Upside-Down Tomatoes; Year Two, July Update

Grumpy's Castle; 19 July 2010 --

I cannot say I'm sorry for boasting about my tomatoes -- but if any reader doesn't want to hear about my fantastic success this year with my Upside-Down Tomatoes, then he/she should stop reading right now and find something more entertaining to do/read/watch.

On thing I did this year differently from last year is that I planted only one (not two, as the advertisement suggests is possible) tomatoes per planter. The evidence is overwhelming that one planter provides the nourishment that only one tomato plant requires. This year the plants are more than twice as robust as last year. The quality of the fruit will have to be determined later.

I planted four varieties this year: Early Girl (also last year), Hybrid Beefsteak, Fantastic (Grand Mother's favorite), and Sun Gold (also last year). Actually, the only tomato from which I was able to harvest any tomatoes last year was from the Sun Gold. Besides producing some edible fruit last year, Sun Gold also was a flavorful little cherry-type tomato, so it was a given that we would plant at least one of them again. But look what bounty it is promising this year! Careful counting will reveal at least nine multi-blossomed bunches in this view.

One of the blossomed bunches on the Sun Gold sports at least 26 flowers! Another bunch is hidden from view in these photos, but it has at least ten full-(cherry)-sized green tomatoes, just waiting to turn golden color and ready to eat (yumm!!). I like this "tomato" weather we are having!!

Each of the other tomato plants have at least two or three green tomatoes in various stages of growing larger. The Early Girl has the most (15) and also the most bunches of yellow flowers promising a bountiful harvest later, maybe starting in August; the Hybrid Beefsteak has the fewest (2-3) green tomatoes, but also has many yellow flowers for a good potential later.

Oh, one other thing I am doing this year, as opposed to last: I am maintaining a drip irrigation of about 1-2 liters of water per planter per day (Note the 2-3 liter plastic water bottles in the first photo above). I may describe the details of my design for this device in another BLOG.

For more news about Grumpy's tomatoes and Raspberries, just watch this BLOG!