full-sized tomatoes

[kalianna]

Everyone has told me you can only grow cherry tomatoes here. I have nothing against a sweet crunchy cherry but it's that big bite that I crave. I bought the three tomato varieties sold by UH Manoa to see if I could get a survivor. Started them inside in soil in March. Every seed sprouted within just a few days, then put them outside in the ground. They made it through all the rain and I haven't lost a single plant. Today I picked the first ripe fruit and it was wonderful. I had been expecting failure so I way over-planted and now can't find any of the tags to identify the plants but every plant is setting fruit and ripening. I just dug into red cinder, added plenty black cinder and mulch, fertilized regularly and sprayed with neem oil occasionally. What are the problems people have with growing tomatoes? Pests? Mold?

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

The main problem with fill size tomatoes are fruit flies. They get stung and rot. Cherry tomatoes have a thicker skin so don't get stung.

You may get a good first crop but once the fruit flies find you, you'll have to figure out a way to cover your plants with row covers or bag the fruit.

Portion of Hawaii’s drinking water that comes from underground wells : 9/10
Gallons of raw sewage that leak into the ground from Hawaii cesspools each day : 53,000,000 - Harper's Index

[kalianna]

Thanks, Now I know what to look our for. Wondering if the neem oil might be keeping them away? Or just lucky so far and will get my heart broken soon?

[1voyager1]

The only tomatoes larger than grape types that have done well for me have been volunteers from old kitchen compost locations after having moved the composer bin.
Those have only been in the 2 to 3" dia. range.
Everything purposely planted dies off before every bearing fruit.

[dan d]

Kaliana, the reason u had such good luck with un manoa seeds is because the are cultivars
Grown may generations in Hawaii and are resistant to most of our pest. Master gardeners can answer any questions for u on there help line

Dan D
HPP

[dayna]

I grow full size tomatoes. I do not have a problem with fruit flies. Maybe I'm lucky? I grow under cover, but open sides. So.... I got lots of cherokee purples last year grown just out in the jungle. This year I've got those, brandywines, bread and salt, and a few other types that get real big. I have a carport type setup/growhouse that just has the clear plastic tarp on the top but the sides are open. Keeps the rain from over watering my tomatoes.


Dayna

www.E-Z-Caps.com

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Fruit flies are somewhat seasonal, more prevalent in summer.
They also need to be introduced into an area. HA might not have a problem with them due to elevation & distance between homes.

When I first moved to Maui I grew huge watermelons & tomatoes through several seasons. I had the only house (near sea level) surrounded by about 200 acres of cattle pasture and wooded gulches. Then, one way or another the fruit flies found my garden, and I had to give up growing those big delicious tomatoes, every type of melon, peppers, large eggplants...

Portion of Hawaii’s drinking water that comes from underground wells : 9/10
Gallons of raw sewage that leak into the ground from Hawaii cesspools each day : 53,000,000 - Harper's Index

[dayna]

Being surrounded by guava orchards we for sure have the fruit flies in Orchidland, they sting that fruit badly and its gross lol. So I'm not sure why they don't bother our produce. We do get seriously bad pickle worms here so I'm growing my squash in a green house in hopes that will save them.

Dayna

www.E-Z-Caps.com