To What Extremes Have YOU Gone To Plant More Tomatoes?

pdxwindjammer · June 20, 2013

I started becoming interested in growing more heirloom tomatoes several years ago. Due to the fact that we have fairly short summers here in Portland, OR, I have been on a mission to find the best heirloom varieties for our climate and growing season.

What started out as growing 20 seedlings a year quickly escalated and I think this year I grew about 400 seedlings. I grow because I now have regular customers who buy from me each year. I always have leftover tomato plants. This year I donated over 40 plants to the Oregon food Bank but couldn't bare to get rid of all of them, determined to find room for them somewhere.

I have 3 different neighbors growing out varieties that I am not growing so I can observe, taste and save seeds from more varieties.

We don't have much sun in our backyard but I still planted some in a raised bed that gets 5-6 hours of sun.

In Portland, it is extremely common for people to put raised beds out in the front yard and along the parking strips. My sweetie did not want me to put raised beds out front so here was my solution, just to get a few more places to plant some tomatoes:

I hired a landscape designer to draw up plans for our front yard, along with suggested perennials based on the fact that I want plants that attract beneficial insects that are still low enough for tomatoes (and peppers) to get great sun. Then I had 1 1/2 units, which is about 11 yards, of premium 5 way soil delivered. I sheet mulched my front yard area with cardboard as a weed barrier and then I have been working for days to get all the soil in the landscape design beds.

Nearly $1000 later and my back screaming from shoveling, I now have 8 tomato plants, 2 pepper plants, kale and marigolds planted in one of the areas with the most sun!

All of this for EIGHT tomato plants!

Think I am crazy?

Here is where I am growing tomatoes:

32 in my community garden plots, one that I hope to give up next year but I think I need to go to a TGA (Tomato Growers Anonymous) meeting.

6 small fruit/cherry varieties in my raised garden bed in back.

8 in 5 gallon grow bags, some out front, some in back.

8 in my newly landscaped bed out front.

8 growing across the street
2 growing around the corner
8 growing 2 blocks away

What lengths have YOU gone to plant more tomatoes?

June 20, 2013	#1
pdxwindjammer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 625	To What Extremes Have YOU Gone To Plant More Tomatoes? I started becoming interested in growing more heirloom tomatoes several years ago. Due to the fact that we have fairly short summers here in Portland, OR, I have been on a mission to find the best heirloom varieties for our climate and growing season. What started out as growing 20 seedlings a year quickly escalated and I think this year I grew about 400 seedlings. I grow because I now have regular customers who buy from me each year. I always have leftover tomato plants. This year I donated over 40 plants to the Oregon food Bank but couldn't bare to get rid of all of them, determined to find room for them somewhere. I have 3 different neighbors growing out varieties that I am not growing so I can observe, taste and save seeds from more varieties. We don't have much sun in our backyard but I still planted some in a raised bed that gets 5-6 hours of sun. In Portland, it is extremely common for people to put raised beds out in the front yard and along the parking strips. My sweetie did not want me to put raised beds out front so here was my solution, just to get a few more places to plant some tomatoes: I hired a landscape designer to draw up plans for our front yard, along with suggested perennials based on the fact that I want plants that attract beneficial insects that are still low enough for tomatoes (and peppers) to get great sun. Then I had 1 1/2 units, which is about 11 yards, of premium 5 way soil delivered. I sheet mulched my front yard area with cardboard as a weed barrier and then I have been working for days to get all the soil in the landscape design beds. Nearly $1000 later and my back screaming from shoveling, I now have 8 tomato plants, 2 pepper plants, kale and marigolds planted in one of the areas with the most sun! All of this for EIGHT tomato plants! Think I am crazy? Here is where I am growing tomatoes: 32 in my community garden plots, one that I hope to give up next year but I think I need to go to a TGA (Tomato Growers Anonymous) meeting. 6 small fruit/cherry varieties in my raised garden bed in back. 8 in 5 gallon grow bags, some out front, some in back. 8 in my newly landscaped bed out front. 8 growing across the street 2 growing around the corner 8 growing 2 blocks away What lengths have YOU gone to plant more tomatoes?