Tomatoes!!

» MaggieM - Oh to be in Minnesota

I will be waiting the results of the tastings to see what varieties come out the best! I have only grown tomatoes from seed for the past two years (having bought plants in the past) but I am impressed with how easy it is.

All mine are grown in very large pots on my deck, but I don't limit myself to the "pot and patio" varieties. This year's selection included Brandywine, which are now being eaten. the yeild is less than plants in real ground, I'm sure, but with four plants and the size of them and the taste, I will grow more next year. I also planted some "Miracle Sweet" - (67 days) and they are a lovely shape and colour, and very sweet, but not overly large (not the sandwich size my husband salivates over). I will not grow the cherry calledRed Alert next year, the yeild was small - I'll try another one next year. And I got a free packet of "beefsteak" tomatoes (vareity unknown) this year, and although I have only one plant (I gave the rest of the seedlings away to friends) it and the fruit is proof that with a big pot, and TLC you can grown these monsters even if you don't have a traditional garden.

My neighbours are helping us eat the crop - and I will can some......I will also buy the Romas at the Farmer's market for canning, as well. Also new to canning, I had such success last year with both tomatoes and chili sauce (my aunt's recipe) that my Mother has already asked when we are doing this year's batch. She loves to chop up all the ingredients, and is happy to just spend time with me - and them take some home for herself.

I have quite a routine for my container grown tomatoes - I remix some of the old soil with new soil (a container bagged mix a house brand from our local Coop) and my own compost and/or some cow or sheep manure) each year. I clean out the pots - mostly large stock pots that I pick up wherever I can find them, and mulch the pots about two inches with some bagged shredded stuff that comes in bags and is just called "forrest mulch). then I water like mad - twice a day sometimes and give them a feeding of veggie or tomato or some other fertilizer every three weeks or so. this year I managed to get some sea weed fertilizer, and they seemed to like it

I have notied that the "days to maturity" index seems to be a few days less with container growns (like a week or two) and when August comes around I top the plants so they don';t keep trying to flower and set fruit that won't make it.

And, I'm convinced that tomato plant roots eat soil! by the time I get around to putting the pots to bed for the winter, and pull our the dead plants and chop them up for the composter, there's a heck of a lot less soil!

Please, let me know what come out as winners at the tomato fest!

-- posted by MaggieM

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