Better Boy Hybrid tomato

[Chuck]

How many gallons is that container? For a plant that size you need a minimum of 5 gallons. How do you water? From the bottom up or from the top down. If from the top down much of the fertilizer will leach away. I would not fertilize at all for at least 3 waterings and when you water saturate all of the soil in the container, not just on top or halfway down but the entire volume of soil. What are your daily temperatures?

 

[fixit7]

It is at least a 5 gallon container.

I water from top down.

I was just watering the top 4 inches. I will wet all the soil.

Now that it no longer under my patio, water should not be a problem.
Should I cover the soil if a heavy rain is coming to minimize the soil getting washed out?

Temps are 75 to 90 degrees F.

 

[Chuck]

It is at least a 5 gallon container.

I water from top down.

I was just watering the top 4 inches. I will wet all the soil.

Now that it no longer under my patio, water should not be a problem.
Should I cover the soil if a heavy rain is coming to minimize the soil getting washed out?

Temps are 75 to 90 degrees F.

Your container has drainage holes doesn't it? And you have at least an inch before any runoff can occur but if you know a real frog floater rain is coming I would move the container to a secure location out of any high winds

 

[fixit7]

Yes it has drainage holes.

 

[headfullofbees]

My plant has produced one bud and it is growing.

Last I had a Big Boy Hybrid Tomato and it produced 4 green tomatoes.

But it died after a freeze.

I am not quite sure how to prune suckers. I trimmed off the bottom 6 inches of branches.

You are growing the most expensive tomatoes in Christendom.

 

[fixit7]

Gardening does indeed require learning.

 

[fixit7]

Since putting my plant in direct sun, the blossoms have increased quite a bit.

 

[Chuck]

Since putting my plant in direct sun, the blossoms have increased quite a bit.

Just remember that you will have no fruit set until temps drop significantly, probably late Sept-Oct.

 

[Meadowlark]

That's why growing outside fall/winter tomatoes is always a huge gamble here.

The timeline for 77351 goes like this:

Fruit set on a good year maybe by Sept. 20.

Then about 30 days more to get a mature green tomato (excluding cherry toms) and another 20 days to get a ripe tomato.

That places you around Nov. 10 or about 10 days past the average first frost date here. Too much work playing the cover-up game to prevent frost damage.

It's a gamble that I loose way more often than I win...but the good news is that fried green tomatoes are wonderful.

 

[Chuck]

Just remember that you will have no fruit set until temps drop significantly, probably late Sept-Oct.

IF,IF you have a good fruit set you will probably be able to get ripe tomatoes. I used to have a commercial tomato farm in the San Leon/Bacliff area, close to where you are and in a lot of years only had light frosts until about Jan. You can protect your plant with a product called Nsulate. It is a fabric and one layer will give about 6 degrees of protection, down to about 26F. 2 layers about 8 or 9 degrees.

 

[fixit7]

IF,IF you have a good fruit set you will probably be able to get ripe tomatoes. I used to have a commercial tomato farm in the San Leon/Bacliff area, close to where you are and in a lot of years only had light frosts until about Jan. You can protect your plant with a product called Nsulate. It is a fabric and one layer will give about 6 degrees of protection, down to about 26F. 2 layers about 8 or 9 degrees.

I have one fruit set, but it is not getting much bigger.

I have plenty of yellow blossoms.

Is the lack of fruit due to the high temps in Texas?

 

[Chuck]

I have one fruit set, but it is not getting much bigger.

I have plenty of yellow blossoms.

Is the lack of fruit due to the high temps in Texas?

Yes, absolutely. And it is also the reason for small fruit. Your plant will not set any more fruit until the nighttime LOW temps stay around 70F and the humidity stays between about 40% and about 70% and the daytime high temps stay below 92F

 

[fixit7]

Thanks. I think it might get to be 6 feet tall.

 

[Meadowlark]

That's why growing outside fall/winter tomatoes is always a huge gamble here.

The timeline for 77351 goes like this:

Fruit set on a good year maybe by Sept. 20.

Then about 30 days more to get a mature green tomato (excluding cherry toms) and another 20 days to get a ripe tomato.

That places you around Nov. 10 or about 10 days past the average first frost date here. Too much work playing the cover-up game to prevent frost damage.

It's a gamble that I loose way more often than I win...but the good news is that fried green tomatoes are wonderful.

Looking like we will get a few days early on fruit set for this area....55 deg. F last night here.

Hopefully that will translate to ripe tomatoes before first frost this year.

 

[fixit7]

Whatever happens, I am happy at how it's growing. It is really bushy now.

 

[Meadowlark]

So, fixit7, any ripe tomatoes yet?

As luck would have it, I hit the window perfectly this year and we are enjoying wonderful ripe tomatoes. We got a perfect early Sept. cool front for enabling fruit set...and no frost yet. Picking a few every day now and should continue until frost.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

 

[mikejohnson]

The "Better Boy" tomato variety is an heirloom tomato variety from Teddy Jones and produced by Honey Plant. If you're looking for a tomato plant that will consistently produce beautiful, soft-skinned fruit, look no further than Better Boy tomatoes. This may be what you are looking for. Another thing we love about these tomatoes is that they grow in a variety of climates.