Pity me, for I had total crop failure on the 'maters this year

Mojo · June 19, 2016

Mojo! Not you?!

Yes, me. I picked a handful of cherry tomatoes in late April and that was I-T! Now it wasn't for lack of trying, I had sixty plants out. I think it was a combination of several factors:

Rain: there was just So. Much. Rain. Some of the plants could not take all the water, even in my raised beds; the rest had pollination issues, I think.
Hail: Friday the 13th of May, we had a hail storm that is going to cost me a new roof. But that was not the most grievous harm of the day. The hail knocked most everything off my plants. My neighbor said he lost almost all his tomatoes that day as well.
Insects (or lack thereof): around the time I saw the first (and last) cherry tomatoes, I also saw stink bugs. Wicked early of them this year, but we had a warm winter, so... Stink bugs just use neem oil like deodorant, so after consultation, I bit the bullet and went to something a bit stronger. The stink bugs disappeared --but I think the pollination rate suffered as well. Darned if I do, darned if I don't.
gosh darnoodley nutria: I LOST AN 8' POMENGRANATE BUSH IN ONE NIGHT WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHATSOEVER! I about lost my mind over who could've done it until I saw teeth marks on my willow tree. Nutria have moved back into the pond behind the beds, and they started digging holes in the beds. Then, they began knocking over bushes and stripping the green fruit. Squirrels, we can tolerate, but nutria are just too much. I hope the recent floods pushed them out of the ponds, but this could be a long-term losing fight.
Possible chemical interference: this one is a long-shot, but I don't think I was getting as many blooms as I ought to have had. The only explanation I can posit is that the manure I got from my in-law's stables had something from the horse feed that retarded blossom formation.

I have squashes, and some eggplant, and the peppers are making a good run of it now. The melons are starting to really take over, as they should at this time of the season. About half my vines are still alive, and I may try to keep them alive through the fall. But it's depressing, it really and truly is. I finally had a chance to grow out the Serendipity seeds from the very last SETTFest, and now they're gone.

Mojo is sad.

June 19, 2016	#1
Mojo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 317	Pity me, for I had total crop failure on the 'maters this year Mojo! Not you?! Yes, me. I picked a handful of cherry tomatoes in late April and that was I-T! Now it wasn't for lack of trying, I had sixty plants out. I think it was a combination of several factors: Rain: there was just So. Much. Rain. Some of the plants could not take all the water, even in my raised beds; the rest had pollination issues, I think. Hail: Friday the 13th of May, we had a hail storm that is going to cost me a new roof. But that was not the most grievous harm of the day. The hail knocked most everything off my plants. My neighbor said he lost almost all his tomatoes that day as well. Insects (or lack thereof): around the time I saw the first (and last) cherry tomatoes, I also saw stink bugs. Wicked early of them this year, but we had a warm winter, so... Stink bugs just use neem oil like deodorant, so after consultation, I bit the bullet and went to something a bit stronger. The stink bugs disappeared --but I think the pollination rate suffered as well. Darned if I do, darned if I don't. gosh darnoodley nutria: I LOST AN 8' POMENGRANATE BUSH IN ONE NIGHT WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHATSOEVER! I about lost my mind over who could've done it until I saw teeth marks on my willow tree. Nutria have moved back into the pond behind the beds, and they started digging holes in the beds. Then, they began knocking over bushes and stripping the green fruit. Squirrels, we can tolerate, but nutria are just too much. I hope the recent floods pushed them out of the ponds, but this could be a long-term losing fight. Possible chemical interference: this one is a long-shot, but I don't think I was getting as many blooms as I ought to have had. The only explanation I can posit is that the manure I got from my in-law's stables had something from the horse feed that retarded blossom formation. I have squashes, and some eggplant, and the peppers are making a good run of it now. The melons are starting to really take over, as they should at this time of the season. About half my vines are still alive, and I may try to keep them alive through the fall. But it's depressing, it really and truly is. I finally had a chance to grow out the Serendipity seeds from the very last SETTFest, and now they're gone. Mojo is sad. __________________ There is no logical response to the question, "Why won't you let me plant more tomatoes?"