North Florida Gardening

[PlainJane]

Outstanding New Varieties
GGWT. Never have I experienced such extremes. It was hideous 2 years in a row so I gave the seeds away. This year with fresh seed it was a star and I’ll grow at least 2 plants next year.
Cowboy. This is a keeper. Wish I hadn’t wasted the space with Hoy.
Vorlon. Funny, didn’t get many plugs from others here but it was outstanding for me.
Noire Charbonneuse. Flavor right up there with Daniel Burson and it was my earliest large tomato.

Mainstay Varieties, Grow Most Every Year
Hoosier Outlaw Black Cherry
Green Bee
Maglia Rosa
Daniel Burson
Solar Flare

TBD
Lime Green Salad. I grow this every 3-4 years. It’s early, easy to manage size-wise and flavor is decent.
KBX. Disappointed again this year. May try a new seed source after my experience with GGWT.
Mary Reynolds. Also disappointed. Will continue the search for a large Orange slicer with flavor.
Awesome Emma. Still deciding. Very prolific, healthy ,minimal to no splitting and ok flavor.
Green Gables. Ok, but I’ll keep looking for a better GWR slicer.

Won’t Be Back
Marceline
Owen’s Purple
Lufichoise
Varsovia
Copia Z Dziokiem
Dark Shekel
Vert du Huy
Amalfi Orange
Hoy
Benevento

[Seven Bends]

Outstanding New Varieties
GGWT. Never have I experienced such extremes. It was hideous 2 years in a row so I gave the seeds away. This year with fresh seed it was a star and I’ll grow at least 2 plants next year.
Cowboy. This is a keeper. Wish I hadn’t wasted the space with Hoy.
Vorlon. Funny, didn’t get many plugs from others here but it was outstanding for me.

What were the main negatives about Hoy? I think you said basically good/decent taste but not outstanding -- is that the main reason you won't repeat it? I started 10 seeds of it this spring (from 2011, part of a generous gift from another poster) but got zero germination, so I'm wondering whether it's worth trying again.

Vorlon's on my short list to try next year, partly because it looks so beautiful here: https://www.tomatofifou.com/en/produit/vorlon/
I have seeds from the 2021-2022 MMMM.

[karstopography]

Thanks for the review! My one Hoy plant wasn’t very good this year with the tomatoes I did get and was plagued with BER. I’m going to give up on it for at least a couple of years. Maybe Hoy is variable year to year or extra fussy about having things just so to be any good. I seem to have mostly gotten over the attraction or fascination of growing monster sized tomatoes anyway. Flavor is my primary guide now.

GGWT went from Hideous to a star. Interesting. Seems like getting the correct seeds is key. GGWT was on one of my grow lists, but reading some bad reviews dissuaded me from trying it.

Vorlon is almost a certainty for me to grow in 2025. I ordered seeds from Delectation of Tomatoes just the other day, plus several other varieties.

Your results mirror my own, but with mostly a completely different mix of tomatoes. Some new found loves, some maybe and maybe nots, and some that won’t ever return, or at least not return without finding a better source of seeds.

[PlainJane]

@Seven Bends, Hoy is a big plant and took up an entire 30 gal. grow bag. For that I expect more than 2 tomatoes of average flavor.

[PlainJane]

@karstopography I was completely and very happily surprised by GGWT. Seeds were from Delectation of Tomatoes.
Planning to spend many an hour over the next few months on his site to choose some new varieties for next year. And I’ll probably add a couple of your all stars as we have such similar conditions.

[PlainJane]

Already added Nicky Crain and Missouri Pink Love Apple to the seed stash.

[Seven Bends]

@Seven Bends, Hoy is a big plant and took up an entire 30 gal. grow bag. For that I expect more than 2 tomatoes of average flavor.

As well you should! Thanks for explaining; I don't think I'll bother with it, either.

[PlainJane]

2 down, 18 to go.
I’m having to relocate the tomato growing area away from the path of a renovation starting soon.
Timing might be tight, but I’m really hoping it’s finished enough outside at least by March 1st target planting out date.

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[karstopography]

2 down, 18 to go.
I’m having to relocate the tomato growing area away from the path of a renovation starting soon.
Timing might be tight, but I’m really hoping it’s finished enough outside at least by March 1st target planting out date.
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Fun doing all that heavy lifting in sweating weather.

[PlainJane]

Yeah, @karstopography, splitting the work between today and tomorrow since I’m off.
And frequent breaks.

[PlainJane]

Mission accomplished.

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Taking a break, and hoping to do a bit of cleanup in the raised beds so I can start fall prep next weekend.

[GoDawgs]

Isn't it a good feeling when you're on the downhill side of a project? Lookin' good!

[PlainJane]

The relentless rain has made a few garden residents happy at least.

Dwarf ‘Day’ avocado.

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Little leaf basil.

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Fruit on the Col de Dame Blanc fig.

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[PlainJane]

I took a break from storm cleanup and sowed 3 flats of fall veggies - onions, fennel and 3 colors of cauliflower.

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Direct sowed beans and beets just before Helene and they’re mostly up.

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My hope is to make more progress tomorrow on the yard and get the carrot seed in.

[karstopography]

Good luck with the fall crops.

[marisolstice]

I have read this whole thread 2x now, and really appreciate the longevity and detail. I am southeast of you, but it's really helpful seeing the dates you plant and harvest. After 3 years in FL, I feel like I am just starting to get a feel for the garden cycle. Thank you!

[PlainJane]

@marisolstice, it’s taken me many years to get accustomed to how different it is here. I do still miss many plants I can’t grow like peonies, lilacs, etc.
And it’s noticeably warmer now than in 2009 so I find myself constantly juggling seed starting dates.
@karstopography is a good person to follow also for timings and what does well.

[PlainJane]

lol, I should have lots of cauliflower this winter.
The sweet peppers are still producing and I just had the first pick of the Dragon Langerie beans.
Snap and snow peas coming up, Fava beans starting to flower, onions still small but doing ok.

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[PlainJane]

I picked the very last of the fresh beans and added to yesterday’s soup.

Cauliflower really cranking.

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[PlainJane]

Taking a break for lunch but the pots and trays are scrubbed, soil mix ready.

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The return of the sideways photos is driving me crazy. My old iPad trick no longer works, annoyingly.