Montana Tomato Project

[Cathy A]

We're probably going to get frost here the next 2 nights, so I will be putting a heavy row cover on the tomatoes already transplanted out.

I am hoping to see differences between varieties in how much their growth is impacted.

[William Schlegel]

Tomato outplanting weekend is disorganized. Tiller already stopped tilling. Family here. All kinds of oopsies.

Planting crossing stock in the backyard.

[William Schlegel]

The backyard is a bit overloaded with crossing stock, but now so is one bed on the garden land. I have more tomatoes for next weekend that are still too small.

I think I got at least one of every 2022 cross I made out planted. Some I got enough planted for the 2023 grow out.

The small row I planted last weekend is now an interesting result. It has been eaten to a remarkable extent by Colorado potato beetles. If it survives, it will have been very stressed. So I extended it and planted some of the arthropod resistant project. Though I hedged my bets in the other potato beetle free garden.

 I only have one surviving clump of 2023 LA2329 due to a couple clumps dying in the greenhouse.

[Cathy A]

I've had the opposite problem. Many of my tomatoes were started quite early and I am struggling to keep them happy inside, but I am still getting frosts, preventing me from transplanting them outside.

[William Schlegel]

This was such long cold winter I anticipated planting later being a possibility. Also just decided to grow six week old starts instead of eight to save space and time. Not everything worked out perfectly but I already have more crossing material planted than I can normally use so it should be a productive year in some ways!

[William Schlegel]

Here is what I have in my greenhouse after planting out and then another round of transplanting. All plants I think need another week to grow before transplanting.

[William Schlegel]

Amongst the seedlings from my Dwarf Gloria's treat x current tomato cross I found some potato leaf seedlings. They are either selfed meaning my emasculation was imperfect or if they don't turn out rugose likely a cross with my Mission Mountain Morning project. Transplanted them this morning. They don't look rugose- yet.

[Andrew Barney]

The backyard is a bit overloaded with crossing stock, but now so is one bed on the garden land. I have more tomatoes for next weekend that are still too small.

I think I got at least one of every 2022 cross I made out planted. Some I got enough planted for the 2023 grow out.

The small row I planted last weekend is now an interesting result. It has been eaten to a remarkable extent by Colorado potato beetles. If it survives, it will have been very stressed. So I extended it and planted some of the arthropod resistant project. Though I hedged my bets in the other potato beetle free garden.

Is this a common problem for you with tomatoes and potatoes?

[William Schlegel]

Colorado potato beetles are common in the valley. Of my six isolation gardens they only hang out in this one. It has annual nightshade.

[Cathy A]

If you could breed a tomato variety with high resistance to potato beetles, that could have real value. Having one bed with consistent high pest pressure could be a good breeding ground.

[William Schlegel]

Given the levels of depredation on the weekend before lasts planting. I expect answers on last weekends planting next weekend. Practically instantaneous by scientific standards.

[Andrew Barney]

Wow those potato beetles sure are awful! Glad I don't have those here!

But I think I just found a baby tomato hornworm in my grow tent after back filling the extra tomato plant pots with soil from the raised bed. I had significant tomato hornworm problems last year, even on the non-domestics.

Oh the problems of living near people who grow the same crop year after year without crop rotation.

For me in this house it seems all the old people who grow a tomato plant or two every summer. Surely these tomato hornworm moths are surviving and reproducing in this area somehow. At my parents property they were much more rare, but sometimes would feast on the concord grape vines.

[William Schlegel]

The depredation slowed markedly but is ongoing. The Colorado potato beetles seem to like LA2329 habrochaites just fine damage and eggs. I saw them crawling on LA1410 galapagense but no obvious damage yet. I expect a few of the three week old seedlings to pull through. Also saw a few in the other garden on my tomatoes there. Lots of hungry overwinterers.

I added to that depredated row with some extras. Also planted the other garden.

Did three direct seeded areas two in isolation gardens of Joseph's promiscuous project the one and others. Then one adjacent to the potato beetle depredation from last year's MMM and The One crossing block. Sort of a last ditch effort to find that cross! Though included lots of The One from crossing blocks in the main The One garden.

All I have left is a partial flat of Amethyst Cream to give away mostly and two late planted flats of Joseph's promiscuous project.

[William Schlegel]

I maximally labeled my tomatoes in the backyard and backyard greenhouse for later manual crossing.

Tags and flags with writing on them.

[William Schlegel]

My 2022 Mission Mountain, The One!, little pumpkins crossing block in the sw garden has sent up about a dozen volunteers of both potato leaf and regular leaf tomatoes. So I weeded it and added some seed today.

 The row in the newer fenced garden where I direct seeded the same experiment is germinating but it looks like potato beetles are eating them already too!

My other two direct seeded patches each in their own garden are both germinating as well.

Only one of my six gardens now is still empty. I saw no volunteers and there is too much grass in it. Still no rototillers.