Some of us have been experimenting with our tomato plants to see if there is any value in carrying over our spring tomato plants through the heat of the summer and into the fall for; hopefully, another harvest before the frost of winter arrives.Inspired initially by a “guru” at Mesquite Valley Growers and then buoyed by conversation with Kathy, I kept nearly all of my tomato plants. In order to gather as much information as I could and to be a conclusive as possible I nurtured several types of tomatoes from both the determinant and the indeterminate groups.
To get directly to the “chase” I must say that conclusively I have not recognized any benefit in any of the tomato plants. It is my opinion that pulling all of my tomato plants in June or July (whenever the temperatures are consistently too high for flowering and pollination, would have saved me financially and the ground could have either been replanted or could have been healing for the next crop. Instead I’ve continued to water and fertilize and have a lot of apparently healthy green growth, but no flowers and no tomatoes.
Now before you give up altogether on your hopes of seeing you tomatoes provide an end of year crop, let me also say that there are some possibilities that may have contributed to my outcome that if altered, may provide a different and desirable outcome.
It should be noted that my tomato bed only gets morning sun (eastern exposure). This was great for my summer planting but likely was not enough sun for the fall expectation. If your garden is able to receive more sunlight it may provide the needed energy to be successful.
As for types of tomatoes, I’ve kept alive for this experiment Sweet 100’s, Pear, Celebrity, Cherokee, San Marzano, and Early Girl (I think, the plants were a gift from my neighbor).
Click here to see a list of common cultivars.
Click here to see a list of heirloom cultivars
All plants were fertilized. Of each type of plant, some were not pruned significantly, some were pruned slightly and some were pruned severely. All plants continued to produce foliage.
Now for full disclosure… The pear tomatoes have produced some flowers and there are approximately a half-dozen nodules that may someday be able to be called a tomato, but for now I am sticking to my story… No Tomatoes!
The target for the experiment was September or so. Since it is already October and since I have developed new garden areas that have fall crops growing already and since I have not intentions of planting anything in the existing tomato bed, and since I already have likely wasted 4 months of watering and fertilizing I might as well give it a few more weeks or so, maybe even till Christmas and see if there is any sign of tomato.
Now my mentor and co-gardener Kathy is likely thinking that I must be some kid of saint or fool for allowing all of these plants that are not yielding to continue to use valuable resources… well she maybe correct of both accounts. However, after this I will have completely satisfied myself that there is no good reason to try to keep carryover tomatoes.
In fact the few tomato plants that I planted elsewhere in the yard are not showing much better, they are still young though and they are also getting a bit more light. If they don’t do well I may not attempt fall tomatoes again at all.