Who else is stoked to plant tomatoes?

I don't disagree, but a when is the last time you had a beer with someone and swapped tomato stories?

 

, well I don't drink very often, but I do swap stories about growing tomatoes, in fact, there is a huge forum dedicated to just that: www.tomatoville.com. It has over 14,000 members !

 

Last summer with my son over a couple of homebrews. We discussed gardening this past Sunday (he was getting camp open for the summer) however I refrained from having a beer because I don't like to mix medication with drinking, even if it is an over the counter NSAID, he had a supply of ShockTop.

 

Apparently I'm in the minority then. Good on you guys.

 

Or the Amish, or local greenhouses. I can get 4 plants for what I could pay for 1 at a big box.

Though...the big box stores sometimes offer odd varieties that I can't get anywhere else.

 

I don't know this, but I would assume the Amish would only use what they grew. No imported soil or plugs that can carry disease. That is usually a better deal.

 

I officially have a grazer. Came home to find half a strawberry plant gone.

 

Yes, the Amish have greenhouses for the public in rural NWPA. It isn't uncommon for them to sell stuff, repair, or build on the side. One I know makes most of her money by starting seeds for customers. The greenhouses I have been to are run mainly by the wives, elderly adults, and kids. Most of these are off the beaten path and away from the "tourist" Amish traps.

On the main secondary roads there will often be produce shacks when they sell veggies in season and baked goods (the one food item PA is lenient on).

 

I hate woodchucks.

 

Buddy down the road has a big Green house, growing several Heirlooms this year.
Went down & tasted a few today
Bloody butcher, Cowlick Brandywine & another brandy wine type, setice I think
& a black cherry.
I liked the black cherry best
Growing fast now with near 19 hours of sun
Some pics from today

 

My'o'my, lookie what found its way home in my car from Lowe's, two nice big Black Prince plants. After reading Mike's post mentioning them I looked them up, love anything "black". I usually start my plants from seed, but I had to run to get some marine epoxy today and there they were, calling to me outside the store entrance. I was really surprised to see them there. They will go good with my black zebras and homestead ones.

 

I guess they are the "medium" sized Bonnie ones, just $3.11/ea. I'm stoked!

 

I tried the black ones two years ago. Good taste. Hard to get use to the color. It is all a matter of mind. I mostly like any tomato that isn't grossly deformed or cracked.

 

Wow! Great job. We just do a small raised bed and plant about 6 plants with flowers on them in May. I enjoy tomato plants and tending them is a great pass time ... and tasty too. What varieties do you prefer and why? We just buy them at the garden center in pots and away we go.

 

Lol...Time for you to tuck in the tomato beds for wintah...

 

A lot of Romas but tried some new variety this year that we liked better. We don't buy any tomato products and like it that way.

 

Back in the 70's I planted a big garden on my new 10 acre spread in the UP of Michigan.

My folks always had a garden when I was a kid but I never paid any attention to how much each of their tomato plants produced. Since I like tomatoes I figured I'd plant enough so I could share some with my friends and neighbors.

So around March 1st I got out my seed and soil and decided to start 280 tomato plants! I figured each plant would yield one, maybe two, tomatoes so I figured I would have enough for everyone.

Little did I know....