Checking in on your tomatoes!

[Marian Worley]

Very soon we will begin the summer harvesting of tomatoes and I cannot wait. Wilth the cool wet summer in the south the tomatoes took a while to make, and I have experienced a bit of blossom drop and lack of blossoms, but the tips I have received, calcium, fish emulsions, have helped and I have a nice crop coming. How are yours coming?

[Michelle W. Flannery]

This is the first year I'm getting big tomatoes. Usually they are only medium size, no matter what variety I plant, but this year I can say I've gotten several already that are large. Not huge! But large! I can smile about that!! :o)

[chris w]

Harvesting is still pretty far away for me, plants are just starting to form blooms again (after being broken up by hail) - its also been unusally cool - its still not staying above 50 at night here.

[Penelope]

I got hail damage also. My whole yard feels like a jungle from all the unusual rain. I hope I get tomatoes this year.

[Adrian Fox]

Been harvesting them for several weeks but mainly from the polytunnel. Earliest are always 'Siberia' but this little bush tomato makes a cluster of fruit and then expires! (And the flavour is nothing to write home about!) Best variety here is 'Merveilles des Marchés' (marvel of the markets) which is a good, large juicy type and not a hybrid. For the last two years we've had terrible blight which has wiped out the main outside crop. Haven't treated any this year but very hopeful the hot sunny weather we're experiencing will keep the blight at bay. Am I being stupid and should I spray them with Bordeaux mixture anyway?

[Marian Worley]

Oh such tomato joy!!!!!!
I have had 1 Mr. Stripey and 3 of my very favorite Cherokee Purples, one slightly underripe as well Ian, but it was too much to resist. Isn't it funny how eating a homegrown tomato replenishes the soul. I have 26 plants, several heirloom varieties, Brandywine pink and yellow, Cherokee Purples, Mr Stripey, Green Stripe, German Johnson, Better Boys, Early Girls. The plants are huge and blooming profusely, thanks to calcium and some liquid seaweed. Some ore absolutely huge, the size of small grapefruits and they vary in size from there. I planted a Mortgage Lifter this year, in honor of the tough ecenemy, will let you know how that works.
I am glad to see you all. So is the blight something you can actually get rid of? I just make my piece with it.
What do you do Joy?

[Rose Keppler Moradian]

No, don't spray with Bordeaux! Put black plastic around the plant on the soil to heat it up and use fish emulsion regularly. Manganese is good micro mineral for foliage, often found in palm food. What region are you in?

[David Brownlee]

"I'm so excited and I just can't hide it
I'm about to lose control and I think I like it"

The low sun Husky Cherry Reds are beginning to make fruit :-)......little nubbies.....once ripe I'll eat em all.

[Marian Worley]

I like it.

[David Brownlee]

Well I'm beginning to wonder now - the dang things just want to grow taller. Basketball tomatos I suppose. I'll give them upper support if they want to get 8 foot tall. I guess that's the price you pay on a balconey with only medium/low sunlight - they chase the sun like crazy. I bought "Husky Cherry Reds" on purpose because I figured they would be OK with limited sunlight - they have now become "Husky Cherry" 8 footers.

[PennyG]

We have managed to get 3 little cherries off our's, we have had so much rain that its slowed everything down, and its been cool too.

[Shawna]

Mine have gotten off to a late start as well due to much cooler and wetter weather in May and June on the NC coast (plus we packed up and moved most the containers to a new house in June--I don't think they like it here) but we have been eating Romas (for salsa), Sweet Pea (tiny cherry type) Rowdy Reds and Rutgers for awhile, and am picking 6-12 tomatoes a day from 6 plants, except the Sweet Pea which produces a couple dozen every other day...the Tennessee yellow cherry is just starting to grow like crazy and we have had a few off of it.....very sweet tasting. The only one I am having problems with is the Rutgers, it is not doing as well as it has in years past, (blight, caterpillars and smaller than usual plants).

Still waiting on the tomatillos, not a puffball in sight yet. I know it's not technically a tomato but salsa is just not salsa without them!!!

The Rowdy Red has lived up to it's expectations, it is now my husbands favorite tomato!!!

Now I need a tomato sandwich...

[David Brownlee]

"Now I need a tomato sandwich..."

Yeppers Shawna....I'll take a fat slice of a home grown big boy (or better boy) with some Mayo on bread.