What a difference a year makes...

Last year virtually no tomatoes.

This year my Early Girls are five feet tall. The Green Zebra, SunGold, Yellow Brandywine, and Big Beef are all four feet tall. And every single plant has set fruit.

But, something's munching on my bok choy.

[David M. Bueker]

Not a single local tomato from any of the farms here yet. I see them on the vines as I drive by & they are all completely green.

I didn't plant anything since the rabbit family has taken up residence in my yard.

But, something's munching on my bok choy.

Chef
I think it may be Mrs Johnson from number 33. I'd recommend a generic G&T spray, which should prevent further attacks for at least 12 hours.
regards
Ian

Yeah - what was with last year anyway? I'm finding the same pattern, all my tomatoes have set fruit and are a fair size. I will definitely have table ready tomatoes and basil in another two weeks.

Last year virtually no tomatoes.

This year my Early Girls are five feet tall. The Green Zebra, SunGold, Yellow Brandywine, and Big Beef are all four feet tall. And every single plant has set fruit.

But, something's munching on my bok choy.

I suspect either rabbits or squirrls, in either case trap and cook!

I've discovered that , just as a watch pot never boils, a tomato plant niggardly refuses to bear ripe fruit! However, the lone fruit that I harvested while still in the orange stage shows signs of a problem. What causes a tomato to have the crossed hatch marks at the stem? Deep splits in an X with the stem at the center is what I am referring to. The rest of the tomato looks healthy. Too much water? Not enough? Lack of potassium? My thumb is no shade of green..I need help. Suggestions?

Thanks in advance~
JuliaB

We have too much shade to have great tomato growth. But this year Betsy bought an "earth box" and put in sunniest place, and the Black Prince heirloom is at least 10 feet tall (ran out of stake, attached to gutter downspout). Has about 25 tomatoes. Hoping no disease, and a warm spell to get those babies to ripen. Have conventionally planted striped Germans and roma, with our rainy June they've done better than normal, about 4 feet tall with plenty of fruit. But we need sun/heat to ripen. Normally by now farmers markets have local tomatoes, but only greenhouse so far this year. I made a lobster/corn/tomato salad last night, tomatoes were greenhouse and a bit disappointing (corn was GA- usually by now NJ/NY is in).

I've discovered that , just as a watch pot never boils, a tomato plant niggardly refuses to bear ripe fruit! However, the lone fruit that I harvested while still in the orange stage shows signs of a problem. What causes a tomato to have the crossed hatch marks at the stem? Deep splits in an X with the stem at the center is what I am referring to. The rest of the tomato looks healthy. Too much water? Not enough? Lack of potassium? My thumb is no shade of green..I need help. Suggestions?

Thanks in advance~
JuliaB

JB, your description sounds to me like a case of too much water during peak growth of the fruit. It often happens in this situation that the fruit tries to soak up the available water faster than the skin can hold it and the skin splits. It of course isn't a good thing, but it is not a sign of disease. The most common disease of the tomato is blossom end rot, which is caused by a deficiency of calcium in the soil. this can be helped by putting down some palletized lime which can be purchased any place where garden supplies are sold, and is cheap. a 10 pound bag is only a few $$ and will last you a loooooooong time. Just spread it when the soil is dry and water in, and the plant will do the rest. Are your plants in pots, or in the ground? If the former you want to keep them as much as possible in a sunny location.