Plants outside are opening flowers, and with the weather on the cool side should set well.

Grub, my faux Box Car Willie has 5 fruit set. They are definetly beefstake type and not round reds, so that about confirms there fauxness (sorry, I dont think that is a word). The possible true one has opened flowers, and I should be able to tell if they are globes or not in a couple of weeks.

For those who haven't followed the thread on the US site, many folks have grown BCW's that have turned out to be something else. A ribbed flattened type beefstake, whereas the true one should be round blemish free fruit. Anyway, I have grown them from two sources this year and the ones from TGS seem to be the true blue BCW. Time will tell for sure.
Cheers for now Mantis

Mantis,
Did you get your FAUX BCW seeds from Rosco? That is the BCW I planted along with my BCW Faux. I'm hoping his are the real deal.

What did you think of Crnkovic Yugoslavia?

I'm growing it this year.

Thanks for sharing the others.

The faux BCW was my favourite tomato last year. I grew five and most had clefts, which doesn't worry me at all, but one was big with round shoulders and I saved a heap from that one and marked them.

I have really fond memories of eating those Faux BCW. Rich, tomatoey, juicy. Just what I was looking for. And really productive with clusters of two to three or four fruits. I wouldn't be surprised if its better than the real BCW. Lived a long time too.

Grub, having a Kiwi Sav Plonk.

BTW: Gotta love FIL's keyboard. Like I can type again. Laptops are my nemesis.

Mantis,
For christ sake, per-lease, just grow one bigger than the troll. :)

Here are ours, 5 weeks old

I'm wishing that I started mine a bit earlier... I've just started potting them even tho most still only have cotyledons. Some are just starting to get their first true leaves.

PP

I'm looking after these for "Totora" (well I've given them to him) while Mr and Mrs Totora are swanning around France, Italy and Greece!

My little babies in their jiffy pots toughening up in the cool Melbourne nights. Some of these will go to Marysville which is far too cold for tomatoes as yet.

Critters still in the glasshouse for my sale in Marysville (I hope)

View of my veggie garden. Milano turnips in the foreground with spinach, some caps and a few other bits and pieces.

All the Italian and other types of onions on trial.

Transplanted onions with Mescalun mix at the end.

This is the first fruit on my Polar Baby:

Adamus, I mulch with Eucalyptus leaves, amongst other things.

Our soil is heavy clay, so we build up our soil the no-dig gardening way. It's amazing how the soil changes in just one year with this method. When I planted the present lot of tomatoes, I had to be careful not to harm too many worms. Scratch away the mulch, carefully rip the newspapers, and you'll see tons of worms scurrying away.

I use any organic matter available for mulching/building up soil. Leftover sheep wool after shearing, raked up eucalyptus leaves (naturally mixed with sheep poop), hydrangea mulch (we have a monster pruning day every year, the stems go straight through the mulcher and everything is bagged up, ready for use), straw, newspapers, compost, chicken manure.....

I'd never have thought that one day I'll actually get great satisfaction out of looking at the soil. It's very rewarding to see all the changes.

The tomatoes I planted last week look very heathy. Despite the 2 frosts in a row. Happy happy happy....

Mantis
BTW 8 fruit set on Brandywine Suddeth waaaahoooo

All my tommies are planted out except for a Green Giant seedling which is still in the hot house.

I have fruit set on Jaune Negib, Cherokee Green and Little Lucky.

Plenty of flowers on the rest so hopefully more to report in a week or so.

" No seriously, one person I tried to give them to last year just looked at me incredulous.:

believe it or not, I actually buy turnips and parsnips, lol, theyre good in a soup

Thought I’d share what is happening in my tomato patch at the moment.

1. Earl’s Faux: Plant is about four feet tall with plenty of flowers, but no fruit set as yet.
2. Cherokee Purple: Growing well with plenty of flowers and one tomato so far.
3. Cherokee Green: Similar height to 1 and has set about nine fruit.
4. Marianna’s Peace: See 1.
5. Cherokee Chocolate: Seedling was ripped out of the garden bed two weeks ago. New seeds planted failed to germinate. Will try next season.
6. Jaune Negib: Two plants in pots are both about three feet tall and both have about 15 fruit set.
7. Little Lucky: PL1 – four fruit PL2 – one fruit RL1 – two fruit.
8. Santorini: Not growing myself because it is a cherry tom.
9. Eckert Polish: Plenty of flowers – no fruit set.
10. Fritsche: See 9
11. Paragon: See 9
12. Lucky Cross: Seedling was ripped out of garden bed two weeks ago. Have one new seedling at first true leaves stage.
13. Regina’s Yellow: Three tomatoes
14. Turkey Chomp: See 9
15. Hawaiian Pineapple: See 9
16. Hillbilly: See 9
17. Australian Pink: Part of Raymondo’s Aussie Tom Growout. 2 Plants at 2-3 feet tall with three and four fruit set respectively.
18. Burracker’s Favourite: Still a small plant, having just set its first flower truss.
19. Brandywine Sudduth’s: PL1 & RL1 – See 18
20. Amana Orange: See 18
21. Black Krim: See 18
22. Livingstone’s Stone: One fruit set.
23. Lime Green Salad: Two plants in pots – see 9
24. Black From Tula: See 18
25. Aunt Ruby’s German Green: Two plants in the garden – see 18
26. Box Car Willie: See 18
27. Anna Russian: See 18
28. White Beauty: Seedling planted out was snapped off at ground level by wind. Try again next season.
29. Green Giant: One PL seedling planted out today (Wednesday).
30. Lyuda’s Large Red Ukrainian: All seeds failed to germinate. Will try and source seed for next season.
31. Turkish: Given a bunch of seedlings and some seeds recently from a bloke who in turn got them from a mate who says they are of Turkish origin. Two seedlings planted out in the garden are small, but both have flower trusses and one plant has set a tomato already.

Spatz, lovely plant. Looks in the peak of health!

Noice plant there Spatz. Looks to be really starting to take off.

My Cherokee Green is a strange one. It has hundreds of flowers but has only set about 10 fruit (some of them with some help from other pollen), and the fruit look like they are going to be very small.

Box Car Willie has finally set some fruit. Slow motion this fella is.

Cherokee Purple is doing the same as last year with a huge first truss of fruit and then nothing on the trusses above.

Dont think Kellogs Breakfast likes the greenhouse, so he might get moved out on the weekend.

Nepal X Tommy Toe cross has opened flowers. Cant wait to see what the fruit is like.

Crossed flower of College Challenger (mother) with Brandywine suddeth has taken and is swelling, Yeeehaahh.
Hoping to get the fruit ripened and seeds from it sown by sometime in Jan, but as we know, the best laid plans ......

Best outside tom so far is Soiux. Three of them are all setting fruit.

Cheers for now Mantis

Grub's Green PL is my strongest seedling. Anyone growing GG and, if so, what's the leaf type for you?

My pairs of Mountain Princess, Sophies Choice, New Big Dwarf and coule of others destined for pots are also doing wonderfully and will bepotted up this weekend. Been shopping: can't find cheap 40ltr pots. Only need 12. All mine are 25ltr.

Mary Italian

Burracker's Favorite (American variety hence the spelling)

Snow pea flower (well, I thought it was nice)

I pulled them the other day coz I didn't label them, but with virtually no care they were 10 times the size of the cup-dwellers. I really think something isn't right there: if not the foam (which reminds me to check coz y'day afternoon the chook ate a large piece of foam) then I think it's the wide range of temperatures in the wee cup of soil. I reckon they could be big enough to plant out this weekend.

Lomatia,
That's really exciting. Not too many PL greens in the world. A lot of interest in this one from Up Over, too. I second the bit about them being like little trees. So strong. And if last year is anything to go by they hit a manageable 5ft or so.

I can't wait to sow Denise's saved Grub's Mystery Green seeds from a PL grown last NH season. Will be interesting to see if they are stable. Sowing them this weekend.

Last season, there I was waiting for a black Paul Robeson fruit and then I thought, hey, that's turning green-gold and, wow, it's ripe to touch. Then to cut it open, lay the vibrant green slices on a Kavli biscuit, season and taste. I guess you could call it a nice surprise. Delicious, in fact.

If anyone would like some saved seeds of Grub's Mystery Green just email me. I haven't got loads, as it's not a particularly seedy fruit more meaty, but about 50 or so seeds that I would be thrilled to send out if you're interested.

Ciao, Grub :)

Thought it might be time for an update on what's in the garden tomato-wise.
Anna Russian
Australian Red
Azoychka (Anioleka)
Azoychka (TGS – the two are different)
Ballandean Roma
Burracker’s Favorite
Camp Joy
Cherokee Green
Cherokee Purple
Clear Pink Early
College Challenger
Eva Purple Ball
Galina’s
German Johnson
Golden Ponderosa
Great White Beefsteak
Heatherington Pink
Indian Stripe
Jaune Flammée
Joe Thieneman’s Australian Heart
June Pink
Kimberly
Livingston’s Giant Oxheart
Marianna’s Peace
Mary Italian
Moldovan Green
Mortgage Lifter (Estler’s Strain)
Oleyar’s German
Orange Heirloom
Orlov Yellow
Paragon
Phil’s Fantastic
Pineapple Fog
Rasp Large Red
Red Cloud
Rinaldo
Salad Special
San Marzano
Sioux
Sophie’s Choice
Stick
Striped (or Speckled) Roman
Tennessee Britches
Verna Orange
Victorian Dwarf
There are still some waiting in the wings to be planted out.

Ray,
You crack me up. No long ago you had Sydney tomato blues and said next year you were going to mix it up and, I was assuming, cut back on your list. But no way! It's blown out big time. You have more, for sure. And no need to rip-up the paving around the pool this time. Those nematodes will be missing you. Lol. I'm counting 45 on that list and more t/c. Way to go. You are hooked again.

Just planted out six in pots: New Big Dwarf, Mountain Princess, Kimberly, Sophies Choice, Russian Red and Totem.

Here are some of the outside plants. Of these Paul Robeson, Wes, Father Tom, Souix and Unknown from Volvo have fruit on.

Anna Russian

Soldaki

Faux Box Car Willie

Polish Dwarf

Anyone care to join?

Must go. Off to a seafood night. All you can eat type of show yeeehaahhhh

Lomatia,
I f you want so info on Grub's Mystery Green see http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/msg091114503336.html

(Apologies for typos and/or spelling errors.)

Anna Russian
Australian Red
Azoychka (Anioleka)
Azoychka (TGS – the two are different)
Ballandean Roma
Burracker’s Favorite
Camp Joy
Cherokee Green
Cherokee Purple
Clear Pink Early
College Challenger
Concrete Red
Eva Purple Ball
Galina’s Yellow
German Johnson
Golden Ponderosa
Great White Beefsteak
Heatherington Pink
Imur Prior Beta
Indian Stripe
Jaune Flammée
Joe Thieneman’s Australian Heart
June Pink
Kimberly
Livingston’s Giant Oxheart
Marianna’s Peace
Mary Italian
Moldovan Green
Mortgage Lifter (Estler’s Strain)
Neves Azorean Red
Oleyar’s German
Orange Heirloom
Orlov Yellow
Paragon
Peach
Phil’s Fantastic
Pineapple Fog
Rasp Large Red
Red Cloud
Rinaldo
Salad Special
San Marzano
Silvery Fir Tree
Sioux
Sophie’s Choice
Stick
Striped (or Speckled) Roman
Tennessee Britches
Verna Orange
Yellow Bell

Great list, Ray. We only have 7 in common.

I haven't posted much for a while, far too busy with fuel reduction around the place. While fighting a severe case of hayfever. Great fun, I can tell you! 2 more weeks of hard work to go - hopefully my vegie garden is still alive by then.

Compare this with the pic above from Nov4

And here are the cages. A grafted Anna Russian on the left is going beserk

I think you will need oxygen masks soon.

:)

Everything is splendid here but for a dash of purple-leaf of German Red Strawberry and a relcacitrant Olema's... which has that strange upward, skyward, leaf habit.

But yours are very lush and helathy . Keep it up, matey, For my sake, at least :)

I still have the last and final bed to fit with a leaky hose and seedlings, which are all at cotlyedon stage. Looks like it'll be my Fall Crop. Then there is the front bed!

Chillies are coming along really well this year :)

Quite a lot of the plants are either flowering or have flower buds. Still looking healthy. The weeds are looking good, too. Not sure you'd see the plants if I took pictures. The weeds are like triffids.

Mantis,
Let me know what your verdict is one cages, okay? The wire ain't cheap.

And, importantly, let me know if Grub's Mystery Green in PL for you. All mine sown from Denise are PL.

Spatz again,
You'll get the same fruit from the RL and then I can send the PL seeds for you next year :) It was really delicious for me and Denise.

I only have four cages and they are great for big plants but are a pain to store in the winter.
Mantis

When leaf disease sets in it's that crispy dark-green leaf thang and not the usual EB. And the plant was a semi-sparse 5-footer for me. Maybe reaching 6.5ft in a good enviro.

Thanks for the tip re cage storage. I have long been thinking of them but haven't got there yet. Keep up the great work. Good growing, Grub:)

I too am joining the green-with-envy club... Mantis I can't believe your tommies are so big already!

We have fruit on the Broad Ripple Yellow Currant and the Jaune Flamme. Also in the plot and all with flowers:
Cherokee Purple, Kelloggs Breakfast, Roma San Marzano, Principe Borghese, Brandywine Suddeth.