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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? To
by dgacmu 1y ago
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 1y agoThanks 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 1y agoAgreeing 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. :)