Winter tomatoes

Hey, y'all -- I'll be away for a couple of months, and just wanted to share info about a Winter Tomato seminar I attended at my local nursery last week.

Since a lot of posters seem to be in cold-weather areas, this site might be of interest.

Steve Goto was highly spoken of by my local nursery as THE primo tomato man. He's also a Cyclamen guy, as he mentioned at the seminar.

Unfortunately I can't find a place on the Web site where you can find the 4-page color print-out of Winter Tomatoes which Steve distributed.

Maybe by contacting him, you can get a printout of the 30 or so varieties from Russia, Canada and other cold areas. I thought it was very interesting, and may plant some of the tastier varieties when I return, since Steve said they will also work as Spring tomatoes in milder area.

Was amazed to learn that some of the varieties will set tomatoes at temps as low as 34 degrees!!!

(I have no connection, financial or otherwise, with the Goto Nursery).

Some of my notes, from the generalized Q&A after the demo.

  1. Do not put saucers under pots. Water can accumulate and rot the roots.

  1. Do not use a chemical fertilizer like Miracle-Gro too often, or the salts will coat the roots so they can't take up fertilizer.

  2. Coffee grounds are too salty. Tea leaves OK.

  1. For black spot on tomatoes (blossom end rot), use gypsum --adds calcium.

  2. Commercial products that purport to feed the roses and ward off insects: No; it's like putting the plant on an IV. In time, the product will cease to be efficacious.

  1. In general, much emphasis on organic fertilizers. Some names mentioned: Earthrich - good for tomatoes 1/2-1/2 with soil. Organic Advantage - family of products -- contains humic acid, which increases sugars (in the tomatoes, presumably). 12-12-6-1. The 1 is sulfur - buffers alkaline soil.

  2. Fertilize 2-3 weeks after planting (tomatoes again, I presume).

  1. Use "Dr. Earth" together with Organic Advantage. Dr. E. contains microrhyzomes (sp?), with OA doesn't.

  2. Organic insecticide: Envirepel - garlic based. Also a product called Citrall? orange based.

Hope these semi-coherent notes are helpful. Again, I'm not plugging any of these products, as I haven't had a chance to try them, but when I get back, will definitely switch away from Miracle-Gro and to organics.

Hasta la vista!

Reply to
Persephone
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thought you might find stuff that you might like:: pretty reasonably priced.

j.

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Reply to
jfrost

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