May 2012 Tomato Analysis

For the month of May 2012, we harvested 22 tomatoes -- 12 Husky Cherry Red(2), 9 Husky Cherry Red(1) and a Red Currant.

How does this compare to other years? It's in the middle of the pack.

2012 -- 22
2011 -- 0
2010 -- 1
2009 -- 11
2008 -- 60
2007 -- 98

What does this tell us? Not much of anything. 2007 was our best year but 2008 was our worst year -- we had planted too early.

However, we can get some clues by the plants I was having concerns about.

I had issues with leaf curl with Big Zebra. Not now. It's sitting directly under the lemon tree so it gets the least amount of sun. The two heat waves helped to dry the underside of the leaves. The plant lost the slight gray look and appears quite healthy. Recently I discovered a growing tomato on it.

There were issues with Red Boar(2) planted in the redwood raised bed. The main stem seemingly split into two twin stems. These stems got long enough to start splitting open the stem at the fork but not long enough to get supported by the cage. Eventually the cage was able to supply support. The plant still has an main stem issue but looks really healthy. It has a really good color with new blooms.

Italian Heirloom looked quite thin and wispy for a beefsteak plant. It's taken off and the main trunk is thickening.

We had pulled Bloody Butcher and Vorlon(2). We replaced them with Clint Eastwood's Rowdy Red and Aunt Ruby's German Green. The two new plants look great. They're a little behind the others only because they were planted later than the others. They're doing just fine.

Pineapple(2), the grafted tomato was planted on May 12. It was looking okay when originally planted. The lower leaves were yellowing and it had a scrawnly look. No longer. It's only about a foot tall but the color is gorgeous and it's reaching for the sky.

Both Snow White plants didn't look too great about three weeks ago. Scrawny and small. However, both have taken off and both have growing tomatoes on them. However, the plant grew sideways until it reached the cage, then grew vertically. Three or four of our plants have a pronounced "elbow" before growing vertically. This appears to be a downside of a wide cage.

The only plant that looks like it's struggling a bit is Kellogg's Breakfast. The plant is actually rather tall at about four feet in the air. But it has only two real branches. It's quite leggy with yellowing leaves at the bottom. I think we'll get a few tomatoes off of this plant but not many.

But...we have one somewhat struggling plant out of 93. That is great! However, last year we had several plants just stop once they got growing tomatoes on them. Assuming that doesn't happen this year, look out. We're going to have a great 2012 harvest.