| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alee |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 08:39:24 AM
How many tomato plants do you plant for just your family needs? My mom was so sweet and bought me some tomato plants yesterday! I think I will buy a few more as I would like to can this year but she got me started! I am so excited!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
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| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| DearMildred |
Posted - May 28 2009 : 3:06:49 PM
Kris, a lot of my wintersown tomato seeds didn't germinate either - the Reisenstraub cherries, the Marglobes and the Rhoades did NOT want to germinate, though the other varieties did ok.
~~~Amanda in OK~~~
There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves. ~Will Rogers |
| Buffalomary |
Posted - May 26 2009 : 9:15:03 PM
This is the first year that I am finally able to do what I have dreamed of for so very long. So I have put out a dozen plants - 3 Super Sioux, 3 Roma, 2 Juliet, and 4 pear tomato. Didn't really plan on the 4 pear but that's the way it ended up. I have a food mill I got from Lehman's that will process all the tomatoes, even the pears, and separate out the seeds and skin from the pulp and juice like a dream! Then I'll use a crockpot to cook down the sauce. (It does it thing overnight and I don't have to babysit it!) I want to try making some salsa and ketchup this year as well. I hope to have enough to be able to keep my parents and grandma in tomatoes this summer. If there are extras, I have plenty of neighbors who are living on Social Security and there is also a women's shelter close by, so I'm sure nothing will go to waste! 
Buffalomary
Farmgirl Sister #293
You can take the farmer's daughter off the farm but you can't take the farm out of the farmer's daughter!!
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| Sheep Mom 2 |
Posted - May 21 2009 : 7:54:45 PM
I've got around 65 to 70 started in pots. The majority are Romas that I like for canning. I do whole tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, and salsa. I never put mine out before June 1.
Sheri |
| brightmeadow |
Posted - May 21 2009 : 7:01:50 PM
I planted two flats of 72 cells each with seeds about 6 weeks before last frost date in our area. Kept them in the unheated garage under lights. I am dismayed at the results, they are just now starting to get the first set of true leaves on the plants and they are only 1 1/2 inches tall. I went to the garden center and bought Celebrity plants for my garden. I may plant a row of the seedlings but I don't have much hope. What the heck went wrong? Too cold in the garage?
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
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| Annab |
Posted - May 21 2009 : 03:46:56 AM
My hubby and his dad tend to go crazy. So this year mater plant total will be close to 50. And that is scaled down quite a bit. The count includes several different varieties. Someone gave us a Cherokee Purple, a white variety a yellow variety and some pink German Johnsons. Ought to be pretty colorful. We always plant Romas for canning and sauces. And around here an early Pink Girl variety is a well kept secret. Those are our favs.
Still waiting for the soil to warm a bit more.
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| Lanna |
Posted - May 19 2009 : 3:32:50 PM
For those that say 5-15 plants is enough - how long is your growing season? Just a thought....
I know up here I have to plant more than, say, a friend in California because my season starts 2 months after hers.
This year, I've got over 120 tomato plants throughout the house - some for my garden (probably at least 50 or so?), some for my neighbor's garden who's letting me plant and harvest from it, and a few for friends who come over and help me weed or whatever. Their payment is tomato plants.
But then again, I'm also trying to plant and preserve (canning, freezing, dehydrating) enough of our garden bounty to feed my family of 5 throughout the year until the next growing season with feeding visitors (so, I'm sometimes cooking for up to 10) and such thrown in for fun.
*****************
Lanna, mama to three little monkeys |
| Alee |
Posted - May 18 2009 : 8:33:12 PM
Mom bought me 13 plants, and I think I might buy another dozen when I get back from my trip. I love tomatos and I want to can this fall or winter. I really like the idea of freezing the tomatoes to seperate the juice from the pulp and then saving the juice for soups and stews. I also like the idea of waiting to can until it's cold out (from another thread).
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
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| Thistle Cove Farm |
Posted - May 18 2009 : 4:09:02 PM
Gosh, can you ever have too many tomato plants? I don't think so. The extras, if there are extras, can be given to the food pantry, neighbors, family, friends or taken to the farmers' market and turned into cash. I can a lot of produce and tomatoes are always helpful in eating out of hand and cooking in winter. My cousin even canned green tomatoes so he could have friend green tomatoes in the winter.
About fried green tomatoes - take firm green tomatoes, slice them, bread them but don't dip them in milk. Instead freeze them individually on a tray and when frozen put them in a vacuum seal bag. When snowballs are flying, take them out, dip them in milk and fry them. It doesn't taste as good as fresh but then it's not July either! -smile-
Sandra @ Thistle Cove Farm ~ God's blessings on you, yours and the work of your hands & heart ~
www.thistlecovefarm.com
www.thistlecovefarm.blogspot.com |
| FebruaryViolet |
Posted - May 18 2009 : 12:22:20 PM
I have 10, Brandywine among them. I was glad that I purchased them when I read what a good all use tomato they were. I also got a few other heirlooms, but the jury is out, Kristin--it's still too early here. I'll let you know, though.
I make my own tomato sauce and salsa from them, but as far as just "eating" tomatoes goes, I'm the only one who eats them in our house.
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
| AlyssaMarie |
Posted - May 18 2009 : 10:41:44 AM
The year before last, we had 6-8 plants and at the end of the season we harvested about 50 pounds of tomatos. Which we made 12 quarts of canned spaghetti sauce from, plus some to eat fresh. This year I started with 2 plants to get a start on salads and will plant plenty more for canning. I don't think we'll go through the effort of sauce though as that took a couple of days of cooking to render down to spaghetti sauce. This year I'll just can cut or crushed tomatos and make fresher spaghetti sauce throughout the year!
AlyssaMarie @ Link'd Hearts Ranch
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| Ms.Lilly |
Posted - May 18 2009 : 07:32:11 AM
Well let see here....I have 47 in the garden, 3 that will stay in the greenhoulse all summer, and I am thinking about putting another 3 in the garden just to make it an even 50! I also have aprox. 160 pepper plants sitting in the greenhouse ready to join those tomatos. Everything will either get canned, frozen dehydrated or eaten fresh. If there is any left over it will go to my family and the local foodbank.
Lillian
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| jpbluesky |
Posted - May 18 2009 : 06:07:44 AM
I have a total of about 12 plants, and there are already over 24 tomatoes ripening in my kitchen. Three times that still on the vine. Have fun with yours!
Farmgirl Sister # 31
www.blueskyjeannie.blogspot.com
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
| ddmashayekhi |
Posted - May 18 2009 : 05:50:44 AM
I plant at least a dozen or more plants for my family. What can't be eaten or given away is frozen. They are delicious in chilis or stews. I hope you have a superb harvest this summer!
Dawn in IL |
| RedHoopWoman |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 11:14:48 PM
I have 22 plants out now,this gives me enough for fresh eating,giveaway and some canning of tomato sauce.
Kris,I believe in planting heirloom and open pollinated varieties but there are varieties that perform better than others and sometimes you have to try a few different varieties to find ones that work for you,I always grow Amish paste and Brandywine,both good proven Amish varieties that have always been vigorous and produced well for me and are also popular amongst other heirloom growers,you might give those a shot if you haven't already,I would be happy to send you some seeds if you like,they won't help you this year but you can try them the next and see how they do.
"Today's Mighty Oak is just Yesterday's Nut" |
| asnedecor |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 2:59:48 PM
For two of us, I plant 6 to 8 plants each year. This year it was 7. This gives the two of us just enough for fresh, for me to make salsa and can some ketchup.
Anne in Portland, OR
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh
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| Bellepepper |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 1:10:22 PM
I have 8 plants in one garden, 5 in the herb garden and 6 in the other garden. Let's see how many is that? If we have a good crop, there will be more tomatoes than I'll have the energy to can. I always make my salsa first, then I can chunk tomatoes, then tomato juice. Last year was not a good year for tomatoes so I got my salsa made and then did tomato juice. I don't like store bought tomato juice (made from concentrate) so I try to make juice for drinking. Several times last year I had just a little juice, not enough to can or for a second canner and I froze it. I hadn't used any of it till the other day. Didn't care for it for drinking so will use it for soup and chili.
We have a good friend that we give tomatoes when we have extra. He always tries to pay me. I tell him that he can't afford it. With the time and money I have invested in my gardens, no way I could charge enough. So we just give them to him. |
| Especially For You |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 10:22:36 AM
I have 14 plants for my DH and myself. Od course I usualy give some to our elderly neighbor.
Tina |
| Betty J. |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 09:36:46 AM
For my family of one, I now have 14 plants in the ground and room for about three or four more. I have lots of volunteers coming up in the garden and would like to save some of those. There are also volunteer potatoes that I missed when digging last year.
For my tomatoes, I plant extras and share with the neighbors and also can for my dear sister who is not able to use the extra salt that comes in storebought canned tamatoes. I also can for myself and may even can for my DS #2 and DDIL who are now moving into their own place and have room for storage.
Betty in Pasco |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 09:22:04 AM
I would think for a family of 3 that 10-15 would do to have enuf to can and have fresh tomatoes and give some away thru the season. They do take up a lot of space, too.
I am not having any luck with the heirloom seeds I got from Wintersown. I planted 6 of the 9 pack cells so far and about 8 of them are still out there. I have 3 more cell packs to plant. Not having much luck with them. My hubby said for me to just go get some Rutgers and Better Boys so we'll have some. I hate to do this but it looks like I'll have to just to have some.
Anyone else having problems with heirlooms?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| lisamarie508 |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 09:02:39 AM
When it comes to canning...I don't limit myself other than how much space I have for them! If I can more than I need, I have friends and neighbors who can use it!
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
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