Hi all,

I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
few tomatoes compared to last year.

What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.

Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
year. We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.

Did anyone else experience this?

Kris

On Sep 5, 9:28*am, Kris > wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> year. *We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> Did anyone else experience this?

Which zone are you in?

My tomatoes produced a bumper crop but suddenly the vibrant green
turned yellow to brown within three days. Now I have eight plants that
are shells of their former glory. I'm unsure what happened but at
least I got fruit from them prior to the desolation.

The Ranger

On Sep 5, 12:35*pm, The Ranger > wrote:
> On Sep 5, 9:28*am, Kris > wrote:
>
> > Hi all,
>
> > I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> > few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> > What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> > ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> > Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> > year. *We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> > Did anyone else experience this?
>
> Which zone are you in?
>
> My tomatoes produced a bumper crop but suddenly the vibrant green
> turned yellow to brown within three days. Now I have eight plants that
> are shells of their former glory. I'm unsure what happened but at
> least I got fruit from them prior to the desolation.
>
> The Ranger

I'm in zone 5 or 6 depending on the source (one scale upgraded us
recently).

In relation to your experience, the beginning of the season did seem
more hopeful, then went downhill. Maybe it's the mysterious "tomato
blight" someone told me about?

Strange summer,
Kris

"Kris" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> year. We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.


We had record heat in June and that affected gardens around here quite a
bit. August was cooler than usual and now we are getting some tomatoes,
green peppers, jalapenos. We are in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Squash, zucchini, cukes... nothing. We did get some good eggplant and they
are still producing.

Over in East TX, a family member had great luck with pears this year. Three
little trees so full of fruit that they threaten to break some of the
branches.

George L

On Sep 5, 11:28*am, Kris > wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> year. *We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> Did anyone else experience this?
>
> Kris

Too wet for tomatoes this year.

Figures! First year I planted too! :-( Oh well, I planted 4 plants and
got a few tomatoes. I have a couple sitting in my kitchen right now!

John Kuthe...

Kris wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> year. We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> Did anyone else experience this?
>
> Kris


I've been having trouble with Late Blight for several years, but usually
manage to get a crop anyway. This year I planted a blight resistant
variety called "Legend". Also I planted "Porter", which doesn't have
any particular disease resistance, but it's supposed to do well in poor
weather. I planted 6 Legends and 5 Porters.

Everything was very late this year. I've picked 6 fruit off Legend so
far, probably will get about 5 or 6 more before they are done. The
plants are eat-up with blight. The Porter plants look gorgeous. No
disease and no insects, but they are a later variety and I haven't
gotten anything off of them yet. They have green tomatoes on 'em, but
not a lot.

Haven't picked a single pepper or eggplant yet. The one jalapeño that
survived the rabbit attack has a few little peppers on it. The ají
peppers are tall and healthy, but no little peppers yet. I'm really
****ed about that because I was growing them for seeds, and there's very
little chance of getting even 1 red fruit before frost. Eggplants just
started blooming. I planted pepinos (Solanum muricatum) this year for
the first time, and they are blooming but no fruit yet. The tomatillos
are covered with empty balloons but no fruit yet. (notice a trend?)

Basically, the whole garden has been a bust this year.

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
> Kris wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
>> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>>
>> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
>> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>>
>> Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
>> year. We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>>
>> Did anyone else experience this?
>>
>> Kris
>
>
> I've been having trouble with Late Blight for several years, but usually
> manage to get a crop anyway. This year I planted a blight resistant
> variety called "Legend". Also I planted "Porter", which doesn't have
> any particular disease resistance, but it's supposed to do well in poor
> weather. I planted 6 Legends and 5 Porters.
>
> Everything was very late this year. I've picked 6 fruit off Legend so
> far, probably will get about 5 or 6 more before they are done. The
> plants are eat-up with blight. The Porter plants look gorgeous. No
> disease and no insects, but they are a later variety and I haven't
> gotten anything off of them yet. They have green tomatoes on 'em, but
> not a lot.
>
> Haven't picked a single pepper or eggplant yet. The one jalapeño that
> survived the rabbit attack has a few little peppers on it. The ají
> peppers are tall and healthy, but no little peppers yet. I'm really
> ****ed about that because I was growing them for seeds, and there's very
> little chance of getting even 1 red fruit before frost.

Here in zone 9a our tomatoes totally flopped, we had a number of cherry
toms picked but only a few of the round red regular toms. I'm still
growing Aji Limon de Peru chiles and the plants are gorgeous, damned few
chiles on them though. It has been a wet spring and summer though. The
Aji's should do better when we dry out a little this fall.

Eggplants just
> started blooming.

We planted Ping Tung eggplants this year instead of our usually Ichiban.
The Ping Tungs gave us two or three wizened little eggplant fruit and
then died. Next year we go back to Ichiban, they seem better for our
climate. May plant Louisiana Long Green again next year, they do well too.

I planted pepinos (Solanum muricatum) this year for
> the first time, and they are blooming but no fruit yet. The tomatillos
> are covered with empty balloons but no fruit yet. (notice a trend?)
>
> Basically, the whole garden has been a bust this year.
>
> Bob

We got several pints of green beans in the freezer and also in jars.
Beaucoup sweet chiles and the okra went completely nuts this year.
Everything else sort of failed. Oh well, hope springs eternal in a
gardeners heart, next year will be better and we're already putting in
the fall garden.

Kris wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> year. We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> Did anyone else experience this?
>
> Kris

We had the wettest summer on record, I think, and one of the coldest for the
first two months. I haven't gotten a single tomato from my garden, nor
anything else but a handful of basil and some chives early in the season. It
didn't help that the gophers ate alll of the chard, and the deer ate the
tops off the tomato plants. Everything else just failed to thrive. Even the
zuchini put out blossoms but produced no squash.

Kris wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.

>
> Did anyone else experience this?
>


Everyone I know. Probably weather. It was a weird summer nearly
everywhere in the U.S.

Among other reasons I've heard: fewer bees for pollination, tomato
blight, cooler nights and days, too much/not enough rain. Choose one or
more.

I thought it was just our yard. A neighbor who always has a gorgeous
garden is away most of this summer and told me to go and pick what I
needed from her garden. I went last week and the leaf crops were
overgrown as were the turnips (HUGE!) but there were almost no tomatoes
in sight on dozens of plants and what there were seemed stunted.

There's always next year!

gloria p

On Sep 5, 1:49*pm, "Janet" > wrote:
> Kris wrote:
> > Hi all,
>
> > I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> > few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> > What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> > ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> > Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> > year. *We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> > Did anyone else experience this?
>
> > Kris
>
> We had the wettest summer on record, I think, and one of the coldest for the
> first two months. I haven't gotten a single tomato from my garden, nor
> anything else but a handful of basil and some chives early in the season. It
> didn't help that the gophers ate alll of the chard, and the deer ate the
> tops off the tomato plants. Everything else just failed to thrive. Even the
> zuchini put out blossoms but produced no squash.

From what everybody's writing, it doesn't sound like it's just me
who's had an off year!

My basil & chives did alright, as did my rhubarb. My tomatoes, green
peppers (as someone else mentioned too),and jalapenos (ditto) all were
disappointing.

Well, there's always next year! (I sound like a Cubs fan!)

Kris

Kris wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> year. We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> Did anyone else experience this?
>
> Kris

I'm in Illinois, and the tomatoes here have been abysmal this year!
Spouse and I planted three plants and have only havested a handful, if
even! I understand this season has been very poor for tomatoes this
year Not to mention, the weather has been very freaky! I daresay
the a/c has been off more than it has been on -- and that's very
peculair, too! It should be the other way around!

Sky, who will not complain about the lower utility bills this summer!

--
Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice!!

Tomato blight - similar to the potato blight that caused the Irish famine -
has been causing a great deal of trouble this year. It is air borne and
spreads rapidly. But some gardens can be wiped out (of tomato plants) and
next door not hit. If you have a good tomato crop - be happy about it.

JonquilJan

--
Learn something new every day
As long as you are learning, you are living
When you stop learning, you start dying

For me - a handful of peppers, two eggplant, two yellow squash and
about three tomatoes - all of which I havested early to beat the
squirrels. My dad used to have to beg people to take tomatoes before
they rotted.

Mr. Stripey was a great prodcer for me last year. So far, one
fruit. Some green of other varieties on the vine, so I haven't given
up hope.

Bulka

In article
>,
Kris > wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> year. We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> Did anyone else experience this?

This year is very good here in Southern New Jersey where I live, but
last year, the locally grown tomatoes in the stores were horrible. They
all had a bitter flavor and the color was off.

I am not a gardener at all, but my dad is. My dad grows tomatoes every
year for as long as I can remember. His tomatoes were lousy too last
year. Which reminds me, my dad hasn't offered me any tomatoes this
season. I will be calling him shortly to discuss that oversight.

On Sep 5, 4:10*pm, Stan Horwitz > wrote:
> In article
> >,
>
> *Kris > wrote:
> > Hi all,
>
> > I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> > few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> > What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> > ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> > Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> > year. *We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> > Did anyone else experience this?
>
> This year is very good here in Southern New Jersey where I live, but
> last year, the locally grown tomatoes in the stores were horrible. They
> all had a bitter flavor and the color was off.
>
> I am not a gardener at all, but my dad is. My dad grows tomatoes every
> year for as long as I can remember. His tomatoes were lousy too last
> year. Which reminds me, my dad hasn't offered me any tomatoes this
> season. I will be calling him shortly to discuss that oversight.

LOL - too bad your dad won't have enough for all of us who had crappy
crops this year!

Enjoy,
Kris

On Sep 5, 3:36*pm, "JonquilJan" > wrote:
> Tomato blight - similar to the potato blight that caused the Irish famine -
> has been causing a great deal of trouble this year. *It is air borne and
> spreads rapidly. *But some gardens can be wiped out (of tomato plants) and
> next door not hit. *If you have a good tomato crop - be happy about it.
>
> JonquilJan
>
> --
> Learn something new every day
> As long as you are learning, you are living
> When you stop learning, you start dying

Thanks for some clarification on what blight is. It makes more sense
now.

Kris

Kris wrote:
> On Sep 5, 3:36 pm, "JonquilJan" > wrote:
>> Tomato blight - similar to the potato blight that caused the Irish
>> famine - has been causing a great deal of trouble this year. It is
>> air borne and spreads rapidly. But some gardens can be wiped out (of
>> tomato plants) and next door not hit. If you have a good tomato crop
>> - be happy about it.

> Thanks for some clarification on what blight is. It makes more sense
> now.

Looks like what happened to my tomato plants. They were chugging
along and all of a sudden, collapse. Yellow leaves, no tomatoes.

I can't complain, I got a bunch of tomatoes this year, beauties. I just
have to look up if there is something I should do about the soil for
next year.

nancy

Kris wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> year. We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> Did anyone else experience this?

I did not grow any tomatoes this year because neither my wife or I eats
much tomato. Our neighbours had an incredible tomato crop in their
garden and local farmers markets have all kinds of them. FWIW we had a
cool and very wet summer here.

Kris wrote:

> Well, there's always next year! (I sound like a Cubs fan!)
>


I thought that was the farmers' motto.

glloria p

"My garden puts the organ in organic." That Scottish Conan Guy
9/1/01.

In article >,
zxcvbob > wrote:

> Kris wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> > few tomatoes compared to last year.
> >
> > What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> > ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
> >
> > Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> > year. We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
> >
> > Did anyone else experience this?
> >
> > Kris
>
>
> I've been having trouble with Late Blight for several years, but usually
> manage to get a crop anyway. This year I planted a blight resistant
> variety called "Legend". Also I planted "Porter", which doesn't have
> any particular disease resistance, but it's supposed to do well in poor
> weather. I planted 6 Legends and 5 Porters.
>
> Everything was very late this year. I've picked 6 fruit off Legend so
> far, probably will get about 5 or 6 more before they are done. The
> plants are eat-up with blight. The Porter plants look gorgeous. No
> disease and no insects, but they are a later variety and I haven't
> gotten anything off of them yet. They have green tomatoes on 'em, but
> not a lot.
>
> Haven't picked a single pepper or eggplant yet. The one jalapeño that
> survived the rabbit attack has a few little peppers on it. The ají
> peppers are tall and healthy, but no little peppers yet. I'm really
> ****ed about that because I was growing them for seeds, and there's very
> little chance of getting even 1 red fruit before frost. Eggplants just
> started blooming. I planted pepinos (Solanum muricatum) this year for
> the first time, and they are blooming but no fruit yet. The tomatillos
> are covered with empty balloons but no fruit yet. (notice a trend?)
>
> Basically, the whole garden has been a bust this year.
>
> Bob

No bust here, but things could have been better. The whole region (San
Francisco north bay area - Sonoma County) had late gardens. Our tomatoes
have just started to out pace our ability to eat them. We are in synch
with the cucumbers. Our climbing squash (our favorite), Zucchetta, is
flowering, and the bitter melon is filling in it's trellis. The nights
are staying cool (50F - 55F). Hopefully, we will have about 6 more weeks
of good gardening before we go into gleaning mode.

Most of the large tomatoes (Mortage, Brandywines, and German Striped)
have under performed this year with small fruit and low yields. The
Stupice have earned a permanent place in the garden though. Next year
I'll definitly have at least one "Blondkopftchen" and one "Koralic" for
cherry tomatoes. The Green Zebras haven't done much, and the Marmands
are still green. The San Marzanos are producing well, but I find that I
am not using them as much as I thought I would. Our carrots and beets,
while on the puny side, are tasty and encourage me to plant more.

I think I've worked out a crop rotation for my northerly facing hillside
and have more understanding of where I can grow, and where I can't.

In the meantime, the eats are good. I just wish Sept. could last a few
more months.
--
³When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist.²
-Archbishop Helder Camara

http://tinyurl.com/o63ruj
http://countercurrents.org/roberts020709.htm

Kris wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.

Weather was a touch odd in St. Louis. It was very hot in June, so the
plants in the neighbor-shocking front-yard garden grew like crazy, but
didn't set fruit. Then in cooled down in July, and near the start of
August the ripe ones started coming in. The vines are still covered
with ripe to tiny green ones. I've only been picking "splitters" or
ones that fall off on their own, leaving the rest on the vine.



Brian

--
Day 215 of the "no grouchy usenet posts" project

Sky wrote:


> I'm in Illinois, and the tomatoes here have been abysmal this year!
> Spouse and I planted three plants and have only havested a handful, if
> even!

Where in Illinois?



Brian

--
Day 215 of the "no grouchy usenet posts" project

Don't know where you are but here in the Beaujolais we have had best
season for tomatoes for 3 years, here's hoping the grape harvest isn't
quite as abundant and gives quality rather than quantity

Steve
www.lovelycolour.com

Kris wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> year. We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> Did anyone else experience this?
>
> Kris

zxcvbob > wrote:

>I've been having trouble with Late Blight for several years, but usually
>manage to get a crop anyway

I had a heavy attack of late blight, encouraged by a cold wet summer here
in upstate NY. Got enough tomatos for salad, but not for canning. I got a
few "Silvery Fir Tree" fruits to preserve my seed supply at least.... I'm
going to give the seeds a quick dilute Clorox bath after their usual
fermenting/cleaning.
All my plants are started from seed, but there are apparently enough spores
about, despite my rural location, to infect everything in a year like this.
I'm looking for suitable treatment for next year, with the emphasis on
things that are proven to work. Organic preferred, but....


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

On Sep 6, 8:55*am, Gary Woods > wrote:
> zxcvbob > wrote:
> >I've been having trouble with Late Blight for several years, but usually
> >manage to get a crop anyway
>
> I had a heavy attack of late blight, encouraged by a cold wet summer here
> in upstate NY. *Got enough tomatos for salad, but not for canning. *I got a
> few "Silvery Fir Tree" fruits to preserve my seed supply at least.... I'm
> going to give the seeds a quick dilute Clorox bath after their usual
> fermenting/cleaning. *
> All my plants are started from seed, but there are apparently enough spores
> about, despite my rural location, to infect everything in a year like this.
> I'm looking for suitable treatment for next year, with the emphasis on
> things that are proven to work. *Organic preferred, but....
>
> Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
> Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

Gary,

If there's something I could add to my soil, I'd be much obliged to
hear what it is.

Kris, suddenly wishing she was a Master Gardener

Default User wrote:
>
> Sky wrote:
>
> > I'm in Illinois, and the tomatoes here have been abysmal this year!
> > Spouse and I planted three plants and have only havested a handful,
> > if even!
>
> Where in Illinois?


Central ;>

Sky

P.S. Even the grapevines didn't grow well this year. Most summers, I
have to cut them back because they (usually) grow like weeds!

--
Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice!!

"Kris" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> year. We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> Did anyone else experience this?
>
> Kris

Lack of hot dry weather and bottom end rot have destroyed much of the usual
bumper crops of tomatoes this year.
I buy them by the bushel Labor Day weekend, grind, and can for the winter.
Not this year-couldn't get sauce tomatoes from Long Island at all. Two of my
usual farmstands didn't have any Roma's-their crops were a total waste.

In article >,
Gary Woods > wrote:

> zxcvbob > wrote:
>
> >I've been having trouble with Late Blight for several years, but usually
> >manage to get a crop anyway
>
> I had a heavy attack of late blight, encouraged by a cold wet summer here
> in upstate NY. Got enough tomatos for salad, but not for canning. I got a
> few "Silvery Fir Tree" fruits to preserve my seed supply at least.... I'm
> going to give the seeds a quick dilute Clorox bath after their usual
> fermenting/cleaning.
> All my plants are started from seed, but there are apparently enough spores
> about, despite my rural location, to infect everything in a year like this.
> I'm looking for suitable treatment for next year, with the emphasis on
> things that are proven to work. Organic preferred, but....
>
>
> Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
> Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

It was a banner year for tomatoes in Seattle because we had a relatively
hot and dry summer. Naturally, I didn't bother with tomatoes because of
my abject failures in previous years. Although I think the rains of
this weekend are about to drown any chance of a good late-season crop.
Right now it looks more like Ithaca rain than Seattle rain.

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

On Sep 5, 9:28*am, Kris > wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> year. *We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> Did anyone else experience this?
>
> Kris

Tried a new approach this year and it seems to have paid off. We've
had a short, but intense summer with periods of record heat and (until
this weekend) virtually no rain.

Late last April I bought healthy little starts in 4" pots from a good
local nursery - Early Girl, Stupice, Roma, Oregon Spring,and Big
Beef. In my area (outside of Eugene, OR) the last frost date is
Mother's Day, so I repotted them into gallon pots and threw them under
grow lights in my garage for a month. Hardened them off in a sheltered
area on the deck and by the time they went into the ground they had a
major jump start and were blooming like mad.

I plant in a raised bed filled with good garden soil and cover with a
layer of mulch. We use big, tall tomato cages to support the plants
and water at the base only when the plants seem to droop a bit.

Although friends have had problems with late ripening, small crops &
the "tomato blight," our tomatoes have been really healthy and good
producers. Beef Beef and Early Girl have been a tad on the small
side, but have great flavor. The Roma is really prolific & makes
wonderful sauce. Oregon Spring and Stupice are ok, but I probably
won't bother to grow again.

Will definitely use this approach again - there's nothing better than
a good homegrown tomato and having enough to make my own sauce is a
treat.

Nancy T

"saraheartburn" > wrote in message
...
snip

regarding tomatoes snip

so I repotted them into gallon pots and threw them under
grow lights in my garage for a month. Hardened them off in a sheltered
area on the deck and by the time they went into the ground they had a
major jump start and were blooming like mad.

I plant in a raised bed filled with good garden soil and cover with a
layer of mulch. We use big, tall tomato cages to support the plants
and water at the base only when the plants seem to droop a bit.

Although friends have had problems with late ripening, small crops &
the "tomato blight," our tomatoes have been really healthy and good
producers. Beef Beef and Early Girl have been a tad on the small
side, but have great flavor. The Roma is really prolific & makes
wonderful sauce. Oregon Spring and Stupice are ok, but I probably
won't bother to grow again.

Will definitely use this approach again - there's nothing better than
a good homegrown tomato and having enough to make my own sauce is a
treat.

Nancy T

Except for the raised beds, you have recounted my every year approach to
tomato gardening. This year it was a total failure. The soil was just too
cold, too long, not enough sun, too much rain. I'm south and east of you by
one state and nothing was even close to normal about our spring or summer.
We set all time records for rain and cold. Mulch on the soil was the death
knell for everything this year. Instead of keeping the soil from getting
too hot and drying out, it kept the soil so cold and wet that all the plants
stayed as small as when planted and turned yellow. It wasn't until the 2nd
week in July that plants began to grow because the soil warmed and dryed due
to temps over 100F. A neighbor gave me some teeny runt pepper plants --
threadlike and a couple inches tall. Because I had space and pots, I threw
them in black plastic gallon pots on the deck. Those plants are now
shoulder high and loaded with Jalepenos and bell peppers. The black plastic
pots allowed the soil to warm easily every day. By the time the weather got
too hot for black pots, I moved the pots to shelter behind some other
growth.
Janet

Sky wrote:

> Default User wrote:
> >
> > Sky wrote:
> >
> > > I'm in Illinois, and the tomatoes here have been abysmal this
> > > year! Spouse and I planted three plants and have only havested a
> > > handful, if even!
> >
> > Where in Illinois?
>
>
> Central ;>

Hmmm. I had a pretty good crop in St. Louis.



Brian

--
Day 215 of the "no grouchy usenet posts" project

Kris wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've been accessing my tomato patch this year with dismay. I've had
> few tomatoes compared to last year.
>
> What is also puzzling is that some plants are doing much better than
> ones right next to it! They all received the same amount of water.
>
> Someone told me there was "tomato blight" (not sure what that is) this
> year. We also had a record cold July, which didn't help I'm sure.
>
> Did anyone else experience this?
>
> Kris

I've had such a lousy tomato season (sun, dry, cold, hard wet, hard wet,
hard wet, dry, cold, etc), that I was only able to harvest a few
tomatoes worth using. the rest have been thick and tough skinned, and
runty in stature, much as their mother plants have been.

I stopped watering those sniveling, pathetic stunted, little plants that
even the birds didn't peck at, this past Friday. I hope they fall over
with the weight of the few tiny leather skinned fruits they carry as
they wither and die. I will laugh and scoff at them. Ha - Ha.

I will have a tomato plant toss this coming Friday while they enjoy
their last tokes on life.... no, maybe I'll water them first, give them
a couple of hours to think they might live... THEN I'll toss them.

Bob

On Sep 6, 1:12*pm, "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
> "saraheartburn" > wrote in message
>
> ...
> snip
>
> regarding tomatoes snip
>
> so I repotted them into gallon pots and threw them under
> grow lights in my garage for a month. Hardened them off in a sheltered
> area on the deck and by the time they went into the ground they had a
> major jump start and were blooming like mad.
>
> I plant in a raised bed filled with good garden soil and cover with a
> layer of mulch. We use big, tall tomato cages to support the plants
> and water at the base only when the plants seem to droop a bit.
>
> Although friends have had problems with late ripening, small crops &
> the "tomato blight," our tomatoes have been really healthy and good
> producers. *Beef Beef and Early Girl have been a tad on the small
> side, but have great flavor. The Roma is really prolific & makes
> wonderful sauce. *Oregon Spring and Stupice are ok, but I probably
> won't bother to grow again.
>
> Will definitely use this approach again - there's nothing better than
> a good homegrown tomato and having enough to make my own sauce is a
> treat.
>
> Nancy T
>
> Except for the raised beds, you have recounted my every year approach to
> tomato gardening. *This year it was a total failure. *The soil was just too
> cold, too long, not enough sun, too much rain. *I'm south and east of you by
> one state and nothing was even close to normal about our spring or summer..
> We set all time records for rain and cold. *Mulch on the soil was the death
> knell for everything this year. *Instead of keeping the soil from getting
> too hot and drying out, it kept the soil so cold and wet that all the plants
> stayed as small as when planted and turned yellow. *It wasn't until the 2nd
> week in July that plants began to grow because the soil warmed and dryed due
> to temps over 100F. *A neighbor gave me some teeny runt pepper plants -- *
> threadlike and a couple inches tall. *Because I had space and pots, I threw
> them in black plastic gallon pots on the deck. *Those plants are now
> shoulder high and loaded with Jalepenos and bell peppers. *The black plastic
> pots allowed the soil to warm easily every day. *By the time the weather got
> too hot for black pots, I moved the pots to shelter behind some other
> growth.
> Janet

We had a very late spring this year too after a miserable winter and
my soggy garden beds seemed to take forever to shake off the cold and
warm up. The raised beds the tomatoes went into definitely were a
more "plant friendly" environment - soil dried out and warmed much
faster than the adjacent ground.

Plants were thriving in the garage under the grow lights and were well
past the seedling stage, outgrowing gallon pots when we planted them
in June. I use heat mats to germinate other seeds in the garage - the
mats and 2 banks of grow lights keep that area pretty warm even in the
coldest weather. That jump start brought in ripe tomatoes weeks
before my friends.

I get impatient for spring and do a lot of propagating so this year's
gift to ourselves is a heated greenhouse - have wanted one all of my
adult life and am in pig heaven.

Nancy T

Bob Muncie wrote:

> I've had such a lousy tomato season (sun, dry, cold, hard wet, hard wet,
> hard wet, dry, cold, etc), that I was only able to harvest a few tomatoes
> worth using. the rest have been thick and tough skinned, and runty in
> stature, much as their mother plants have been.
>
> I stopped watering those sniveling, pathetic stunted, little plants that
> even the birds didn't peck at, this past Friday. I hope they fall over
> with the weight of the few tiny leather skinned fruits they carry as they
> wither and die. I will laugh and scoff at them. Ha - Ha.
>
> I will have a tomato plant toss this coming Friday while they enjoy their
> last tokes on life.... no, maybe I'll water them first, give them a couple
> of hours to think they might live... THEN I'll toss them.

Well, they're YOUR tomatoes, so you should feel free to do as you like with
them, but Spanish cuisine might offer a way to salvage them. Many Spanish
recipes start out by having you cut the tomatoes in half, then run the cut
side along a grater over a bowl. Once all the flesh and seeds have been
grated, the skin is discarded. The slurry in the bowl is used in a variety
of ways. For example, I recently made something called "pisto manchego"
(kind of a Spanish ratatouille) in which that tomato stuff was added to a
pot of cooking vegetables. The heat was turned up and the liquid boiled
away; the tomato innards continued to cook in some residual olive oil until
they turned a deep red, at which point they had formed a very flavorful
sauce around the remaining ingredients in the pot.

Similarly, Spaniards make a kind of bruschetta by grilling artisanal bread
and then rubbing the cut side of a tomato on it, in essence "grating" the
tomato into the bread.

Bob

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Bob Muncie wrote:
>
>> I've had such a lousy tomato season (sun, dry, cold, hard wet, hard
>> wet, hard wet, dry, cold, etc), that I was only able to harvest a few
>> tomatoes worth using. the rest have been thick and tough skinned, and
>> runty in stature, much as their mother plants have been.
>>
>> I stopped watering those sniveling, pathetic stunted, little plants
>> that even the birds didn't peck at, this past Friday. I hope they fall
>> over with the weight of the few tiny leather skinned fruits they carry
>> as they wither and die. I will laugh and scoff at them. Ha - Ha.
>>
>> I will have a tomato plant toss this coming Friday while they enjoy
>> their last tokes on life.... no, maybe I'll water them first, give
>> them a couple of hours to think they might live... THEN I'll toss them.
>
> Well, they're YOUR tomatoes, so you should feel free to do as you like
> with them, but Spanish cuisine might offer a way to salvage them. Many
> Spanish recipes start out by having you cut the tomatoes in half, then
> run the cut side along a grater over a bowl. Once all the flesh and
> seeds have been grated, the skin is discarded. The slurry in the bowl is
> used in a variety of ways. For example, I recently made something called
> "pisto manchego" (kind of a Spanish ratatouille) in which that tomato
> stuff was added to a pot of cooking vegetables. The heat was turned up
> and the liquid boiled away; the tomato innards continued to cook in some
> residual olive oil until they turned a deep red, at which point they had
> formed a very flavorful sauce around the remaining ingredients in the pot.
>
> Similarly, Spaniards make a kind of bruschetta by grilling artisanal
> bread and then rubbing the cut side of a tomato on it, in essence
> "grating" the tomato into the bread.
>
> Bob

Thanks Bob. Unfortunately, they are suffering under the lash of the sun,
with no water at the moment. If I could have made them happy, I would
have. Mother nature did not cooperate this season with the weird weather
in my neighborhood. I did grow them in pots, but they were pots the size
you'd grow 7' trees in.

Sun available (south side of house on top of a cord of wood. The earth
was fresh growing earth with the right stuff to grow anything. I
measured. If it had not been for the goofy weather, they should be
producing past what I can use.

But I can not fix.

Thanks for your input though.

Bob

"saraheartburn" > wrote in message
...
snip
I get impatient for spring and do a lot of propagating so this year's
gift to ourselves is a heated greenhouse - have wanted one all of my
adult life and am in pig heaven.

Nancy T

Lucky!!! Color me jealous. I don't have room for even the smallest one.
Good growing to you.
Janet

In article >,
"Default User" > wrote:

> Sky wrote:
>
> > Default User wrote:
> > >
> > > Sky wrote:
> > >
> > > > I'm in Illinois, and the tomatoes here have been abysmal this
> > > > year! Spouse and I planted three plants and have only havested a
> > > > handful, if even!
> > >
> > > Where in Illinois?
> >
> >
> > Central ;>
>
> Hmmm. I had a pretty good crop in St. Louis.

I was a little late puting mine in, so they came in late, but they're
hitting now.

jt

In article >,
Bob Muncie > wrote:

> Thanks Bob. Unfortunately, they are suffering under the lash of the sun,
> with no water at the moment. If I could have made them happy, I would
> have. Mother nature did not cooperate this season with the weird weather
> in my neighborhood.

I have my tomatoes in a slightly raised bed. In years past, I would at
least once a week oversoak the tomatoes (soaker hose at least six hours)
and I always get good crops. This year, did the same, but I put too
many plats for the space. Only intended six, but was given a bonus
three plants, so I crammed in nine plants. The lack of lower sunlight
has hurt the total crop, but I am still getting more than ample supplies.

I really believe that unless you have too much overall rain, this heavy
watering once a week has proven good for me.

My dad spent years gathering the leaves from his yard and mulching them
to the garden. Now, he has so much decomposed leaf matter that I don't
think his soil is holding enough moisture. He waters every day, but his
crop has been fairly lean in recent years.

jt

jt august wrote:
> In article >,
> Bob Muncie > wrote:
>
>> Thanks Bob. Unfortunately, they are suffering under the lash of the sun,
>> with no water at the moment. If I could have made them happy, I would
>> have. Mother nature did not cooperate this season with the weird weather
>> in my neighborhood.
>
> I have my tomatoes in a slightly raised bed. In years past, I would at
> least once a week oversoak the tomatoes (soaker hose at least six hours)
> and I always get good crops. This year, did the same, but I put too
> many plats for the space. Only intended six, but was given a bonus
> three plants, so I crammed in nine plants. The lack of lower sunlight
> has hurt the total crop, but I am still getting more than ample supplies.
>
> I really believe that unless you have too much overall rain, this heavy
> watering once a week has proven good for me.
>
> My dad spent years gathering the leaves from his yard and mulching them
> to the garden. Now, he has so much decomposed leaf matter that I don't
> think his soil is holding enough moisture. He waters every day, but his
> crop has been fairly lean in recent years.
>
> jt

Hi Jt -

I would not have an issue with dealing with any one issue with raising
tomatoes. I have had a number of successful years. The problem is I
think even the plants were confused this year. So many different weather
conditions can't be helpful. In, my case, well, I already explained
them. Problems with moisture, wind, sun, and temperature.

Not a good year.

But there is always next year.

Bob