When we moved into Casa Flamingo four-ish years ago I wanted to plant a garden. So we tilled a pretty large area out in the corner of the yard where we get a lot of sun. I planted sunflowers, radishes, squash, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, and watermelon. It grew like gangbusters for about four weeks and then wilted, turned gray and died within about three days.
Except for the radishes. I hate radishes. We had radishes for months. They refused to stop growing. I eventually stopped pulling them up.
It really was the saddest thing ever. I was soooo looking forward to eating vine-ripened tomatoes.
Each year, Grandma Elsie and I try a new method for raising tomatoes and each year, we end up with one or two puny specimens before the plant just gives up, turns gray, and dies. So for the past two years, we've been researching the best ways to grow tomatoes in Florida and this is what we're doing this year:
I've heard this works. I'll let you know.
Too hot? We have the opposite problem. The tomato plants look great, and we see our beautiful fruit starting to turn red just before the September 15 frost. *Sigh*
ReplyDeletedo you try and talk to them?
ReplyDeletePhil's dad was the best tomato grower in North Wales but he had it in the greenhouse {why it was called greenhouse when it was all clear panel was beyond me} and spent most of his time cultivating, fertilizing, pruning the new tips, talking, sometimes singing to his tomatoes and they were the best. He covered them with newspaper when it was a bit cold and not too much water. He must have a wee garden up there in heaven. I do miss him and his tomatoes.