Ripening [was Re: [tomato] Re: my input]
Betsy & Wigi Tozzi (Tomato@GlobalGarden.com)
Tue, 10 Aug 1999 17:09:21 -0800 (AKDT)
Hi Chuck and all,
After sitting here and lurking for quite some time I thought I'd throw my
two cents in...
Here in Alaska, near Fairbanks in the center of the state, the challenges
in growing yummy tomatoes (as well as peppers and eggplants) are many --
not just the weather but the hours of daylight as well.
All of our plants have fruit on them, none have ripened yet except for
sungold (yum). We gave in and bought some heirloom tomatoes grown a bit
farther south because we just couldn't stand to wait any longer (!) -- had
2 great whites, 1 cherokee purple, and 1 un-specified oxheart.
Chuck, since I've made quite an effort of studying your variety lists, I
believe you meant that you had success with Mountain Princess, not
Mountain Spring. The former is a variety that you grow (and I want to
grow because of its incredible earliness); the latter is one of those
Randy Gardener F1 hybrids.
We are going to do some indoor growing in our plant room this fall/winter,
but I'm trying not to get as inundated with varieties as I'd like. So
many tomato varieties, so little space (and time).
Chuck, what happened to Joyce's Brandywine? I was hoping to try it
because of its (relatively) early maturation, but I noticed it had been
removed from your list. I figure you're in the process of adding those
varieties of Carolyn Male's that weren't already in your collection, but I
hate to see some other ones fall off.
I was a transplant to Alaska from California, and it has taken me nearly
5 years to get a handle on some of the intricacies of gardening in Alaska.
Some I haven't mastered yet.
To all, I have been enjoying hearing of your trials and triumphs, keep
those messages coming!
Betsy
----------
On Tue, 10 Aug 1999, ChuckWyatt/Md/Z7 wrote:
> Hi Pam,
>
> Thanks for the input from the Willamette Valley. I am glad to hear your
> results. This year I grew Siletz here in central Maryland with good
> success. I don't mean to imply that it tastes as good as Brandywine or Red
> Mortgage Lifter. but it is certainly a giant leap above Oregon Spring which
> I tasted only once and immediately spat out.
>
> Another early one that has done well for me is Mountain Spring which is an
> open pollinated variety and not one of the Mountain Series of hybrids from
> UNC.
> Good gardening,
> Chuck Wyatt
> http://www.heirloomtomatoes.net
>