Day 170
UPDATE#28
Grower update
Update #28
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...while not getting around to terminating these tomatoes quickly...
GrowLog
SuccessfulVivacious Tomatoes Produced a Long Slicing-Tomato Harvest in a Farm 24 XL
Grow log by tompepper7 · Original thread
28 visual updates30 photos68 replies
View recapCrop🍅Tomato
VarietyVivacious, Two Tasty
MethodAeroGarden hydroponics
EquipmentAeroGarden Harvest XL, AeroGarden Farm 24 XL, zip ties
Plants6
AudienceAdvanced
What you can learnAn exceptionally complete slicing-tomato diary with germination, transplant comparison, pruning, blossom-end-rot management, support, repeated yield, flavour evaluation, and crop longevity.
Actions:5 Harvest3 Nutrients3 Pruning1 Solution1 Equipment1 Transplant1 Training
Useful practices
- starting six tomatoes in an easy-to-clean nursery
- transplanting into a Farm at half-strength nutrients
- pruning suckers for single-vine growth
- weekly reservoir changes with Masterblend
- removing blossom-end-rot fruit
- supporting vines with zip ties
- harvesting repeatedly over several months
Problems encountered
- Two Tasty transplant stress
- one seedling shaded by other tomatoes
- blossom-end rot
- one ripening tomato fell from the vine
- dense vines concealed ripe fruit
- plants occupied both Farm sides
*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.
Conversation
L
I've GOT to get my Vivacious plant going, tompepper7. Those look scrumptious!
T
The flavor is very nice and I am interested to see what you get and what you think.
L
My plant has a couple of flowers, I noticed yesterday. It's only about a foot tall, so I have high hopes for production! I'd really like to have a good small tomato to sub in for the pale pink, thick-skinned tomatoes that HelloFresh sends.
Day 156
UPDATE#27
Grower update
Update #27
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Actions taken
HarvestPicked the likely next-to-last or final large batch.
This is probably the next to last or last batch of tomatoes. I'll trim them up and see if I want to go another week or two. All of these were picked today.
Conversation
L
Those are such beautiful tomatoes! Sad to think that the plant is nearing the end of its lifespan. tompepper7
T
I have had some nice peppers, lettuce, kale, but this is my first nice tomato crop. Currently thinking these will be replaced with more tomatoes. It is so nice when you have success with an Aerogarden crop. Really miss it when it is gone.
Day 148
UPDATE#26
Grower update
Update #26
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Actions taken
HarvestCollected more tomatoes over a two-day period.
More tomatoes picked over a couple days.
Day 138
UPDATE#25
Grower update
Update #25
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Actions taken
HarvestPicked half of the displayed ripe tomatoes that day.
More ripe tomatoes now. Half of these were picked today. It might be a bit boring to post bowls of fresh tomatoes but it is not boring to me at all. Almost forgot to add that I really like the nice mild tomato flavor of these Vivacious tomatoes. There is not much acid at all.
Conversation
U
They look nice and "meaty" too!
L
I'm going to start Vivacious and Homeslice seeds very soon. I ran out of steam today after doing R&Rs. Starting a new garden should be enjoyable--which it isn't if you've already carried around a dozen-plus gallons of water!Your Vivacious tomato photos are inspiring, tompepper7!
T
I will be interested to see what you get with the Vivacious tomatoes. While a few of mine were larger, many are smaller or medium small. Athough I have done a BLT and pico with them my favorite thing to do is to slice 3 or 4 of them with a light salt.
Day 126
UPDATE#24
Grower update
Update #24
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There was a bit of a lull before more tomatoes ripened so now I'm just gonna eat the new tomatoes:
Day 106
UPDATE#23
Grower update
Update #23
Actions taken
HarvestHarvested two of the largest tomatoes produced so far.
Today I picked a couple of the largest tomatoes so far. It is pretty exciting to be getting a crop like this.
Conversation
L
My Vivacious seeds arrived a couple of days ago, tompepper7! I'm going to start them soon. Somehow I doubt that my harvest will be as copious as yours, but hope springs eternal!
T
My tomatoes are from 3 Vivicious vines growing in one side of a Farm (but taking over both sides). I'll be interested to see how your tomatoes do.
T
Currently, all the ripe tomatoes have been picked, but I count 23 more green tomatoes at various stages growing.
Day 105
UPDATE#22
Grower update
Update #22
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Yikes, I discovered 4 ripe tomatoes that were behind the farm where I did not see them.
Conversation
L
Tomatoes are like that! They love to hide their fruit under a thick canopy or something else.
Day 105
UPDATE#21
Grower update
Update #21
Tomatoes at various stages (9 in this photo):
Day 98
UPDATE#20
Grower update
Update #20
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...just more tomatoes... I haven't been counting but I am in the 15-20 range so far. A dozen more of various sizes growing. Also changing my nice tomato flavor comment to wonderful tomato flavor. Really like them Often have them quartered or sliced with light salt.
Conversation
L
I need to put Vivacious tomatoes on my seeds list!
T
I like the Vivacious tomatoes. They are much nicer looking than my try with San Marzano, but I am using different nutrients and changing them weekly rather than bi-weekly. Probably keeping the water topped off better also.
Day 91
UPDATE#19
Conversation
U
I christen thee a certified BLT ! Good job, tompepper7!
T
Awesome!!
L
So beautiful, tompepper7!
Day 88
UPDATE#18
Grower update
Update #18
Actions taken
HarvestPicked additional tomatoes with good colour after tasting the first ripe fruit.
Jan 10, 2024 16:37:59 GMT -5 maskedsonnet said:It's super pretty! Did it taste as nice as it looks? It had a nice tomato flavor. the skin was firm. I picked more that had a good color:
Day 88
UPDATE#17
Conversation
M
It's super pretty! Did it taste as nice as it looks?
Day 83
UPDATE#16
Day 77
UPDATE#15
Grower update
Update #15
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Actions taken
TrainingSecured vines to the AeroGarden with zip ties.
I zip tied some vines to the Aerogarden.
Conversation
L
I'm always interested in seeing how members handle vines!
T
We'll see if I get tomatoes. The first smaller tomato to begin to change color got blossom end rot while it was still yellow. The second tomato to begin to change color was a larger tomato. It was beginning to turn a light orange. Today as I was watering I noticed it had fallen from the vine. It is now in a paper bag and I may run to the store for some bananas.
L
Once a tomato begins to change color, it will ripen on your kitchen countertop without any help. Lots of tomatoes will ripen from green, if you're patient.
Day 72
UPDATE#14
Grower update
Update #14
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I've been keeping an eye on the larger tomatoes for color change. Today I notice a smaller tomato is changing color.
Day 70
UPDATE#13
Grower update
Update #13
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Day 73 (a hand for perspective): EDIT: Burpee says 2.5-3.0 inch tomatoes. the larger tomatoes on my vines are about 2.0 inches now.
Day 55
UPDATE#12
Grower update
Update #12
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Day 58: (EDIT - There is around 20 tomatoes like this growing in 5 different bunches on the 3 Vivacious vines.)
Day 49
UPDATE#11
Day 45
UPDATE#10
Grower update
Update #10
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Actions taken
PruningCut off one affected tomato bunch.
Well, blossom end rot in one bunch of tomatoes. Snipped them off.
Conversation
L
Darn it! Useful photo, though.
U
YUP! I always get blossom end rot on the first few tomatoes. It goes away as the plant slows its vegetative growth to turn its energy into ripening fruit.
T
Reading about blossom end rot again I see the suggestion calcium needs to be available from the beginning of growth. I used Aerogarden nutrients only at half strength for a few weeks. Next try at tomatoes I will be using the Masterblend from the get go.
U
For tomatoes, I start early with Cal-Mag suppliment. I add 3-5ml twice a week. It seems to help a lot but I still got end rot on the first 2 or 3 fruit. I'm not sure we can prevent it completely. I think it's a result of the rapid initial growth that our plants receive in an aerogarden.
L
I don't get blossom end rot unless I fail to do the R&Rs on time. When I don't have time to change the water, I add some nutes anyway. I've read that blossom end rot is caused by uneven watering and nutrients, so I keep the water topped off and the nutrients flowing.
Day 43
UPDATE#9
Grower update
Update #9
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Day 46. Vines, leaves and tomatoes all doing well on the Vivacious plants.
Conversation
U
A handsome plant and a handsome photo, tompepper7!
Day 41
UPDATE#8
Grower update
Update #8
This is on the one remaining Two Tasty vine. Maybe I'll get a few tomatoes here too.
Conversation
L
Thank you for the photo! I can do that. Maybe I've been fiddling too much with my tomato vines?
Day 40
UPDATE#7
Grower update
Update #7
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Actions taken
PruningMaintained the tomatoes as single vines.
There are 3 Vivacious vines growing on the left. The one remaining Two Tasty is the taller one on the right. I have been pruning them for single vine but not training them in any way.
Day 39
UPDATE#6
Grower update
Update #6
This is 4 tomatoes in one bunch:
Conversation
T
The count on the Vivacious is up to 20 on the three vines. I'll be doing a rinse and refill using the Masterblend Tomato Formula (except for the first 10 days this is what I have been using, lower dose at first) once a week and I'll see how the tomatoes turn out.
L
It looks like Vivacious is a good AG choice for a slicing tomato, tompepper7. At some point, could you post a photo of the whole plant? It looks like an indeterminate tomato, with a growing tip at the end of the main vine. When a seed company doesn't specify the tomato type, it is usually indeterminate.A determinate tomato will have branches that end in a leaf rather than a growing tip.
Day 35
UPDATE#5
Grower update
Update #5
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Actions taken
PruningRemoved suckers while inspecting the plants.
38 days, a bit of a surprise as I was pruning suckers:
Conversation
P
That's the best kind of surprise!
T
Looking closely I find three more starting.
T
Between the 3 Vivacious vines there are a dozen tomatoes starting so far. The Two Tasty vines did not like the transplant. They seem to be smaller and slower growing than the Vivacious. I may wind up removing these soon.
Day 30
UPDATE#4
Conversation
P
Woohoo! Always exciting to see blooms!
Day 14
UPDATE#3
Grower update
Update #3
Actions taken
EquipmentCleaned the Farm before receiving the tomatoes.
TransplantTransferred all tomato seedlings from the Harvest XL into the Farm 24 XL.
NutrientsKept the Masterblend mixture at half strength during transplant.
Cleaned up the Farm 24 XL today and moved the tomatoes from the Harvest XL. Since I was moving the plants I stuck with a half dose of the Masterblend Tomato fertilizers. The Vivacious tomatoes on the left a larger than the Two Tasty on the right. One of the Two Tasty plants was being shaded by the other tomatoes and is not happy at all. I moved all the plants even though I think I need to have only have two of each. No telling which ones will decide they don't like being moved.
Conversation
L
Betcha that all of your tomatoes grow!
Day 7
UPDATE#2
Grower update
Update #2
Actions taken
NutrientsStarted the seedlings with half a dose of AeroGarden Plant Food.
SolutionChanged the nursery water.
NutrientsRefilled with half-strength Masterblend Tomato, Epsom salt, and calcium nitrate.
The tomatoes were started with a half dose of Aerogarden Plant Food. Today the water was changed and now using a half dose of the Masterblend Tomato fertilizers (Masterblend Tomato, Epsom Salt, Calcium Nitrate). Aiming to transplant to the Farm next weekend.
Day 1
UPDATE#1
Grower update
Update #1
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All 6 tomato plants show growth. 5 have small sprouts above the label and 1 a small sprout just below the label. This seems faster than normal.
Conversation
U
If you keep this up, tompepper7 you'll have to change your userid to tomtomato7
T
Tom is already short for tomato. The first things I grew in my Aerogarden Bounty Basic were Aerogarden Tomatos and Jalapenos.
L
Tom for tomato. Indeed!