You would have thought that with nine tomato plants in the greenhouse and twelve outdoors that I would be inundated with tomatoes – not so. This year has to be the worst I can remember for a tomato crop. No huge trusses – just the odd tomato here and there, hardly any ripening just the odd one. I have a feeling that by the end of the season I am going to be left with a helluva lot of green toms that I will have to bring indoors to ripen.
And if I show you a collage of my daily harvest you can see just how few tomatoes there have been.
Beans, beans and more beans – but tomatoes – no.
All in all – a bit of a disaster, to say the least.
But you have blueberries!
ReplyDeleteGranted - but you can't make tomato sauce with blueberries!
DeleteSame her Elaine, funny old year (or weather) for a lot of plants, my toms in the greenhouse didn't start ripening until I tried the banana skin trick, then only 1 or 2 at a time ripened up. All I can say is Chutney. Nice beans.
ReplyDeleteI did the banana thing too - one or two of the lower tomatoes ripened but then i found a hornet buzzing round the banana so got rid of it pretty darn sharpish.
DeleteThink positive, Elaine! You have great beans and courgettes. You can't win 'em all. My tomatoes are great this year, but my Broad Beans were rubbish, for no apparent reason... With so many crops in your garden you have guaranteed that something will be good, even if it's not ALL good.
ReplyDeleteI am sure everything will ripen towards the end of the season - after all everything is about a month behind where it should be.
DeleteCould be our story too Elaine. Wouldn't you think with all the sunshine they would have ripened by now?
ReplyDeleteI can't figure it out Sue.
DeleteGreenhouse tomatoes have saved the day here, because the ones outside have been useless. All foliage and little else.
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't for the Sungold outside I would be struggling.
DeleteYou might think the tomatoes are a bit of a disaster (although it's all relative... if you want real disaster, you should see mine this year!), but look at all those beans, courgettes and cucumbers. Next year the tomatoes will be fabulous and one of the others will disappoint - tis the way of things.
ReplyDeleteI guess you're right - at least we haven't had any blight so far this year - touch wood.
DeleteMine are just starting. Inundation in a week.
ReplyDeleteSlowly but surely seems to be the way this year.
DeleteBut none of the tomatoes bought in a shop will give you a flavor of these home grown!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is quite true - I should be grateful for small mercies.
DeleteI have had most success with my tumbler toms which I put in a hanging basket in the sunniest spot outside in our garden. We have had loads. I have another cherry tomato plant and a largish tomato plant in the greenhouse and the cherry tomato one has also done really well. There are plenty of green toms on the larger plant but since we go on holiday in a week, I will probably miss them!
ReplyDeleteMy tumblers are in the garden hotspot too but are only just ripening - I had some for lunch today and they were totally tasteless - what a disappointment.
DeleteNow that's interesting to read Elaine. A bit of a disaster of my own making tomato wise this year. I sowed too many plants as usual - gave some away, sold some for our garden club funds and ended up with just 2 plants for myself - not good planning. The seed was sown towards the end of February, the plants are healthy enough but the tomatoes are not for turning :( I've resorted to banana skins too. I think that I'm going to stop inspecting them so often. My allotment neighbours took pity me on me yesterday and gave me some 'Black Russian' tomatoes, one of which I had for lunch. Absolutely delicious. It does looks though as if you have a bounteous crop and perhaps they will oblige soon :)
ReplyDeleteMy disaster was the fact that the seed that I sowed early, like I normally do, were taken by frost - the only plant that survived from the first batch is doing really well. Next year I'll sow early but keep them in the house for as long as possible.
DeleteI sympathise, but I'm sure that given continuing good weather over the coming weeks that you'll end up with plenty more ripe ones. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteOh I'm sure I will - it is just so frustrating - patience has never been my strong point.
DeleteGreat harvest and loads more tomatoes than I got ... mine are still flowers!
ReplyDeleteOh dear - looks like it will be tomatoes at Christmastime then.
DeleteWe have grown nothing this year so can't compare crops, but I'm amazed to hear that it has been a bad year for Tommies. I'm secretly quite pleased that we didn't grow any ;)
ReplyDeleteI can't understand it either - there is obviously something missing this year that tomatoes like - better luck next year eh!
DeleteI'm impressed with what you have harvested. There's still some time for crops in Sept.
ReplyDeleteIt hasn't been too bad - although things seem to be slowing down a bit now.
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