Planting/Growing Your Own in 2016

[Tris Prior]

Any tips on keeping one's greens from bolting in sudden unseasonable heat? Just saw that the forecast is for 90 tomorrow. :0 My plot is near Lake Michigan so thanks to "cooler near the lake" it may not hit that temp. Still, probably too warm for greens. Though it was pretty warm yesterday and everything looked ok.

Dammit, I've barely harvested any yet and usually I can count on bucketfuls. :(

[Threshkin]

Any tips on keeping one's greens from bolting in sudden unseasonable heat? Just saw that the forecast is for 90 tomorrow. :0 My plot is near Lake Michigan so thanks to "cooler near the lake" it may not hit that temp. Still, probably too warm for greens. Though it was pretty warm yesterday and everything looked ok.

Dammit, I've barely harvested any yet and usually I can count on bucketfuls. :(

Shade cloth.

[Allie]

Something has been eating and webbing up the leaves of my bushes.  I want very much to kill it, but I never see anything out and about when I look.  So, I sent a picture and description to our local cooperative extension.  I have done this in the past with great success.  I am very hopeful that I will get some good information and advice on how to mount my bug death campaign.  Otherwise, my haskap and currants may be in trouble. 

[geekinprogress]

One of the (local?) jokes re: zucchini is that towards the back end of growing season, you will find a bag of zucchini in the front seat of your car if you don't lock your doors. 

That's not just a local joke – it's told all over the Southern Appalachians, too. :-)

Last year one of my neighbors put a basket of zucchini out by the common mailbox.  When she checked it the next day there were more in the basket than she put there.  We laughed about them multiplying overnight.  This went on for weeks.

Bwahahahaha.....Awesome.  I have coworkers who have volunteered to take some from me (plus my mom, and my best friend)....I was worried about keeping up with the demand but maybe that won't be such a problem :) 

[Rural]

One of the (local?) jokes re: zucchini is that towards the back end of growing season, you will find a bag of zucchini in the front seat of your car if you don't lock your doors. 

That's not just a local joke – it's told all over the Southern Appalachians, too. :-)

Last year one of my neighbors put a basket of zucchini out by the common mailbox.  When she checked it the next day there were more in the basket than she put there.  We laughed about them multiplying overnight.  This went on for weeks.

Bwahahahaha.....Awesome.  I have coworkers who have volunteered to take some from me (plus my mom, and my best friend)....I was worried about keeping up with the demand but maybe that won't be such a problem :)

Shred and freeze. Use later. At least, that's my plan. It's a major reason I have a food processor.

[Tris Prior]

Yep, shred and freeze! Though, the year of the Leg-Sized Zucchini, I didn't own a food processor. I grated all of those damned things by hand. Ugh!

So, last night we had horrible violent monsoon downpours. I have containers with tomatoes, peppers, and basil out by our building's back gate at home. I ran out there to make sure they were OK, and saw that the yard had flooded, and they were sitting in calf-deep standing water. All of them had been pummeled by the storms and were bent over like the Charlie Brown xmas tree. I ran them inside and after drying out under grow lights, they look better this morning.

But.... I haven't been to the community garden yet. I'm scared that it too is underwater. And it's supposed to keep doing this off and on until Monday. :(

I'm curious about something. Are your spouses/partners/significant others on board with the gardening, and all the work that it involves? Do they help? Do they think you're insane for growing your own food? I've been doing this for a few years now but this year I seem to be getting some pushback from Boyfriend, who thinks I am "obsessed" and thinks it is taking up too much of my time.

[chaskavitch]

Yep, shred and freeze! Though, the year of the Leg-Sized Zucchini, I didn't own a food processor. I grated all of those damned things by hand. Ugh!

So, last night we had horrible violent monsoon downpours. I have containers with tomatoes, peppers, and basil out by our building's back gate at home. I ran out there to make sure they were OK, and saw that the yard had flooded, and they were sitting in calf-deep standing water. All of them had been pummeled by the storms and were bent over like the Charlie Brown xmas tree. I ran them inside and after drying out under grow lights, they look better this morning.

But.... I haven't been to the community garden yet. I'm scared that it too is underwater. And it's supposed to keep doing this off and on until Monday. :(

I'm curious about something. Are your spouses/partners/significant others on board with the gardening, and all the work that it involves? Do they help? Do they think you're insane for growing your own food? I've been doing this for a few years now but this year I seem to be getting some pushback from Boyfriend, who thinks I am "obsessed" and thinks it is taking up too much of my time.

I definitely started the gardening trend, because my mom always had garden, but DH is totally on board.  He built a greenhouse this year so we could start plants from seeds early, built us some excellent raised beds and a big sturdy compost bin last year, and honestly, he's the one who waters most often.  That's because he's outside taking care of the chickens in the morning, though, so it makes sense. 

Mostly he just wants hot peppers and cucumbers so I can learn to make salsa and pickles :)

Good luck with your community garden!  Hail and heavy heavy rain season is the saddest part of the year, because you're so excited about everything finally looking bigger and like it'll really make food eventually, and then the weather crushes your hopes and dreams.

[Tris Prior]

Chaskavitch, I am so envious. Boyfriend does not help with the gardening at all, except for sometimes helping me haul stuff to the garden on the train. (we don't have a car and some things, like multiple bags of compost, are too heavy for me to manage on my own.)

For a while he was helping me carry plants upstairs to our 3rd-floor apartment when I was hardening them off and had to bring them in on cold nights. Grudgingly. And then I got a lot of "why haven't you put these in the ground yet?" Because it's too damned cold out! "How long do I have to keep doing this?" Uh, until it gets warm enough for planting?

Seriously considering withholding all homegrown produce from him this year. Though, if he had his way he'd eat only meat and cheap carbs; I have to practically force veg/fruit down him,  so that probably isn't even an incentive.

I keep telling myself that my garden, in previous years, has seen worse. We've had more rain than we got yesterday. We've had hail and near-tornado-force winds, neither of which we had yesterday. One year I planted tomatoes in late May and it promptly snowed on them. I always get *something.* It's just hard not to sit and stew about it when I'm at work and can't go check until tonight.

[rockeTree]

Partner isn't into it very much but will tolerate seedlings on windowsills and help with building and setting up garden infrastructure. Heroically dashed over from work (I was farther away) to move protection on and off plants in the ground during a sudden cold snap! I try not to ask for much so that it's not burdensome and joyless for the non-interested partner.


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[Tris Prior]

yeah, I only ask for help when it's something I really cannot physically do. I try not to overburden him; unfortunately I've been having trouble with heavy lifting lately (back and shoulder issues) so have probably leaned on him more than in past years. And no way would he ride to the rescue if the frost blankets suddenly needed to go on. :/

[FerrumB5]

Can bell and jalapeno peppers be transplanted out before thunderstorm? I don't have a lot of time this weekend so today after work is ideal for it, but we expect heavy rain and wind.
Other questions: how often do you water a) tomatoes, b) cucumbers, c) herbs (cilantro, basil, parsley, chives), d) bell peppers, e) jalapenos
Thanks

[Tris Prior]

Ferrum, I wouldn't chance it, if we're going to get more of what we got last night. If it was just rain, then maybe, but if it's going to get violent again, those seedlings are going to take a beating. (My pepper seedlings in pots were literally doubled over. They didn't break, though, thankfully.)

[meerkat]

I wouldn't chance transplanting them yet. No idea about watering, it depends on how often it has rained. Usually we walk the garden every day after work and water it as needed. It makes a nice end of day ritual.

My husband got into gardening because of me, but we both work full time and don't give the garden as much attention as we should. Then he's annoyed that we put all this time and money into and have "nothing" to show for it (see picture of our latest "nothing" which has already been eaten while more ripens up outside). We tend to eat it as we go so we never have one big harvest at once unless we have way too much of something (lemons, usually). For a while he wanted to do collaborative gardening but having to make a mutual decision about what to grow/should we add compost/how much mulch was stressing me out so we just divided up our four garden beds so we each have two. Sometimes we'll help each other with the initial set up for the season, usually we just water each other's stuff while we're watering our own.

We did just discover that squirrels are stealing our not-quite-ripe peaches and hiding them in the sweet potato vine, which would be funnier if I hadn't been deprived of all peaches last year. Any suggestions?

[Rural]

My husband happily does all the heavy work of gardening, up to and including extensive laborious double-dug beds over a huge area the years I grew almost all our food. Now he builds beds and hauls large buckets and other heavy items, builds tomato cages, etc. as needed. Oh, and he's in process on enclosing the courtyard in the middle of the house; it's to be a greenhouse atrium. I'm on regular maintenance, watering, processing, etc. - he doesn't have the patience or maybe doesn't trust his own judgement enough. It works for us.

[Tris Prior]

ohhhh, you have tomatoes and peppers already?! drooooool. Envy!

As far as the watering, I'm not on a schedule, really. I check the garden daily and if it's dry (and monsoon storms are not forecast!), I water. If you stick your finger into the dirt, a couple inches down, and it feels dry to the touch, then it needs water. Sometimes the surface can look/feel dry, but you want to check farther down. And, especially for tomatoes, water near the ground, not on the foliage. I find it's pretty much unavoidable that I'll accidentally splash some water on the foliage too, but you don't want to hold the watering can above the entire plant and water from the top.

I admit I've probably done something of a bait and switch with Boyfriend. We've been together for 12 years and it's only the past 3 or so that I've really gotten into gardening. This year I decided to expand what I was growing and I don't think he quite understands why. He is averse to any sort of physical labor and is not handy. We rent so usually this isn't a problem.

[Frugal Lizard]

My hubs has come to appreciate my gardening hobby.  The first signs of really understanding the value was when I started harvesting asparagus.  Last year he hauled much manure down to the allotment for my potato tower.  Three months later he marvelled with admiration at the half bushel of potatoes.  We have been married a long time (19 years).  I also don't make a lot of requests for assistance.  He tolerates not having a work bench for March and April and will help haul things in and out.  Mostly now I get my kids to help.  He does really enjoy fresh produce though. 

[horsepoor]

Partner isn't into it very much but will tolerate seedlings on windowsills and help with building and setting up garden infrastructure. Heroically dashed over from work (I was farther away) to move protection on and off plants in the ground during a sudden cold snap! I try not to ask for much so that it's not burdensome and joyless for the non-interested partner.


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Pretty much this.  DH used to be somewhat dismissive of my gardening efforts, but as my skills improved, so did my yields.  Plus he knows that I'm stubborn and will do what I want to do, so he may as well accept it.  When we bought our current house, he was agreeable that a good garden space would be a priority, which is why we have 4/10ths of an acre instead of a smaller lot.  He takes care of the lawn, which is a good arrangement that frees me up to focus on the veggies and ornamentals.  Sometimes he gets interested in the compost pile and will turn it, and adds the grass clippings to it, or will help me with a random task like taking the kernels off the dried corn cobs.  He definitely sees the benefit this time of year when I'm bringing in big bags of lettuce and we aren't paying $5 for clamshells of spring mix.  He'll do an emergency watering or covering of plants when I'm gone if needed, but I try to do 95% of the work since I enjoy it and to him it's just work.

[Jon_Snow]

Note to self: do not plant cabbages so close together next time. It's not even June and these things are becoming massive. Also, my 6 foot high trellis could stand to be a bit higher for my sugar snap peas...though it appears to be adequate for my sugar pods. Also, the animal (I'm thinking its a feral cat)that is digging holes in my carrot bed needs to be dealt with.

[Allie]

Note to self: do not plant cabbages so close together next time. It's not even June and these things are becoming massive. Also, my 6 foot high trellis could stand to be a bit higher for my sugar snap peas...though it appears to be adequate for my sugar pods. Also, the animal (I'm thinking its a feral cat)that is digging holes in my carrot bed needs to be dealt with.

I am trying sugar snap in addition to sugar pods this year.  They are just starting to pop out of the soil, but I am going to be sure I have enough trellis!  Thanks!

I have a little sunny spot nestled between a few trees.  I cleared out all of the ground cover and popped in some pumpkins, hoping for a miracle but not planning for much.  All but one seem to have survived transplant and are starting to grow.  Fingers crossed!

[backyardfeast]

Note to self: do not plant cabbages so close together next time. It's not even June and these things are becoming massive. Also, my 6 foot high trellis could stand to be a bit higher for my sugar snap peas...though it appears to be adequate for my sugar pods. Also, the animal (I'm thinking its a feral cat)that is digging holes in my carrot bed needs to be dealt with.

Woot! For your giant cabbages!  I know this was one of your goals this year.  Huzzah!  I feel you on the peas.  I've only grown dwarf pea varieties over the years, and even some of those have gotten 6' instead of the 4' predicted on the package.  I've never been happy with the flavour or production, though, and this year went with climbers.  Wow!  Tasty, but I'm sure glad I insisted that DH put up a solid 6' trellis!

[alsoknownasDean]

I've got some spare pots, and I'm sure I could get some potting mix cheap.

Looking at the gardenate website, it's a good opportunity now to plant onions or garlic where I am. My courtyard doesn't get a heap of sun (faces west and is maybe 2-3m between my apartment building and the fence).

Maybe it's worth giving it a shot. Nothing to lose :)

At a previous place I planted zucchinis and cucumbers and ended up with dozens of them, especially zucchinis.

[horsepoor]

Envious of everyone who has thriving peas.  Mine are maybe 2' tall and haven't bloomed at all.  Usually we're eating peas this time of year, so I'm not sure what the deal is.  Did pick some nice strawberries and spinach to have with breakfast this morning though.  A couple days ago I dug up some volunteer Yukon Gold potatoes and got about a pound of lovely little new potatoes that will turn into a salad along with our BBQ tomorrow.  I'm going to plant the corn, Thai basil and the last two melon seedlings this weekend, and then I think I'm done.  Might direct sow some things where I have empty spots.  It's sounding like I might be going on a work detail in the fall, so I won't be planning for any fall crops.  Was asked about going now, and I said there was no way I could leave my garden with all the work that's gone into it this year, so they'd have to wait.  It's supposed to hit 95 towards the end of next week, so the Wall O' Waters are coming off the eggplants and everything is going to get thoroughly mulched and watered.

[Bracken_Joy]

Envious of everyone who has thriving peas.  Mine are maybe 2' tall and haven't bloomed at all.  Usually we're eating peas this time of year, so I'm not sure what the deal is.  Did pick some nice strawberries and spinach to have with breakfast this morning though.  A couple days ago I dug up some volunteer Yukon Gold potatoes and got about a pound of lovely little new potatoes that will turn into a salad along with our BBQ tomorrow.  I'm going to plant the corn, Thai basil and the last two melon seedlings this weekend, and then I think I'm done.  Might direct sow some things where I have empty spots.  It's sounding like I might be going on a work detail in the fall, so I won't be planning for any fall crops.  Was asked about going now, and I said there was no way I could leave my garden with all the work that's gone into it this year, so they'd have to wait.  It's supposed to hit 95 towards the end of next week, so the Wall O' Waters are coming off the eggplants and everything is going to get thoroughly mulched and watered.

My peas are doing the same thing. They put on a lot of height the last two weeks since it's been cooler, but they haven't bloomed at all yet. I'm wondering if I'll get no peas, and just have pea shoots in a stir fry. SIGH.

[geekinprogress]

We've had driving rain for the past three days.  I finally made it out to the community garden again today to (first time since Wednesday) to check on my plots, and the weeds had done a commendable job of taking over.  I nearly had the damn thing clear earlier this week! 

On the other hand, it looks like a lot of those weeds are lambsquarters.  Since my lettuce doesn't seem to be doing very well yet, I think I may just let some of the lambsquarters grow up a bit so I can harvest them...! 

[Primm]

At the markets yesterday I replaced all my dead (due to lack of attention!) herbs with brand spanking new ones. $1 each and she threw in something called Pennyroyal.

Anybody shed any light on how I use it? My Google-fu suggests it's a variety of mint that is good for insect repelling. I like that because we have lots of ants, but how do I use it? Stew and spray? Crush and rub?

[FerrumB5]

Transplanted a lot of peppers (bell and jalapeno) into their beds. Still have 12-13 seedlings that grew too many to put in garden here and there (had similar situation with tomatoes, had to put 7 just anywhere I could find a spot). Trying peas second time, if no good I'll just give up and won't plant them next year at all. Almost killed a watermelon seedling on accident, hope it will come back to life

[rockeTree]

Had peas, radishes, and the soon-to-bolt lettuce from the garden with dinner last night. In-laws suitably impressed! Heat came on very suddenly here so the tomatoes and beans are shooting up joyfully.


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[Bracken_Joy]

All our first harvest of radishes are pulled up, they were getting huge.

We FINALLY have a few blossoms on our peas.

I put in a sloped ramp of sheep panel to be a cucumber ramp/shade our lettuce to extend the season. Glad I did, because our neighbor had a BBQ yesterday (communal yard), and there were lots of dogs and kids- the ramp kept them out of that garden bed.

I was talking to someone at the BBQ, and he was saying he's had good luck with peppers when he places two plants directly abutting- says his grandma told him to do it, and once he started, he's had great harvests because of direct cross pollination. Anyone else read about this or experience this? Thinking I'll pick up a second seranno.

[chaskavitch]

Jon_Snow, your garden is amazing.  I wish we had that much room (and the dedication to keep it up). 

I have a question - how many tomato plants is too many in a small space?  We just planted 2 Roma plants, 2 grape tomatoes, and a Moneymaker in a 4x4' raised bed.  I think they're going to get crowded, probably be ok, but maybe not yield as well as they could due to decreased space/light/nutrients.  DH is CONVINCED that it's perfect and shiny and everything will be great, lol, so I let him do it (I'm finally learning that it is almost impossible to change his mind about some things unless he sees it himself).  Do you think it'll be an issue?  I'm willing to experiment, but tomatoes are my favorite part of our garden.  I probably still have time to swap a tomato out for a pepper plant from another bed to give them more space if they need it.

[Tris Prior]

I know everyone says you're not supposed to cram them in.... but last year I had 13 tomatoes in a 4 x 8 bed and all but 1 did really well. I'm a rebel that way. ;) I did make sure to prune off the suckers in hopes that I wouldn't get a jungle. (spoiler alert: I did get a jungle. But it could've been worse! And I did get a lot of tomatoes.)

So to me your setup seems perfectly reasonable, LOL. Romas are usually determinate anyway, so they won't get as huge.

[Jon_Snow]

Jon_Snow, your garden is amazing.  I wish we had that much room (and the dedication to keep it up). 

I have a question - how many tomato plants is too many in a small space?  We just planted 2 Roma plants, 2 grape tomatoes, and a Moneymaker in a 4x4' raised bed.  I think they're going to get crowded, probably be ok, but maybe not yield as well as they could due to decreased space/light/nutrients.  DH is CONVINCED that it's perfect and shiny and everything will be great, lol, so I let him do it (I'm finally learning that it is almost impossible to change his mind about some things unless he sees it himself).  Do you think it'll be an issue?  I'm willing to experiment, but tomatoes are my favorite part of our garden.  I probably still have time to swap a tomato out for a pepper plant from another bed to give them more space if they need it.

Thanks for the garden compliment....though I would prefer things were a bit more "tidy"...but I'm currently a bit of an absentee gardener and the forest is always threatening to take over when I'm not there...like right now...I'm 40km and large body of water away! Gah!

I'm very much a newbie gardener so I would not be the person to ask about your tomatoes....though my gut feeling is that things might be a tad crowded the way you are planting....I crammed mine together last year and things became so thick that I actually had trouble retrieving tomatoes deep in the tangle. I gave them more breathing room this year.

[RetiredAt63]

I agree with the tomato pruning - the Romas are bush and shouldn't be pruned, but the tall ones should be kept to two stems.

[geekinprogress]

I'll second the feedback on the 4x4 tomato bed.  Something that dense probably be very frustrating to harvest/manage, and unless the substrate is very, very rich it may not do very well supporting that many plants.  It'll also be difficult to do anything about any weed/bug infestation. 

Speaking of which, my community garden plots seem to have acquired some flea beetles.  One of the ladies with a plot next to mine lent me a bottle of rubbing alcohol/dishsoap spray to try.  Has anyone else run into flea beetles and had any luck tackling them with an organic pest control method? 

[horsepoor]

Jon, your garden is looking great; fun seeing it progress from last year!  It looks like garlic can be frozen in multiple ways.  I like to buzz it into a paste in the blender and freeze it in ice cube trays with a little olive oil.  Just don't forget to save enough to replant!  It always seems like a lot, but I use it up and am back to store-bought garlic before too long.  http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf39794422.tip.html

Tomatoes - I always do 2 square feet per plant, so that would be four plants in a 4'x4' bed.  5 plants isn't too much of a stretch if a couple are determinates, or you prune some of the suckers to keep from getting too bushy.

Does anyone know how far apart corn can be and still cross-pollinate?  I want to grow some more dent corn this year, but don't really have one big block of space left for it, but could sprinkle several smaller blocks around the garden within about a 30' area.  Not sure if the pollen will blow that far though, or if they really all need to be in one block.

[woopwoop]

Anyone have a favorite construction/blueprints for a compost bin? I have some old redwood decking that I'd like to turn into a bin but I'm not sure how to build it for best composting effect.

[Allie]

I like to freeze the cloves peeled but whole in a ziploc.  If you pull the number you need out for a minute or two before you need them, they mush through a garlic press like butter.  Super easy.  You have to have a garlic press...but who wouldn't want one.  Mincing is so unnecessary.

[happy]

What a great idea Allie. I'll try it as I'm just faced with about 6 remaining cloves starting to shoot. One of them I'll use to make garlic shoots. 

[Tris Prior]

What do you all like to do with garlic greens? I've got a ton. Tried sauteeing some and the texture was weird. I hear you can make pesto with them, but pine nuts are so expensive I'd rather save them to use with my basil which is also going insane.

[Threshkin]

What do you all like to do with garlic greens? I've got a ton. Tried sauteeing some and the texture was weird. I hear you can make pesto with them, but pine nuts are so expensive I'd rather save them to use with my basil which is also going insane.

Instead of pine nuts, you can try another tree nut.  I prefer almonds.

[FerrumB5]

I agree with the tomato pruning - the Romas are bush and shouldn't be pruned, but the tall ones should be kept to two stems.

Exactly what I'm doing.

[Frugal Lizard]

Hoorsepoor
We always planted the corn in rows with two or three shorter rows of each planting or hybrid to ensure pollination.  Could you plant circles of a few plants for the same effect?

[chasingthegoodlife]

Today J and I started making the raised beds for our proper veggie garden.



We got two done today and plan to build another two that size and some smaller ones as well.

I had been coveting some ready made metal beds with curved edges but the size we wanted was $200 each. Instead, we were able to get some old roofing from freecycle, scrap timber and metal we already had, and $40 screws for the whole project. $40 beats $800+ even if they're not quite as pretty.

We did pay for some compost and soil to fill them but bulked it out with free manure and organic material from around the garden. Working on an epic compost pile so I never have have to pay for dirt again.

[rockeTree]

Those look amazing. We bought the cedar kits for 8x4s at Home Depot, no better than they need to be and I expect not wildly durable - on sale still $70 each!


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[geekinprogress]

Those look great, chasingthegoodlife! 

My community patch is weedy as hell and the tomatoes are languishing a bit; the ones in containers on my deck actually seem to be doing a lot better.  Not sure if it's the potting soil, bugs, or what.  I'm learning a ton, though - both from experience and conversations with other gardeners.  Two more weeks at least until I'll even have anything I can harvest and it's already been a blast. 

[FerrumB5]

Hey Gardeners!

Can basil grow strong in very tight groups of 2-3? I typically sow over a decent area (like 1-1.5 sq ft) but for some reason they just pop up in clusters of 2-3 here and there and not uniform. No idea why.
Clusters of 2-3 are the size of a quarter to a Presidential dollar coin, sometimes may be Eisenhower dollar. I've seen youtube videos where they grow in groups, but what do you think? It would be quite difficult to transplant them in different spot

[horsepoor]

Ferrum, I transplant them that way because I sow them pretty thickly in a pot and then can't be bothered to separate the tiny little seedlings, and they do fine. 

Chasing the Good Life, those beds look awesome!  It looks like it would be easy to put 2x4's wide side up around the top for a nice spot to sit while tending the beds.  Looks like you have some nice, rich soil in there.

[chasingthegoodlife]

Thanks guys! Horsepoor, that's a great idea to put some wood around the top edge for a sitting spot. I had actually admired that feature on your bed up thread then forgotten about it completely.

Today I sowed some seeds and transplanted seedlings into the new bed - spring onion, lettuce, radish, snap pea and rocket. The rhubarb transplanted yesterday is looking slightly wilted in spots but overall good.

Ferrum, if I were you I would go 50-50 in the name of research - leave half in clumps and thin the other half to a single plant. Next year you will know for sure which yields better.

[FerrumB5]

Ferrum, if I were you I would go 50-50 in the name of research - leave half in clumps and thin the other half to a single plant. Next year you will know for sure which yields better.

May be I'll do just that! I have a number of singles and a number of clusters. We'll see who "wins"

[FerrumB5]

Tomatoes do not cross pollinate unlike peppers or zucchini/squash, right? So one can preserve the seeds from the fruit and get exactly the same variety next year?
I had no choice than to plant bells and jalapenos next to each other so seeds from the peppers will be discarded (or thrown under the bushes to see what happens next year)

[cerat0n1a]

Tomatoes do not cross pollinate unlike peppers or zucchini/squash, right? So one can preserve the seeds from the fruit and get exactly the same variety next year?
I had no choice than to plant bells and jalapenos next to each other so seeds from the peppers will be discarded (or thrown under the bushes to see what happens next year)

They don't cross-pollinate with other species, but they will with other tomato plants. So if you grow multiple varieties of tomato (or indeed, if neighbours do and pollinating insects can fly between the two), then any seed you save might not be exactly the same as what you grew this year.

If the variety you currently grow is a "F1 hybrid", then that seed has been produced by deliberately crossing two other varieties and so the seed you save will contain some plants that have more in common with the grandparent varieties and won't necessarily be exactly true to the parent plant.

None of which should put you off saving seed - it's how heirloom varieties get preserved after all.