Oh I tried, I really tried.
I love tomatoes, we eat them almost daily throughout the summer.
Big juicy ones, little juicy ones.
In a sandwich, in a salad, sprinkled with balsamic vinegar,
drizzled with some green tinged extra virgin olive oil.
This year I was going to grow my own tomato plants. The lack of good tasting tomatoes at my grocer was turning us off these lovely fruits. (yes they are a fruit)
I bought 6 different types of Heirloom variety tomato plants from a local grower. I bought a Roma, beefsteak, yellow pear, red cherry (2) and a regular one.
So far I have thrown out the Roma and one of the regular tomato plants. They didn't even grow taller let alone set fruit. They went into the warm ground at about 4 inches tall and came out at a whopping 7 inches or so. The Roma had one tomato on it.
We have eaten one regular tomato that ripened. There are maybe 4 on the whole plant. The beefsteak has about 6 small fruit. The red cherries have about 4 branches of fruit hanging there. The skin on these are thick like an apple skin. Yuck.
The yellow pear tomatoes taste good and are quite pretty but there are only a few branches of fruit on these as well.
I love tomatoes, we eat them almost daily throughout the summer.
Big juicy ones, little juicy ones.
In a sandwich, in a salad, sprinkled with balsamic vinegar,
drizzled with some green tinged extra virgin olive oil.
This year I was going to grow my own tomato plants. The lack of good tasting tomatoes at my grocer was turning us off these lovely fruits. (yes they are a fruit)
I bought 6 different types of Heirloom variety tomato plants from a local grower. I bought a Roma, beefsteak, yellow pear, red cherry (2) and a regular one.
So far I have thrown out the Roma and one of the regular tomato plants. They didn't even grow taller let alone set fruit. They went into the warm ground at about 4 inches tall and came out at a whopping 7 inches or so. The Roma had one tomato on it.
We have eaten one regular tomato that ripened. There are maybe 4 on the whole plant. The beefsteak has about 6 small fruit. The red cherries have about 4 branches of fruit hanging there. The skin on these are thick like an apple skin. Yuck.
The yellow pear tomatoes taste good and are quite pretty but there are only a few branches of fruit on these as well.

We have had great weather, I have watered regularly and fertilized with tomato food. There was manure in the garden beds as well.
I so wanted to eat the beautiful, flavorful Heirloom tomato varieties. I give up. I don't know if I will even try next year. Maybe I need to do a lot of research to find better varieties to start myself from seed.
I so wanted to eat the beautiful, flavorful Heirloom tomato varieties. I give up. I don't know if I will even try next year. Maybe I need to do a lot of research to find better varieties to start myself from seed.
In Canada I had good tomato years and bad tomato years. Some years I had that disease were the leaves and branches were all shriveled, but the tomatoes were okay. A horticulturalist told me to never plant them in the same bed two years in a row. Little organisms can overwinter. I dunno Lucy. I wouldn't try growing them here. I have enough trouble battling the Florida plague of locusts that descend on the flowers. At least you can buy some tasty ones at the markets.
ReplyDeleteXOLucy
It may just have been a bad year in your area. You mentioned manure, however. Is there a chance it had not aged enough and that it could have burned your plants? Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteI have too many! I can't give enough away! I wish you lived nearby, I would share with you! Last year was terrible...I had almost none!
ReplyDeleteI totally give up on growing tomatoes around here. Can't grow them in the yard or the critters will munch them, so that leaves the back porch - which doesn't get enough direct sunlight.
ReplyDeleteEvery year I swear that I won't try to grow anymore tomatoes & every year I try again - only to be disappointed.
Now cayenne peppers - those I grow like weeds!
Lori , Lori, Lori,...you are too cute ! Yes, I don't have a green thumb either....maybe a can of green spray paint...hmmmm. I planted 3 tomatoes - two in pots and one in a topsy turvey - they all look hideous ! Even my flowers died this year...only one pot survived. Yes, I am too a loser in the plant world.
ReplyDeleteGirl, you crack me up ! I think I have told you before..that I think you are a wonderful writer ! Thanks always for your kind and funny words !
Hugs ~ Kammy
p.s. yes, the memes were way out of line this week....got to tweek with your brain sometimes..its just a test...hee hee
Wow - tomatos were the only thing I could grow. I meant to plant some containers this year but the spring threw my planting off. My neighbours just brought me over a huge container of cherry tomatos and they were YUMMY.
ReplyDeleteWish yours had worked out - there is NOTHING like a fresh homegrown tomato. I wonder if there is a blight in your area - have your neighbours had any luck?
My dad used to have good luck with his tomato plants in the Salt Springs, New Brunswick garden. I love them too; fried, baked, raw. Hoping to grow my own if/when we ever get the heck out of apartment living.
ReplyDeleteAli