My tomatoes were great this summer but they aren't doing too well now (Ohio. zone 5). Next year I guess I'll start a few plants later in the Spring unless anyone knows of any long lived varieties. Any ideas?
Thanks
In our last fun filled episode, Thu, 25 Sep 2003 02:43:26 GMT, H Hornblower proclaimed:
What varieties are you growing? Are you sure it's not some sort of late blight rather than short-lived tomatoes?
Consider looking into what open pollinated or heirloom types of tomatoes were developed to grow in your area. One of my favorites for late season tomatoes, before the advent of the Thrips and their biological warfare, was Russian Silvery Fur Tree Tomato. They would produce early tomatoes, shut down in the full heat of the summer (I'm in zone 8), and pick up production again in the fall.
I thought my mystery yellow tomato had succumbed to the dreaded Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, but it's showing new life and blooming up a storm. I should, at the very least, have some green tomatoes to pick right before first freeze.
Pam
If they are determinate (as opposed to indeterminate) tomatoes, they're maybe just at the end of their useful life. My understanding of determinate tomatoes is that they have all their fruit in a fairly short period of time, then ..what? Just wither and die, I suppose.
The only determinates I've grown were little Red Robin miniatures which I grew indoors, and they did in fact fruit very nicely for a period of about two to three months, then sort of withered and died.
I think you might want to investigate next year to be sure to grow some indeterminates if you want them to last longer.
I've often had (indeterminate) tomatoes succumb to some sort of late blight, or fungus, or virus or whatever - but always very late in the season, when frost is going to kill them very soon in any case. So it doesn't seem that there's been much loss.
Pat
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