I keep watching this tomato. I go out and check on it a dozen times a day. I probably should not admit to this but the other night when we were expecting hail, I want out and wrapped it in multiple layers of batting, then taped plastic wrap around it. i didn’t want the batting getting all wet and soggy so the plastic wrap helped that. I laughed thinking I would probably damage the tomato removing the protection I had put on to keep it from being damaged by the weather but . . all the batting and plastic wrap was removed early the next morning and there was no damage. We didn’t have hail anyway. I hope that tomato feels very pampered! 🙂
I should have put a coin or something on it for perspective but it is by far, the largest tomato I’ve every grown. The first few ripe tomatoes were fairly small – all off the same plant. They were about the size of a decent Roma but they weren’t Romas because they’re all planted together on the other side of the yard to hopefully not get cross pollination.
The first two I had been waiting for them to get ripe enough that I could pick them and let them finish ripening in a window inside but the ground hog got them – he ate big hunks out of them. Then there were two more and they had big worm holes in them. Then I finally got one but it wasn’t very tasty. There are three now that are ready to eat. I did pick them when they were almost ready and let them finish ripening in the house.
I’m going to weigh that big one as soon as I remove it from the vine.
It ain’t over til it’s over but as of now, this is looks like the best garden I’ve had in several years.
Rosalie says
I had a great looking garden until we had a hailstorm 3 weeks ago. The tomato plants were very broken and the squash leaves were desimated. 2 of the squash have recovered. The tomatoes are struggling.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I’m so sorry We can do everything right and then Mother Nature does her dirty tricks and ruins it all. Hopefully at least some of yours will recover. I’ve started more seeds hoping to get a few Fall tomatoes.
vivoaks says
We’ve barely gotten our tomatoes growing, and here you are with huge tomatoes already!! 🙂 I just hope I actually get some this year, after our friendly deer ate everything last year. I only got potatoes (in grow bags – thanks for the suggestion!) last year because the deer ate literally everything else!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Hopefully they won’t eat them this year but they may remember where they had a feast!
Marcie says
Tomatoes question – You mentioned planting Romas in a different location. I had planted Romas and Cherries and a couple others in beds along two opposite sides of my house, thinking that they might mature at different times. Can you say more about avoiding cross pollination? TIA!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I am definitely not an expert so please don’t count on my advice. Things I read before growing so many different tomatoes are: (1) Plant the different types at least 10 feet apart. (2) Plant heavy pollen producers (like squash) in between the two types of tomatoes.
What I’ve done is plant a variety of tomatoes that I don’t plan to save the seeds from (or if I do, I’ll just label them as “mixed breed”) and they’re over on the the south side of the greenhouse. They have the fence on one side and the house on the other, then the greenhouse so I don’t see how the wind is going to pollinate those. Bees aren’t great pollinators for tomatoes. I think it mostly happens by shaking (wind) so I’m not too worried about that. There may be 6 different types of tomatoes growing in that group.
Then over behind the greenhouse, I have the tomatoes from my grandpa’s seeds. I would like to save those seeds so it’s probably 20 feet to other tomatoes and there’s a bed that contains yarrow and nasturtium between Grandpa’s tomatoes and any others. The bees will go to the yarrow and nasturtium before they go to the tomato blooms.
I thump or use an electric toothbrush to get my tomato blossoms to release pollen. I try to do it every day when the wind isn’t blowing so hopefully the pollen isn’t traveling far.
Ask me next year how this plan has worked. 🙂
marcie says
Fascinating! Thanks!