Consolation Tomatoes

Perhaps I was being a little bit over confident when I set my last tomato related post to Also Sprach Zarathustra. Maybe if i'd had some advanced warning that this was going to be the worst year on record for tomato growing I could have set it to the German National Anthem or some kind of death march. Still its becoming a very busy time of year and its increasingly difficult to sleep in till noon so in some ways I'm grateful that I don't have half a ton of tomatoes to bottle. I'd like to think that I've learnt some lessons about growing tomatoes as far as pruning, training and feeding goes which is something certainly. Whats unfortunate is that due to the weather its hard to tell which of the problems encountered were caused by either excess water, lack of sun and heat and of course over and under loving. Blossom end rot has claimed probably half of the fruit that made it and caterpillars ate their of the remains. Still owing to my forward planning of planting several thousand plants there was still a respectable harvest of tasty and attractive fruit which were are saucing our way through at the moment.