dtreusch Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 I decided this year to try growing some tomatoes on my deck in planters. I got the plants in the planters around the beginning of June. I've been dutifully watering and tending to them on a daily basis. Then we were hit with the drought in Iowa in July. A full .5 inches of rain for the month. In spite of being late getting the tomatoes started and in spite of the drought, I just finished picking the first ripe tomatoes to appear and I feel so blessed to have found this beauty hanging on the vine.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted July 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 She's a beauty, isn't she. I worked so hard all summer, carefully tending to the plants every day, watering many gallons of water. for this....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted July 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 Was it really worth all that effort??? I can't even slice this to put ono a nice juicy hamburger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shar Schmutz Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 OMG!!! I'm still laughing!!! just too funny!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustee Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 Sorry you had such bad luck with your tomatoes. But this is hilarious! I showed this to my husband and he is still laughing. I live in Iowa also and didn't get a single tomatoe or pepper to make salsa and my flowers all died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 LOL but you grew it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oma Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 And that's why I wait and let my friends grow tomatoes and give me all the ones they can't possibly eat. LOL. I feel your pain. I tried not to laugh too. My MIL planted tomatoes and beans one year and they were being eaten by something before we could get them picked. Couldn't catch what ever it was. Thought it might be a opposum or something, but noooo...one night I saw the culprit. It was a RAT!!!!! I've lived here for years and never saw a rat. I guess the neighbor's fruit trees always kept them across the road. I tore out all the vegetables in the yard and said no more farming in my yard. I will buy tomatoes and beans from now on. My MIL used to have a fit because I wouldn't make jelly out of all of the strawberries grown around here. We honestly only use two jars a year and I can buy the brand I like at my local store for under $3 a jar. Really??? I would rather spend my time and money on something I like to do. I stand in awe of all my friends willing to put in the effort and money to have their gardens...just not going to do it myself anymore. Here's hoping you get a little more crop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted July 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 Originally posted by hmerrill LOL but you grew it and quite proud of it Heidi. Unfortunately, there's not enough there to really enjoy the fruits of my labor. I'm taking it to work tomorrow. It should be good for quite a few laughs. I should proably stick with quilting and ditch the vegetable gardening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 OMG debbie - i was hysterical after reading this. i even showed my son, who also burts into gales of laughter. thanks for sharing your sense of humor. i needed it. ps - it is a beautiful specimen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheri Butler Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 ROFLMAO !! I've heard that planting tomato's in confined pots, doesn't allow for for the roots to expand, grow etc for producing large tomato's. Dont know if that's true or not.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 That's a lovely little thing!! Quite a lot of effort but it looks delicious! My friend at work had a tomato plant in a container right by her front door. As the tomatoes formed she pampered and babied the plant, watering and waiting for that first red one. She watched that first big tomato and watched it and watched it. The weather turned cool and it seemed like it would never turn red. She complained to her hubby daily. One morning she walked out and that big tomato was bright red and looked delicious. She was overjoyed! Unfortunately, her smart a$$ hubby had colored it with a red felt-tip pen!! :P:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcclannan Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 Ya, Deb, I think you'd better stick with quilting and leave gardening to someone else. But thanks for the belly laugh. Too funny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabric007 Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 you sure they didnt give you cherry tomatoes??? Guess I should say anything..mine on the vine, the few that there are, are about the same size. My sis says youshould nt water every day either...from another Iowan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandmaLKB Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 Oh, how we covet that first tomato ! We are getting several now, but DH has put gallons of water on them. They are OK, but not as sweet as tomatoes growing naturally with rain now and then. Still good though. This has NOT been a good growing year for gardens in our part of the world. I'm sure even the Farmer's Markets are suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mswings Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 Debbie, is that a "cherrie" tomato? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb2bie Posted July 30, 2012 Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 Cherry Tomato? Guess not!!! Sorry for your pain!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted July 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2012 It is actually from a cherry tomato plant for growing on pots. But come on. They didn't tell me the tomatoes would be that small... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neher-in-law5 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 Sorry about the size Debbi, you are not the first one that I have heard of who got tomatoes that size when they were planning on "Big Boy" ones. Hope it tastes great and others follow. We just had the first ones from hubby's garden tonight. They were regular sized though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 Debbi, I had exactly the same thing, I've now gotten a total of 3 tomatoes from my plant and none of them are bigger than 1 inch....I didn't realize that I had a "Barbie" tomato plant! Personally, I don't think it was worth all the water and time! Did I mention that I also had to spray the plant with bug spray so now I'm not even sure I want to eat them...as filling as they will be!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBQLTN2 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 I am with you Debbie I too tried to grow some tomatoes for the first time in about 20 years. I had 4 patio plants and one hanging plant with cherry tomatoes. I think I got about one dozen cherry tomatoes, which I had to pick as they started to turn color because they were being eaten by bugs, birds or something. The patio plants were even a better story. First 7 tomatoes were getting pretty big as in 2 to 3 inches early on in June. Then just one day when I went to water them the tomatoes were all missing. Plants not bent, broken or anything then I look all over the yard thinking maybe the dogs stole them. but no trace of any tomatoes. I interrogated all the grandkids that might have had an idea to pick them and no luck there. So I put wire cages around them and wrap them with rabbit wire. tinfoil on the top. Quite the funny looking traps. We had more flowers so sure enough I got another 8 or so tomatoes starting to grow again This time being sure I was protecting them from whatever was after them. Well, one day my grandkids come running in side from the pool and they have a half eaten yellow tomatoe that was dropped down at their feet from a tree and what was up in the tree but a squirrel. that critter had my tomatoes up in his tree for a good month waiting on them to ripen. then he drops one down at the kids and I swear he said now go show this to your Gramma!! Lol As the second batch started to ripen the first one was on the vine still but half eaten. So I decided before the rest of them went a second time I would pick them myself and let them ripen inside. I ended up with about 6 small , like 2 to 3 inch tomatoes. I agree not worth all the trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 Debbi if its any consolation i dont have a green thumb either! I'm guessing that is the most expensive tomato you'll ever buy!! $30 a pound maybe? ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabric007 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 Not a tomato story. but many years back, my husband and his mother planted 100 pounds of potatoes..they harvested maybe 10pounds..... ya 10............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggie99501 Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 Yes, so very much worth the effort. To watch the garden grow. and that one small tomato eaten straight off the vine on a cool summer eve. And the philosophy that makes us laugh too...LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 Ok Debbi I just can't resist. I'm at work and there is a gal upstairs that just keeps bringing in bowls of cherry tomatoes. She was bringing smaller bowls but today brought in a huge mixing bowl full of them and said she had that much more to pick tonight, then she tells me they are all from one plant!!!!! She said she could give you the name of the nursery where she got her plant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted August 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 I'm so jealous Heidi!! They said on the news that a lot of people are having problems with tomatoes this year due to the heat. It's just too hot for them to set the fruit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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