June 2014 Tomato Analysis

We harvested 644 tomatoes for June, 2014. Let's see how this compares to other years...

2014 -- 644 tomatoes
2013 -- 322 tomatoes
2012 -- 842 tomatoes
2011 -- 273 tomatoes
2010 -- 536 tomatoes
2009 -- 299 tomatoes
2008 -- 1538 tomatoes
2007 -- 1259 tomatoes

The harvest amount is middle of the pack. But I wouldn't derive too much from this. The best June year was 2008 and that was a bad year for us. We planted too soon -- thus the high early numbers -- and 110 degree temperature on June the 20th basically killed the rest of the season.

2007 was a wonderful year because the "koi pond" was almost all compost, dug about two feet deep or so.

The closest number to this month's harvest total was 2010 (536 tomatoes). That year we harvested 8092 tomatoes.

We won't get large harvest numbers from Matt's Wild Cherry, Snow White or SunGold this year. These plants are too rickety to generate that much production, especially Snow White. But Orange Paruche and Sunchocola are exceptionally strong. Harvesting over 1000 harvested from Orange Paruche looks quite doable, and 700-800 Sunchocola tomatoes look quite doable.

The weather has been hot and everyone is reporting early production. Our seven foot tall German Orange Strawberry plant is a testament to that. Fortunately it has been too hot at the right times -- we hit 100 degrees a couple times in May but not in June. The high in June was 97 but in May it hit 102. Also, not much "June gloom". This spurred rapid growth without sterilizing too many blooms.

So the tomato totals are set to explode for July but could burn out quickly. But then again, maybe not. The plants are well established. The back yard is usually two to three weeks behind the front yard and the harvest totals will start ramping up.

My July harvest estimate is, oh let's put our finger to the wind and say...5250 tomatoes.

My 2014 harvest total estimate -- admittedly quite cloudy at this point of the year -- is around 10,500 tomatoes.

But I'll already declare this year a success, barring a ridiculous heat wave. The tomatoes taste really good and that's what it's all about.