I've had a sad tomato summer

[platys]

I started with 17 plants. I've lost three, and I'm about to lose two more. I'm pretty sure its white flies, although I haven't had any more yellowing on other plants once I started spraying Neem on a regular basis.

Worse yet, I've had awful fruit set. I didn't plant until Memorial Day, since it stayed cold and rainy. I did get some initial fruit set, but the temps immediately rocketed up into the 100s and stayed there - right as the big mass of blooms came out. I finally had some more fruit set in the last few weeks, but that'll require keeping the plants going for a lot longer, and who knows with this weather.

Then, to make matters EVEN worse, I've got a critter who likes to take a few bites from completely unripe tomatoes. I've been harvesting the second I see any sort of blush. I haven't gotten a tomato off Rutgers (which had bad fruit set), Brandy Boy, Pineapple, or Hillbilly. I've only gotten one tomato off Dagma's Perfection, Hawaiian Pineapple, and Brandywine OTV.

So that is my sad whine.


2011-08-15 18.38.28.jpg by knittergail, on Flickr

[Sherry_AK]

I'd say you deserve a good whine! Sorry you've had such a bad season. What do you suppose is eating those tomatoes?

[tam91]

I'm not having a great year either. Well tons of cherries. But same deal, heat, low fruit set - plus a bunch of BER in the beginning. I am getting some tomatoes, but certainly not a bunch.

[fortyonenorth]

Platys -

Sounds like you need a good wine to go with your good whine.

I think your plant-out date is fine. My dad lives in Aurora and he's been planting on Memorial Day for 50 years. Any earlier, you stand a good chance of getting nipped by a late frost. If your plants are healthy when they go in, you're almost certain to get a good initial fruit set. Getting that second one - in mid-summer - is elusive, though. Some years, the weather cooperates, in others (like this year) it's way too hot. Like you, I'm getting some additional sets now. It'll be interesting to see what matures before disease and frost get us.

Right now you just need to think like a Cubs fan - "there's always next year." Good luck!

[roper2008]

Well I can relate. One of my worst tomato years. I'm going to plant
more cherries next year and a few regular sized. I will be doing a lot
less tomatoes in 2012.
On the bright side my peppers were the best ever. I'm getting pretty
good at growing bells now.

[Mark0820]

If it is any comfort, you definitely are not alone. I can't remember a year when we experienced such extreme changes in the weather.

In April we set a record for rainfall (13 1/2 inches).

We had 40 inches of rainfall in the first six months of the year (normal annual rainfall in Cincinnati is 39 inches).

We had colder than usual weather in May.

In July, we tied a record of consecutive days with 90+ degree temperatures (18 days).

August has been unusually pleasant weather. Unfortunately, the BER has been terrible. I usually experience some BER on paste type tomatoes, but this year the majority of my plants have BER.

I planted more tomato plants this year than ever (21 in total). I thought I would be swimming in tomatoes by now. Instead, I barely have more than I can eat fresh.

And I did get a good chuckle out of your tomato picture only because that bite looks all too familiar to me.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by roper2008

Well I can relate. One of my worst tomato years. I'm going to plant
more cherries next year and a few regular sized. I will be doing a lot
less tomatoes in 2012.
On the bright side my peppers were the best ever. I'm getting pretty
good at growing bells now.

This year for me was just the opposite. I've made plenty of great tasting tomatoes even though I have had to fight some bad diseases a couple of times. This is the worst year for bell peppers that I have had in at least 15 years. The majority of my bells are either long gone or so sick and diseased they might as well be gone. The unbelievable heat early in the year did a real number on them and there has been only a little let up. I'm hoping the ones I have left can be nursed through until slightly cooler weather arrives and maybe I can have a good fall crop. No complaints with my hot peppers though. They have made earlier than ever this year.

[jas47]

Platys
Sorry to hear you are not having a good tomato year. I live about 100 miles sw of you and am having the best tomato year I have had for some time even though we had a cold wet spring and the hottest summer in years. I have a very good fruit set on almost all varieties and many tomatoes are in the 2 pound plus range.

These pics were taken on 7/20 and 8/20. Now I can't get between the rows without severe pruning. I plant rows about 7 feet apart so will increase that next year.

Hope next year is better for you.

[Sunsi]

Wow, from reading these posts all I can say is, 'it's a jungle out there!'.

We've been 'blessed' this year with something I've never seen on my tomatoes before, a Tomato Fruitworm. This caterpillar has impeccable taste in tomatoes--burrowing deep holes into some of our biggest tomatoes in the garden.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/showimage/7111/


Between those and then the blight it's a rush for the finish line--we've already made one pot of sauce for the freezer but would like to get many more. Anyone know if late blight will halt the ripening of the huge tomatoes still on the vine?

[Mark0820]

jas47,

You have a very nice garden indeed! The corn field and bean field are quite impressive also.

[jas47]

Thanks Mark
I'm semi retired now so have time to devote to the garden. I am also a farmer but I think the heat will hurt the corn crop this year.

[platys]

I do have to say that for the varieties that had blossoms out before the heat hit, I've had good production. Siletz was awesome, although I lost the last tier of blossoms. Cherokee Purple set four great fruit in a hurry (lost the last one to the chomper), but the next set didn't set. Japanese Black Triefle is loaded with fruit. Amish Paste is doing well and just set a ton of fruit. Hopefully we'll have a late frost!

[piegirl]

platys - sounds exactly like my garden this year. I feel a big whine coming on b/c I just toured the patch and septoria is taking over - overnight. My one hope was the martino's romas for sauce and that's where the septoria is. Jet Star is doing well but I didn't look really close but loads of set. Finally the zucchini are setting. Tonight I will spray daconil and remove several plants that have developed wilt. What a year. I'll bring the cheese! piegirl

[platys]

I caught the tomato eater red handed. It's a chipmunk! If I had my next door neighbor dog's over for a good pee, think that would scare him off?

[lakelady]

Originally Posted by platys

I caught the tomato eater red handed. It's a chipmunk! If I had my next door neighbor dog's over for a good pee, think that would scare him off?

Nope. I was over run by chipmunks this year that bred like rabbits. I tried it all and the only solution other than a pellet gun is the bucket of death. Google it, I know it sounds cruel BUT IT WORKS LIKE A CHARM. Got rid of about 40 and my neighbor another 30 or so. Since then nothing chomps in my garden. Now to keep them under control.... I think it was the abundance of acorns the past year caused them to over breed to keep up with food supply.

My neighbor around the lake lives on the point, water on 3 sides, and he has snakes that eat his tomatoes! Never would have thought that, but he has caught them in the act.