Tuesday, April 13, 2010

So Far So Good

I didn't get any responses when I wrote about my tomato plants last week. That's OK. I'm going to write more about them anyway. I really like my tomato plants.

Both of them are doing well. The Celebrity is growing more vigorously than the Better Boy but both look good.  It's too early for worms and bugs yet but the snails got right on the job, so I'm vigorously baiting them and so far, have them at bay.

Both are already blooming. A lot of the advice literature recommends pinching off the early blossoms, until a lush foliage is achieved but I'm not. I want the fruit to set as soon as possible. I'm too old for any more delayed gratification.

If they don't get generous watering every other day, they start to get droopy. I'm right on it. I'm sure as the plants get bigger,  the weather gets warmer and the fruit sets on, it will be required every day. I can do that.

I'm beginning to think that if I meet with success in my initial tomato growing efforts, I will get a few more plants in late May or early June, then when the first plants taper off at the end of the Summer, I'll have two more to continue fruiting into the Fall months, maybe through November.

4 comments:

Buck said...

I'm a full month away from putting tomatoes outside. Sounds like you're doing container gardening. That can work very well if you stay on the water situation. The larger the pot, the easier it is to care for. Don't forget fertilizer.

reddog said...

I've got quite a few odds and ends of premium quality plant food I can use up. What's a good cheap way to feed them when that runs out? Any tips?

Navy Blue Cougar said...

You can write about tomato plants all you like. I kind of enjoyed your post, although I didn't leave a comment. I even talked with my mom about your your tomato plants for a few minutes last weekend. My dad plants a lot of tomatoes and onions among other garden items.

I bring home a bag of onions every time I visit my parents. I have a few of them from last year that started to sprout sitting on my countertop. I am kind of curious to see how tall the sprouts will grow. That's about as close as I can get to gardening in my apartment.

Buck said...

Every container gardener has a secret recipe, but they all seem the same to me. I like fish emulsion once or twice a season, but others swear by Plant Tone.

Don't over-fertilize; once or twice a season should be fine even for heavy feeders like tomatoes. The biggest worry is a pot that's been used a couple of times; the soil isn't as rich as it could be.