Home Grown Tomatoes

Meanderer

Meanderer

Supreme Member
Location
PA
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Mmmmmmm.....you have my mouth watering! It's next to impossible to get a good tomato in Florida. Something about the weather and the soil makes it difficult to grow the big ol' tasty ones. You can get some passible ones, but not the juice acidic ones that just scream out for two slices of white bread, lots of mayo and salt.
 
jujube said:
Mmmmmmm.....you have my mouth watering! It's next to impossible to get a good tomato in Florida. Something about the weather and the soil makes it difficult to grow the big ol' tasty ones. You can get some passible ones, but not the juice acidic ones that just scream out for two slices of white bread, lots of mayo and salt.
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Yes! mmmmm :yes:
 

jujube said:
Mmmmmmm.....you have my mouth watering! It's next to impossible to get a good tomato in Florida. Something about the weather and the soil makes it difficult to grow the big ol' tasty ones. You can get some passible ones, but not the juice acidic ones that just scream out for two slices of white bread, lots of mayo and salt.
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applecruncher said:
Yes! mmmmm :yes:
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One of life's simple pleasures!

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jujube said:
Mmmmmmm.....you have my mouth watering! It's next to impossible to get a good tomato in Florida. Something about the weather and the soil makes it difficult to grow the big ol' tasty ones. You can get some passible ones, but not the juice acidic ones that just scream out for two slices of white bread, lots of mayo and salt.
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Having grown up in a Chicago suburb I was privileged to enjoy the greatest tomatoes in the world. Big and fat I stood over the sink with a slat shaker and gorged myself on those monsters like my dad taught me to do. Then there were fried red tomatoes. My brother could not get enough of those. Now living in Texas there are none that can compare. I am told the reason is the winters' affect on the soil makes the difference and in the South are winters last about two weeks. Same holds true with corn on the cob. Corn in Florida is by far the best. Illinois had good corn but it was never consistent. One week the farmers stand was great but the next week it was not. Texas corn is OK.
 
A good friend of mine used to grow tomatoes from seed each year. They were big and fat and had a pink & yellow color. They were delicious!
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fmdog44 said:
Having grown up in a Chicago suburb I was privileged to enjoy the greatest tomatoes in the world. Big and fat I stood over the sink with a slat shaker and gorged myself on those monsters like my dad taught me to do. Then there were fried red tomatoes. My brother could not get enough of those. Now living in Texas there are none that can compare. I am told the reason is the winters' affect on the soil makes the difference and in the South are winters last about two weeks. Same holds true with corn on the cob. Corn in Florida is by far the best. Illinois had good corn but it was never consistent. One week the farmers stand was great but the next week it was not. Texas corn is OK.
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You're right about the Florida corn, especially Zellwood corn, grown on "muck farms". "Muck" was dredged out of Lake Apopka and spread on the farms, resulting in incredibly rich soil. Best corn in the world. Unfortunately, the runoff from the muck farms went back into Lake Apopka, causing more muck and "blooms" and eliminating most of the fish in the lake.

The muck was 20 feet deep in places and the bass couldn't "nest". Male bass will clear out a circular place on the floor of the lake; mama picks out a nest she likes, lays her eggs and takes off. Papa stays around, fanning the eggs with his tail to keep silt from building up so the eggs don't smother. Papa Bass doesn't get the Father of the Year Award, though. When the eggs hatch, the basslings had better take off like bass out of hell, 'cause daddy will eat any of the hatchlings he can catch.

They have largely phased out the muck farms and Lake Apopka (once the bass fishing capital of the world turned into a murky, stinky lake) is coming back faster than expected. Unfortunately, that cut down on the Zellwood corn, which pretty much can only be bought locally these days.....at the least the Zellwood corn of the old days...big juicy tasty kernels.
 
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Heritage Tomatoes! Yes! Tomatoes are big biz in FL. The University of Florida Horticulture Science Dept. has hybrid heritage tomatoes with TASTE that they have developed with great resistance to rot, mold, etc. For a "suggested" $10 donation they send you three packets of seeds - different varieties. They are close to having enough for commercial development now. I grew them last year in six 5 gallon buckets and YES_YES_YES great juicy taste that I haven't had in years. Huge yield and my neighbors all love me now.

Just finished my raised bed plot and will be doing more this year. Can't wait!

Yes, white bread, mayo, salt. I can gorge until I am half-sick...<g>...
 
I'm hoping soon that I can get mine planted.

Going to use pots this year because the critters were eating them last year and I can protect the pots better.
 
Meanderer said:
A good friend of mine used to grow tomatoes from seed each year. They were big and fat and had a pink & yellow color. They were delicious!
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My parents always planted some of those. They were less sour, and good for sandwiches because they weren't so juicy. Ohio is tomato country. I miss the tomatoes. :(

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Shalimar said:
For decades my cherry tomatoes were delicious. However, for the past three years they have been tasteless. I can’t figure it out.
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I can remember when we were small, how we got to pick cherry tomatoes at our grandmas house. They were always there on the vine, right within our reach.....it was like magic!:)
 
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