Tomatoes

[Dale]

Dawn glad your tomatoes are growing.

 

[Kya D]

I am excited I can't wait for FRESH tomatoes

 

[Dale]

I have worked so hard this year to have any sort of tomatoes. They are worth all my efforts.

 

[John W_in_Indy]

I have worked so hard this year to have any sort of tomatoes. They are worth all my efforts.

LOL! Oh John, it gets even better. Birds also will attack your tomatoes! Sad but true they are the veggie of choice for many critters. I had not been having any trouble untill this last couple weeks. I looked out one day to see a squirrel running down the fence with a small tomatoe in his mouth! That's why I over plant....so I can share

I haven't worked as hard as you have, but I only have four tomato plants. From the early season being overly cool and wet where all of my tomatoes dropped all their blooms, to the recent spate over very warm nights and hot humid days (and to a large degree.... me more than likely over fertilizing a bit earlier in the season) where the plants shot up like uncontrolled weeds.... all of my current tomatoes are above the cage.

I had to go out and purchase 8' 1" x 2" stakes just to hold up the vines growing above the cages. My Beefsteak plant is nearly to the top of the new 8' stake! With tons of blooms now above the cages and with all kinds of fruit starting to set almost daily, I guess I now have the birds to worry about too? Dang, I sure hope not.

After all of this angst, I sure hope I get to slice into a nice big juicy Beefsteak tomato and layer it with some thick sliced provolone cheese, topped with a drizzle of some super balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, toasted pine nuts and freshly snipped basil leaves.... I can hardly wait.

 

[Dale]

John sounds like you are doing well with your tomatoes. I wouldn't fertilize them any more at this time if it were me. If the tomatoes grow to fast they won't have as much flavor. Also too much water will take away some of the flavor as well. The blooms on the tomatoes will set fruit as long as the night temps don't get higher than 75ish. Beefsteak is a good variety of tomato. Hope they taste as great as you want them to be.

 

[Randy]

Moles are insectivores, they don't eat plants. Moles get the blame for a lot of the damage voles do. If something mole-like is eating your plants, it's most likely a vole.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7439.html

I have pondered this through the day as I was working. I have had root crops pulled down into the tunnels and munched away. I have seen vole holes in the garden for the first time this year, but I have had moles in there every year. I also have gophers, but I have never caught one of them in the garden. They have hung out in the orchard which is next to the garden. Their tunnels are larger and they don't close off the openings like the moles do. But, Blue, I was thinking about how stubborn I am and here these educated people tell me that a mole won't eat the vegetables that I know are disappearing. But I respect their knowledge. I sort of feel like I am the guy that is saying, "My mind is made up. Don't confuse me with facts." What I will do though is go to a source that may shed some light on this. He is one of my two farmer friends and he has a master's degree in agriculture. I know he knows about voles as does my other farmer friend. Both of them are in constant battle with the voles. In the meantime, my traps are still set. LOL

 

[Gloria]

My curiousity is up too Randy so I did a search. He's a good link about moles and voles..I would not want the headache of having either as they both are destructive.

http://voles.com/Vole_FAQ.htm

 

[Crabbergirl]

After all of this angst, I sure hope I get to slice into a nice big juicy Beefsteak tomato and layer it with some thick sliced provolone cheese, topped with a drizzle of some super balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, toasted pine nuts and freshly snipped basil leaves.... I can hardly wait.

Thanks now I'm really hungry! LOL! Oh John I have no doubt you will get your tomato sandwich , I just hope I get one. Stupid furry tailed rats ate every one in the garden yesterday , then to add insult to injury, the horn worms have appeared!

 

[Mainegal]

I have blooms on a couple of my plants but if we don't get some sun and warm weather I will never get any. Broke a record yesterday, high of 58° as the highest low temp, it was previous 62° pouring here again but what's new, only had 3 sunny days in june and they say july is going to be like june was, oh joy
slugs and snails have taken over my yard, have named it slug haven...

 

[Randy]

I will have to call my friend as I don't expect to see him for about another month. I know we have all three of the varmints, but I have never gone after the voles as I haven't seen any evidence of their presence in the garden until this year. There are lots of them among the grape vines though.

 

[John W_in_Indy]

Thanks now I'm really hungry! LOL! Oh John I have no doubt you will get your tomato sandwich , I just hope I get one. Stupid furry tailed rats ate every one in the garden yesterday , then to add insult to injury, the horn worms have appeared!

I hope so CG.... but what I described is not a sandwich, but a nice Italian CAPRESE salad. I change it up a bit by adding the toasted pine nuts sometimes or crumbled Stilton cheese if I'm in the mood. The traditional recipe doesn't call for any balsamic vinegar either and uses fresh Mozzarella cheese as opposed to provolone. But I like it with "just a tiny drizzle" of the balsamic vinegar added and use the provolone when good FRESH mozarella isn't available. Either way, it's scrumptious.

Here are some renditions from others:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Salad/InsalataCaprese.htm
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1665292
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Insalata-Caprese-13232

Something like three nice slices of tomatoes layered with three thick slices of Provolone cheese then the drizzle of dressing and for me the toasted nuts and sliced fresh basil. Yummmmmy.

Now what in the world are horn worms?!? I guess I'll have to do a little Googling I suppose.

 

[Jade]

You will know one when you see one John, they are like the biggest, scariest looking striped and horned caterpillar that you will ever see.

 

[John W_in_Indy]

You will know one when you see one John, they are like the biggest, scariest looking striped and horned caterpillar that you will ever see.

From Google images.....

EWWWWWE!

 

[Jade]

Yup, they are ugly buggers.

 

[John W_in_Indy]

Yup, they are ugly buggers.

LOL.... Sarah (my 12 year old) just said she thought they were "CUTE!"

 

[Dale]

My peacock loves those worms!!!

 

[curbhopper]

These worms are HYsterical ! You THINK you've gone back to the dinosaur age. Little Sarah can take it for a walk. When I get them, I'm saying, "Geez......" and flick them into my neighbor's yard but they seem to hav a LOT of legs. The blessings of living in a townhouse Great JW, you can get a peacock .

 

[Crabbergirl]

You found the bugger all right. A little hot pepper spray took care of them.

 

[lynpenny]

I have shades put up for my tomatoes. I think it is helping as we have been in the 100+ weather and extra hot sun and we are still setting on. I will have to remember that for future years.

 

[Jade]

My tomatoes still look really sad, I am keeping them around for just a bit longer, but I am sure that they have the late blight that was described in another thread. I bought some of the Bonnie plants at walmart. Next year I am growing all my own. Heck, I paid like three bucks a piece for those buggers who are dying. I am sad.