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Re[2]: Lost Messages and Small Tomatoes

>On Thu, 19 Jun 1997 13:40:38 PST "Westaway, Shawn"
>>My tomato plants are still small because they were planted by
>>seed directly in the garden about 3 weeks ago. They seem to be
>>growing healthily and happily, though. I certainly was delinquent
>>planting so late and I won't have the first tomatoes on the block,
>>but we have such a long growing season, I am not worried.

Old John replied:

>Please keep us posted on the progress of your tomatoes. I will find this
>interesting because it is just the opposite of my approach to tomato
>growing. I strive for early tomatoes, which I am now picking in surplus.
>But this will soon come to a halt as my plants quit setting fruit during
>the hot weather. It will be interesting to see if later plants set in hot
>weather and if production continues into the fall.

>I have never even considered direct seeding. I always start seeds
>indoors and transplant twice. This a lot of work. I have a volunteer
>plant that came up at the edge of my compost pile. It had the first ripe
>tomato and is doing just as good as my carefully hand raised plants.
>This would make me wonder if I am working too hard. Your plants may
>supply the answer. This is what I find interesting about gardening.
>There is no one "right way" of doing it.

Hello SQFTr's -
Just an update on my summer garden, as asked for. The tomatoes never
got staked :(, but they are doing fine anyway. Got the first ripe ones
about the end of July, so it didn't take long. No sign of hornworms or
other diseases, yet :). Sometimes I think that planting the seeds
directly in the garden (though this is the lazy way) may help the
plants to be more resistant, and perhaps better adapted to my horrible
soil. I have lots and lots of bell and hot peppers - they love the
heat we've been having, and so do the Japanese eggplants. Carrots not
doing so well, but our rocky soil hates them anyway. Will try for a
late fall crop. Have tons of basil and oregano, and still are harvesting
our last Swiss chard. Have a few cukes, and lots of zucchini and crookneck.
Tried at the end of July for a bumper beet crop, but the dreaded cutworm
ate them all off at the soil line. Next year, we are going to do
transplants, and we also plan to try the beneficial nematode route to
get rid of those horrible cutworms. Anyway, John, hope this helps, if
you decide to go the seed route I'd just try a few, since I don't know
your soil conditions. Good luck.
Shawn
swestaway@smtplink.coh.org
Claremont, CA USDA9b Sunset19

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