mead107 Posted August 17, 2011 Posted August 17, 2011 Seems the tomatoes are very blah tasting this year. The farm stand I get them from just not like they used to be.
BuffaloBill Posted August 17, 2011 Posted August 17, 2011 Farmer must not be peeing on them this year.
Jauronimo Posted August 17, 2011 Posted August 17, 2011 Farmer must not be peeing on them this year. Now that the NFL has a comprehenisve drug testing policy the price of a gallon of clean urine has skyrocketed. Farmers just can't afford to soak tomatoes in hot piss.
birdog1960 Posted August 17, 2011 Posted August 17, 2011 Seems the tomatoes are very blah tasting this year. The farm stand I get them from just not like they used to be. took part in a tomatoes tasting event at our local farmers market last weekend. 3 categories: heirlooms, slicers and cherry. all the slicers were bland. 3/10 heirlooms were very flavorful and 2/5 cherry tomatoes flavorful. don't really know why as the weather seemed ok except hotter than normal. anyway, i now know which ones to get at the market.
UConn James Posted August 17, 2011 Posted August 17, 2011 (edited) An uncle who's been all the world on the U.S.S. Midway during and post-WWII (he was the interpreter aka "The Captain's --- and sometimes, the Admiral's --- Pimp" because he spoke to / picked up girls in port for them). He would also accompany the cooks during port food purchases. Anyway. All around the world before he settled in Maine. He said Connecticut tomatoes were the best. Specifically, Burnham farm tomatoes in East Hartford/South Windsor in the Conn. River plain. Gotta agree on that. We usually have optimal weather for them vis-a-vis rainfall, humidity, temperatures, sun, etc. I don't know the minerals involved or what the specific chemical uptake may be, but the upside is, our soil's got it and a lot of other places don't. The **** you get from California tastes like nothing. Edited August 17, 2011 by UConn James
Pete Posted August 17, 2011 Posted August 17, 2011 My garden tomatos taste delicious. Best ones were the Brandywine heirloom tomatoes. Tomatos in supermarkets are picked green in Florida, hard as a rock, and gassed on the truck drive up to give color. No wonder they taste like ****
birdog1960 Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 My garden tomatos taste delicious. Best ones were the Brandywine heirloom tomatoes. Tomatos in supermarkets are picked green in Florida, hard as a rock, and gassed on the truck drive up to give color. No wonder they taste like **** mine were only ok this year. blight gets worse every year here in virginia, even in disease resistant hybrids. even grew some in pots that blighted....so my plan to make new raised beds next year may fail. is blight a big problem in your area?. last year many of the farmers at our market had to pull up all their plants, a complete loss. almost none use fungicides and nor do i. anyway, the few i got were only ok, even the heirlooms. as i said, not sure why and this is a new phenomenon. btw, i'm pretty sure i ranked a brandywine #1 at the tasting. it was a blind tasting and i'll find out the actual type this weekend when the results are announced.
dhg Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 Had the most, and most tastiest tomatoes ever this year. 6 beefstake plants. 4 cherry. Bumper crop.
CowgirlsFan Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 Seems the tomatoes are very blah tasting this year. The farm stand I get them from just not like they used to be. A shame. Time to bring on the Mrs Dash.
BuffaloBud Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 I've had pretty good success with mine this year. 1 Red and 1 yellow cherry, 3 heirloom, and 1 standard. When I start seeing blossoms on mine I hit the plants with a mixture of water soluble fertilizer and beer. Yes, beer. I save some of the crappy stuff people bring over for the holidays and use it for this purpose. My grandfather told me that trick.
birdog1960 Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 I've had pretty good success with mine this year. 1 Red and 1 yellow cherry, 3 heirloom, and 1 standard. When I start seeing blossoms on mine I hit the plants with a mixture of water soluble fertilizer and beer. Yes, beer. I save some of the crappy stuff people bring over for the holidays and use it for this purpose. My grandfather told me that trick. i've heard of beer baits for slugs but never for tomatoes. what's it meant to do?
Jauronimo Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 i've heard of beer baits for slugs but never for tomatoes. what's it meant to do? Are you questioning the merits of beer? Heretic! But yeah, I'd also like to know what spraying plants with beer does to enhance tomatoes?
UConn James Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 (edited) The only science I've seen wrt beer for tomatoes besides killing earwigs or slugs (and that's putting a half-empty sticking ~1" out of the ground) reports that you're much better off drinking that beer than pouring it on your plant. If anything, the yeast would encourage fungus. My grandfather, who was a farmer in WNY BTW, taught me to pinch off the bottom leaves and plant them deep, and that way they grow anywhere from 25% to 50+% more roots than just putting them in at the shallow potting soil level. Edited August 18, 2011 by UConn James
birdog1960 Posted August 18, 2011 Posted August 18, 2011 (edited) Are you questioning the merits of beer? Heretic! But yeah, I'd also like to know what spraying plants with beer does to enhance tomatoes? well, it's far from the craziest idea i've ever heard and at least, it's safe! probably worth a try. on the other hand, i've been given suggestions such as spraying with bleach (no thanks, to chlorox tomatoes) and a tobacco farmer friend offered me some kill all chemical stuff he uses to treat his tobacco plants. thanks, but no thanks. Edited August 18, 2011 by birdog1960
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 19, 2011 Posted August 19, 2011 I heard a little bit of diluted (with w/ H2O) milk will help the uptake of Ca into the plant... Yet, like UConn said, be careful that you don't attract fungus or bugs.
boyst Posted August 19, 2011 Posted August 19, 2011 the rainfall has a lot to do with it, as well. I do not eat them but I can grow them very well. The potash and micro nutrients matter a great deal. For those that have serious gardens I suggest you contact your counties local agriculture extension office. These people are genius' and will give you all the info you need to have an amazing garden - usually for free! They offer classes and such, often, for small fees.
ExiledInIllinois Posted August 19, 2011 Posted August 19, 2011 the rainfall has a lot to do with it, as well. I do not eat them but I can grow them very well. The potash and micro nutrients matter a great deal. For those that have serious gardens I suggest you contact your counties local agriculture extension office. These people are genius' and will give you all the info you need to have an amazing garden - usually for free! They offer classes and such, often, for small fees. Kinda like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZtL7sSZqhs
BuffaloBud Posted August 21, 2011 Posted August 21, 2011 (edited) OK - I'm swearing you all to secrecy or you will have to donate to my Pelotonia fund. He told me the reason is that the natural sugars in the beer assist in the flavoring of the tomatoes. You apply the fertilizer / beer mixture when blossoms are starting to maximize on the plants. I do not spray it on the plant, but mix it into a watering can with the powdered / soluble fertilizer. I use 1 bottle of beer with the appropriate amount of fertilizer and apply to each plant. But, then again, my grandfather may have just been trying to find a way to get rid of some crappy beer. Try it next year. Let me know your results. Some indirect scienfic proof Edited August 21, 2011 by BuffaloBud
Kiwi Bills fan Posted August 21, 2011 Posted August 21, 2011 I just put in my seed order for this years garden. Can't wait! I had an alright batch of tomatoes last year, but this year is gonna be bigtime!
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