By Beth11
Mega Cherry Tomatoes
Submitted on Wed, 2009/10/14 - 2:29pm
Last updated on Sat, 2010/01/09 - 4:20pm
Hi All,
I started two pods of mega cherry tomatoes on 9/26. They sprouted on 10/2. Currently using ag nutes (since I have so many!) May switch to liquid nutes for optimum growth. I'll post pix later.
Day 28. Currently on Flora nutes, growth (Micro 6.3 ml, Grow 10.6 ml, Bloom 2.1) pH 6.0.
Day 51. Floramato nutes. EC 1.8, pH 6.0
Day 92 , AG overwhelmed, only one tomato set.
Day 108 , terminating this grow:
Beth
Wed, 2009/10/14 - 9:08pm
#2
Good luck, Beth - looking forward to seeing them!
Sat, 2009/10/24 - 4:08pm
#3
Hi All,
Mega Cherries are at day 28. Switched to flora nutes. Looking good so far. I'm snipping the growing point tomorrow. I don't wanna, but I'm going to, I swear!
Sat, 2009/10/24 - 4:27pm
#4
Looking healthy Beth, I'm sure you have the courage for that snip tomorrow... 
Sat, 2009/10/24 - 5:59pm
#5
Yea Beth!
Enjoy!
Sat, 2009/10/24 - 11:49pm
#6
Ooh, nice and stocky!
Oh, you'll love snipping them - it's amazing how fast the suckers grow afterwards! You'll see satisfaction within a couple days.
Thu, 2009/10/29 - 7:59pm
#7
Mega Cherries at 33 days, post snip, still on ag tabs. To be transitioned to Floramato tomorrow.
PS - Go Phillies!
Thu, 2009/10/29 - 8:10pm
#8
Beautifully stocky!
It's so hard to cut off buds, isn't it. I just lopped the tops off my tomato again - with all the buds. 
But, they were the first buds, and the tops were already requiring the Deluxe extended to max height. Too soon for that...
Sun, 2009/11/01 - 5:35pm
#9
Really nice looking plants.
Enjoy!
Tue, 2009/11/10 - 8:43pm
#10
Hi All,
Mega Cherries, 44 days. Nice and healthy, growing many suckers, staying short. No buds yet. EC 1.8, pH 6.0.
Mon, 2009/11/16 - 7:35pm
#11
Hi All,
Mega Cherries doing really well. Pruning the growing tip is key. Starting to form buds. EC 1.8. pH 6.0 (Floramato). Raised hood.
Mon, 2009/11/16 - 10:41pm
#12
Hi, Beth - they look gorgeous! What lovely short internodes...
May I ask why you choose EC 1.8? I've been shooting for ~2.2 on my tomatoes. Certainly no contest whose tomatoes are looking better... But hard to compare different varieties.
Sun, 2009/11/22 - 8:45pm
#13
Hi Gisette,
I picked 1.8 EC to keep the growth in check. Trying to keep them short. So far so good. Day 57, flowers starting to open-
Mon, 2009/11/23 - 2:00am
#14
Cool. Maybe should try lowering the EC on my nonperforming tomato...
Thu, 2009/12/24 - 6:39pm
#15
Hi All,
Not thrilled with the Mega Tomatoes. One tomato set. Plants growing into the light. They seem to prefer the fluorescent lights. Floramato EC 2.2, pH 6.0.
Beth
Fri, 2010/01/08 - 1:03pm
#16
What have yields been like on the mega cherries, Beth?
Sat, 2010/01/09 - 12:40pm
#17
Hi Gisette,
Not good. One tomato set on two plants, plants growing into the lights. Way too big for the ag - I'm terminating the grow. I religiously clipped back the plant but all buds forming at the top of the plant. I plan on trying the tiny tim tomatoes instead.
Beth
PS - I did get the mimulus seeds - Thanks!
Sat, 2010/01/09 - 12:47pm
#18
Shame about the tomatoes, I gave up growing these in the AG due to the exact same problem. More trouble than they were worth in the end, quite a bit of effort which was not offset by the poor harvest.
Sat, 2010/01/09 - 12:56pm
#19
Hi Peat,
The funny thing is that I got pretty darn good output of tomatoes from the poor tiny tim tomatoes grown in 4" pots! Tasted good, too! I'm very disappointed with the mega cherries.
Beth
Sat, 2010/01/09 - 1:01pm
#20
I've lost track, has anyone here done the Tiny Tim's in the AG yet?
Sat, 2010/01/09 - 1:37pm
#21
Seems like there's only light enough for tomatoes to bloom right in the lights. Sorry to hear the grow went so badly, Beth. It takes forever to find out a tomato isn't working, doesn't it? I'm swearing off for another year. 
Neat, re the tiny tims!
No, Peat, I don't think anyone here has tried them in the AG. Did Shane Arthur try them on the other board?
PS - got the basil seeds, too, thanks!
Sat, 2010/01/09 - 1:59pm
#22
I've had a brief look over there, nobody seems to have had any luck growing them for a variety of reasons?
Sat, 2010/01/09 - 2:53pm
#23
Interesting, that Beth had wild success growing them in 4" pots, but others couldn't get them to grow in an Aerogarden.
Also interesting, that Beth's tomatoes preferred the fluorescents-next-door.
What K fluorescent tubes do you use, Beth? (I couldn't untangle the competing arguments I found on the web, so split the difference - one's like 4200K, the other 6500K, in a 2-tube fixture...)
FWIW, my mother had zero trouble growing her AG tomato kit in a classic. But - she has her Aerogarden on a sunny west-facing windowsill. I suspect this is the key to success with tomatoes.
Sat, 2010/01/09 - 3:55pm
#24
I'm using 6500K T-8 bulbs in Wallymart fixtures. I've never had any problems growing anything under fluorescents, either T-12's or T-8's. So, out goes the MC's and in goes the tiny tims (I need to see if I still have seeds). That'll be the last toms in the ag till next fall. I just may throw one in a pot for comparison.
Hey Peat do you get any snow over there?
Sat, 2010/01/09 - 5:10pm
#25
Lots of snow, the most I've seen for a long time where I live. The usual chaos of course, unable to get to work... That's when I knocked up the modified AG for the broccoli, got a little bored. 
Looking forward to the Tims, I was always interested in these for the AG.
Sat, 2010/01/09 - 5:59pm
#26
The head-to-head pot / AG grow for the tiny tims sounds v. interesting! I was expecting the pot to blow away the dishtub on my cukes, but... not so, so far.
The AG bulbs seem warmer than the 6500K daylight bulbs.
Wed, 2010/08/18 - 10:24am
#27
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Yea Beth! Will keep watch.
My mega cherries did fine but I have a couple of cautions. I didn't prune as suggested so my plant grew into the lights a bit. Will prune next time. And I started the plant on AG nutes and the plant did really well, but then switched to GH type. Plant did really well on those too. Problem: several toms had a black spot in the middle. I may have left them on the vine to long. It's still producing so I'll harvest sooner this time.
Enjoy your plant!