The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

This is a great development for Tulsa gardeners.  Lisa Merrill, "Tomato Man's Daughter", has moved the business a mile south from the place her father ran his greenhouse on W. 81st St. to her own homestead on W 91st St.

We have bought plantings from her the last two seasons and they did quite well.  She even sells a New Mexican 180 or PDL peppers we gave her seed stock from a couple of years ago.

This is a neat development for the Tulsa area.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/homeandgarden/tomato-man-s-daughter-opens-larger-space-with-room-for/article_c628c94c-5647-5cf9-b571-9516b2bd94b1.html?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=Morning%20Headlines&utm_campaign=Morning%20Headlines

Saw that in the paper this morning.   My garden is ready to go.  Going to put something in this weekend.  Maybe onion sets, and early seeds that can take a cold snap.  I'll be heading down to her place opening weekend to get all my tomatoes and peppers and such.  I'm always amazed at the variety she has.

I planted one variety of cherry tomatoes from her last year which went nuts.  The vines went to at least 10-12 feet and they were prolific producers.  I was getting 5-10 pounds a week off of four vines at peak season.  I'd never plant them in close proximity to each other again as it turned into a huge tangle of vines.

I don't think I've had a better heirloom than Cherokee Purple, man those are good!

Cherokee Purple!   The most awesome, best tomato ever!  Always my first purchase.

Have you ever done any bush-type tomatoes?   My issue is space.  Since I moved from Owasso a couple of years ago, I have had to greatly reduce the size of my garden, and 10-12 foot plants are just too big.   I looked into bush-type tomatoes at the end of last year, but don't have any experience growing them.

I did a czech and Iraqi variety, good producers, very easy to manage but I was pretty meh on the flavor.  Just fine for juicing or making sauce but as a sliced tomato, they didn't puff my skirt.  The Amish paste tomatoes worked quite well for that purpose.

Mental image rejected.

So I emailed her yesterday regarding dwarf or bush varieties, and she does have some:

"I am offering Czech's Bush and Al-Kuffa both are indeterminate.  I haven't gotten into dwarf plants yet but hope to next season.
Our Sioux has been growing compact as well so that could be an option."

Side note and FYI to non-tomato people.  "Indeterminant" means they produce all season, like a normal tomato plant.  Prior to just a few years ago, virtually all bush and dwarf types were determinant, meaning they produced all their tomatoes all at once, and then were done.

I think I did a couple of her Sioux variety last year, and they were smaller.   The two bush types should be great options for anyone who doesn't have a large garden, or wants to do a few plants in pots on their patio.

Al-Kufta was the Iraqi variety I grew.  The plants stayed healthy until they froze in December.  I was not at all happy with the Roma’s last year, I did what I normally do with all my tomatoes when I plant them and I could never rid them of blossom rot.  There’s a lot of bang for the buck in the Amish Paste as they make larger fruit than the Roma.

Last year was a weird year for tomatoes.  I've talked to several of my fellow tomato-centric gardners, and almost all of them had issues with blossom end rot, or fungus, or something.  No one that I know had a really good year.   I nursed mine all through the Spring and Summer without much to show for it, and finally managed a solid Fall crop.

I'm heading over to the Cherry St market this Saturday morning.  Tomato Daughter is usually there. If not, I'm heading down to her new place.  One way or another, I'm taking a shot and planting stuff this weekend.  I'm guessing we are out of the woods for a frost by now.

I put tomato plants in the ground three weeks ago. I am a gambler.

You might get lucky this year.  I am a procrastinator but have rarely had any problems with spring time frost. 

Has anyone tried a grafted tomato yet?   Results??