The West Coast summer has been less than ideal for these garden favourites but Oregon Spring and Gold Nugget came through. These dependable varieties, albeit later-producing than usual, still gave me a good crop. On top of that, I'll be able to add a new favourite to the list - Tumbler!
This variety is a heavy producer and it was the absolute first to set fruit. I couldn't get over how wonderfully adapted this variety is for hanging baskets. One plant is all it took to fill a 12" container. The fruit are bigger than your average cherry. Although not the most flavourful variety (I still love the rich taste of Red Cherry), Tumbler made up for it with it's production.
I started Tumbler indoors in early March along with my other tomatoes. By the time I set them out in early May, they were already flowering. I got the first fruit in late July which was fantastic considering we celebrated Canada Day, July 1st, shivering in the rain at 6 degrees Celsius.
Tumbler grew best in hanging baskets where it's free-growing, tumbling, habit was allowed to grow unchecked. To each basket, I added 1/2 cup of complete organic fertilizer consisting of canola seedmeal, rockphosphate, and kelp meal. As the plants began to set fruit, I sprayed every other week with liquid kelp to help ensure fruit set.
Here on the West Coast, we can't grow tomatoes without some type of protection from rain or they become infected by the Late Blight fungus. Growing my tomatoes in pots allows me to keep them by the house or under the eaves where the can stay dry.
I will definately be growing Tumbler again next year. It seems ideally suited for our unpredictable conditions and I'm sure to get a crop, no matter what the weather.
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