A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

Tomatoes for Florida Aquaponics

Ok, I suppose I need to choose some tomato's real soon so I can start them for the spring tomato season. Does anyone have favorites that have done well for them here in Florida?

Tell us a bit about your favorites. Are they Determinate or indeterminate? What kind of fruit and what are they good for.

I'm kinda in search of some things that will produce fruit all at once for sauce and salsa making. (That has been one of my goals that I've not managed since in the past I've planted mostly indeterminate varieties that tend to produce fruit through out the season rather than all at once.)

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Permalink Reply by M Cosmo on February 2, 2011 at 12:16pm

I just ordered the following from Johnnys. and a bunch of other stuff. I am also picking up some from Vertigro on Thursday. I will post what I get.

Pics from Johnnys

Sweet Mojo (F1)-Mini "Grape"

delicious baby red grape.

Excellent, sweet-flavored fruits are like a smaller version of Red Grape. They are uniform in size, avg. 10 gm., have good texture, and resist cracking. Indeterminate. Avg. 200,000 seeds/lb. Mini: 20 seeds.

Sweet Olive (F1)-Mini On sale now $1.00

Baby red grape tomato.

Bite-size, firm, oval-shaped grape tomatoes. Fruits avg. 10 gm. Plants have medium-short internodes and are manageable without pruning, but staking is recommended. Determinate. Mini: 20 seeds.

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on February 2, 2011 at 12:27pm

I've always done very well with the small tomatoes here in FL. Seems the cherry, grape and jellybean varieties can handle our hot humid summers far better than any of the big boys. (Only trouble is, I don't eat fresh tomatoes myself. I think there is something in fresh tomatoes that I must be allergic too so I'm hoping to grow some bigger ones for cooking and sauce and such.)

Anyway, I have grown the supersweet 100 I think it is as well as a jellybean variety that I believe were both F1 indeterminates from the seed racks at lowes or where ever and they did great. Grew on and on being trained back and forth along the strings at one side of the system. If you like and want lots of small salad tomatoes, they are a great easy grower here in FL, I've even had some plants make it through summer (they might not produce well during summer but the smaller ones at least survive) and keep producing well all fall until being frozen back.

Permalink Reply by David Hart on February 3, 2011 at 5:14am

Hi TCLynx, Tomato Growers Supply Company has a determinate paste/sauce tomato that 'might be' what your looking for ( I haven't tried them) They have one called...Viva Italia, it's a hybrid and they say it 'sets' tomatoes at a higher heat then regular romas do.

Also, look at the Homestead, it's determinate with medium size tomatoes...also...Solar Fire and Solar Set

Again, I haven't tried these myself yet.......

These are from 'SEEDS OF CHANGE'....
they are indeterminate types and are said to do well in the humid heat...Moneymakers 2-4 oz, Arkansa Traveler 5-7 oz., and Cherokee Purple 8-10 oz.

These from Tomato Growers Supply Company.....TROPIC... Florida....Gulf State Market...and Marion.

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on February 7, 2011 at 2:16pm

Oh thank you. It is good to hear what works well for others in a similar climate. Gonna plant some eggplant for summer too.

jon and cat billings said:

Aunt Ruby's German Green (indeterminate), Cherokee Purple (indeterminate), Big Rainbow (indeterminate), Brandywine (indeterminate), Fox Cherry (indeterminate), and Silver Fir (determinate) were the ones that did well for us last summer. Amish paste is recommended for canning, sauces and salsa. My wife’s favorite is the Yellow Pear and it had done well every year. This year we are trying some new ones -Black Krim, Orange Jubilee, and Abe Lincoln.

The determinates are the way to go if you are looking for a large quantity at once from a smaller number of plants.

In any case, I highly recommend the one armed polish tomato farmer’s book called “tomato magic”. It helped us out big time when we first started growing tomatoes. You can find several links online to download the book for free or pm me and I can send you a link.

Permalink Reply by Izzy on February 15, 2011 at 8:03pm

Tomato

The use of varieties with resistance to Fusarium and Verticillium is employed widely as is resistance to alternaria stem canker and gray leaf spot. Although many varieties boast nematode resistance, it is important to note that this can breakdown under heavy nematode pressure and high soil temperatures and may be less reliable under Florida conditions. In the future, it is likely that growers will select cultivars with resistance to fusarium crown rot and viruses, such as TSWV and TYLCV, as the horticultural qualities of these varieties improve and are accepted by growers.

For more specific information, feel free you contact your local county extension Master Gardeners. :-)

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on February 15, 2011 at 8:13pm

Nematodes are probably not as big a problem in Aquaponics I suspect.

Permalink Reply by Izzy on February 15, 2011 at 8:21pm

Probably completely depends on your media, but in my experience, no.

I haven't done my training on nematodes yet; so, I don't know squat about it, but I will soon know about their desired and required living conditions as pests and what to do about them! :-)

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on February 15, 2011 at 8:28pm

Cool let us know what you find out.

I do know lots and lots of organic matter added to the soil can help plants do better even if they are attacked by root knot nematode but that and the fact that sandy soil in our climate tends to have nematode issues is about what I know about them. Container planting is supposed to be a solution but if the containers are sitting on the ground with holes in them, the nematodes can get in.

Permalink Reply by Izzy on February 15, 2011 at 8:36pm

The only thing they have told us so far is you can buy nematodes at the store (a different kind) and use it as a pesticide because they kill termites. I am actually looking for a vendor! LOL but yes, I will definitely let you know what I find out :-)

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on February 15, 2011 at 8:38pm

let me know if you do find a vendor of the beneficial nematodes. I might be interested.

Permalink Reply by Michelle Silva on February 22, 2011 at 8:34pm

Just seeing this now. I love that there is now a thread for Florida..woohoo. What a great idea. Every state can have their own thread!

The only tomatoes that I was able to harvest so far were I think "grape" tomatoes.

I have heirloom tomato seedlings I started from ones I bought from the local farm, unfortunately, they only referred to them as "heirloom"..they were humongous and different shades.I should see if I can get more details on exactly what it was.

I also planted seeds from a "green zebra" tomato I got locally and " Black Zebra" and "German Queen" from seed packets from "Tomato Growers Supply Compay" that I got for free at a conference.