Comment by dgacmu

Comment by dgacmu 9 hours ago

2 replies

1) did you start them indoors or buy seedlings? Getting a late start could delay things.

2) did you water them enough?

3) did you have good holes for them? Tomatoes do well if they can root deeply - giving them a 2-3' deep hole filled with good soil and compost helps.

4) cages: indeterminate tomatoes can grow huge, So give them a cage with plenty of space - the crap little cages you get at Home Depot do not suffice. If they were determinant, this does not apply.

Tomatoes do well in full sun but need quite a bit of water if it's dry. And possibly some calcium - we compost our egg shells as one source.

foobarian 8 hours ago

Thanks for these insights!

I did get seedlings this season, and even planted them mid May. I thought I did pretty well not being late this year.

The only thing I can think of is not enough water; I had a thick layer (1-2 inch) of straw for mulch, and figured that would let me water less frequently. (Though I did do a finger check every few days).

Interesting you mention the cherries; it's the only plant with fruit even this late in the season. The others are assorted regular size varieties like Cherokee or other heirloomy types.

(edit: correction: it was mythrwy in the sibling comment that mentioned the cherry tomatoes! Thank you as well.)

  • dgacmu 8 hours ago

    Agreeing with you and mythrwy: in Pittsburgh, our cherry tomatoes have been gonzo the last few years and our heirlooms have been only middling productive.

    Which is annoying because they're so much more work to cook with. :)