Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Treating Onion Thrips Without Chemicals ⚠️ The Greenhouse Risk: Onion thrips won’t immediately devour your greenhouse tomatoes or peppers, but they are notorious vectors for viral plant diseases. It’s risky to introduce them into a closed greenhouse environment. 🧅 Sets vs. Multipliers: Tiny store-bought onion sets are usually clean. Large bulbs … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Fighting Thrips on Stored & Green Onions 🌍 The Problem: Onion thrips (tiny, elongated black bugs) can survive the winter dormant in your stored onions. When you bring them out into the warmth or try to force them for fresh green onions (scallions), the thrips wake up and multiply. 🌿 Symptoms … Read more
Cold Tolerance for Onion & Cabbage Seedlings: Expert Q&A 📌 Quick Summary: Managing Cold & Stalling Growth 🧅 Onion Seedlings in the Cold: Older onion seedlings thrive in cool weather. Keeping them at 55°F (13°C) on an unheated balcony during the day is perfectly fine, but bring them indoors if the nights get freezing. ✂️ … Read more
Growing Onion & Brassica Seedlings: Trimming and Temperature Tips 📌 Quick Summary: Indoor Onion & Cabbage Seedlings 🧅 Should you separate onion seedlings? No! If you lack space, let them grow tightly crowded in a single container. When transplanting outside, you can plant them in “multi-sown clumps” of 3-4 onions per hole. ✂️ The “Combing” … Read more
📌 Quick Summary: Growing Onions from Seed Pre-Sprouting & Varieties: Many growers pre-sprout seeds in damp paper towels or condiment cups to ensure viability. Popular varieties mentioned: Exhibition, Candy, Barito, Yalta, Banko, Carmen. Sowing Technique: The “boiling water method” is highly recommended. Pour near-boiling water directly over the potting soil to pasteurize and pre-heat the … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Onions from Seed 🧅 Leeks: Leek seeds are notoriously slow and uneven to germinate. Keep them consistently moist in a warm, bright spot and do not dig around in the dirt to check on them! They can take up to 3 weeks to fully emerge. 🧄 Shallots from Seed: Yes, you … Read more
📌 Thread Summary: Growing Giant Sweet Onions from Seed Topic: A masterclass on growing massive, sweet “Exhibition” onions from seed. Note for US Growers: This exact same method is the gold standard for growing giant sweet varieties like Walla Walla, Candy F1, Vidalia, and Ailsa Craig. The “Cold Treatment” Secret: The biggest mistake growers make … Read more
📌 Editor’s Note: Combating Root Flies 🌍 The Pests: The Onion Fly (Delia antiqua) and the Carrot Rust Fly (Psila rosae) are notorious pests that lay eggs near the base of your crops. Their larvae (maggots) burrow into the roots, ruining the harvest. 🛡️ Organic Controls: This article covers traditional Eastern European organic remedies, including … Read more
📌 Editor’s Note: Hardneck Garlic in Cold Climates 🌍 Climate Context: This article is written by a grower in St. Petersburg, Russia, which corresponds to USDA Zone 4/5. Fall planting is the absolute best way to grow large, flavorful hardneck garlic in cold winter climates. 🌱 Key Takeaway: Hardneck garlic requires a period of cold … Read more
📌 Editor’s Note: Growing Context & Varieties 🌍 Climate Context: The author of this article is gardening in Belarus, which is roughly equivalent to USDA Zone 4 or 5 (similar to the US Upper Midwest or New England). Fall-planting onions is a great strategy in cold climates to get an early jump on the season. … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Fall Planting Onion Sets 🧅 Size Matters for Fall Planting: A great discussion on planting overwintering onion sets (севок). Pro Tip: For fall planting, it’s always best to use the absolute smallest onion sets (under 1 cm / 0.4 inches in diameter). Larger sets are much more likely to bolt (go … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Onions & Late Fall Flowers 🧅 Fall-Planted Onion Sets: A detailed guide on planting winter onions (like the Radar variety). Key tips: plant 3 weeks before hard frosts, mulch heavily, and choose a spot where winter snow lingers to insulate the bulbs. 🌱 Starting Onion Seeds (Advanced Trick): A fantastic method … Read more