garden lime is more easily absorbed) to the soil can help prevent blossom end rot, and stake them really well to keep leaves away from damp soil. Heirlooms are indeterminate and the vines will run all over, and will require a little more work to keep off the ground, but I swear the flavor of the heirlooms is superior to most hybrids. Plus, you get to save the seeds for free plants the next year.
I am in growing zone 6/7, my last frost date is the middle of May. I usually start my tomato plants indoors in March.
Blackberry can take a season or three to produce, also, check about fertilizing and soil conditions to help things along.
I decided to try Mortgage Lifter this year as a newbie to the garden. I usually get a few hybrids, but I, too, like Heirlooms.