Three guesses why I was so excited when I looked at my cherry tomato plant on Friday.Yes, I finally got to eat a ripe tomato from my garden on Saturday, July 21. Too bad it was just a cherry. Not that I'm knocking the cherry tomatoes, I love em. But, you know, I want more. I couldn't even wait for it to get really red, I was too scared tragedy would strike.
Gardening article after gardening article mentions tomatoes as one of the easiest veggies to grow. For everyone else, maybe.
Last year, friends brought me two tomato plants in July. I didn't kill them, and I did get some tomatoes, but they were just starting to go crazy when we ot our first frost. I wanted more, much more.
So this year I bought six plants, Early Girl (which is such a misnomer) and Supersonic and one cherry tomato. I bragged to co-workers and family about how I'd be drowning in tomatoes. Yes, surely I'd have plenty to share with them, to make salsa, etc.
All seemed well, even though I now know you're supposed to plant tomato seedli
ngs deeper than the pots they come in as they can sprout more roots (note to self for next year!). But even though I planted them in mid-May, I still haven't gotten a bite of juicy tomato. I have had some big promising looking green tomatoes. But just when they look like they have to be getting ready to turn, this happens. Those bastard squirrels. They always take the biggest one. I've never been so tempted to buy a gun...My cup almost runneth over Saturday because after checking on the almost ripe cherry tomato I saw one of the Supersonics was turning a lovely shade of orange. Mouth watering, I picked a couple green ones to fry. And that's why I saw it: blossom end rot. Crap. I figured I had better check the one that was ripening. Better to get the bad news over with and sure enough, it had a big, black rotten bottom. Foiled again.
The super dry weather has to be a big factor in this. So maybe it will clear up? Anyone have tips on beating the dreaded BER? I can't face the idea of a tomato-less summer.
I hate to say it, but those squirrels need to be trapped, dipped in water, and disposed.
ReplyDeleteI had to get rid of about 20 this spring to find any peace in my garden.
I learned something new--put more soil in store-bought pots of tomatoes. I, too, will make a note. That is the only way I grow tomatoes, so any little thing to help them along...
ReplyDeleteAiyana
My bit tomatoes aren't ripe either. It is rather like waiting for my lover to arrive after holding out for a year. Enough already!
ReplyDelete