I'm longing for some big juicy Hanover tomatoes! I can't find any tomatoes here in Florida that taste the same.
In Virginia, growing a garden full of tomatoes was a piece of cake. Plant 'em, water 'em and pick 'em. Here in Florida, it's not so easy.
Maybe it is the weather, or the soil, or the light, or the chemicals all the neighbors' lawn services spread around for chinch bugs (which is just fun to say! Try it. Say "chinch bugs.")
I gave up on the few little plants I had around here in the flower beds and planters. I planted them back at the end of February. Yep, 4 months and no tomatoes to show for all of my hard work.
I've watered and watered and watered them. The irrigation system waters them and we have rain showers regularly to water them but they just did not grow. They fried in the sun. The plants are small, spindly, brown and only had a couple of blooms. I stopped worrying about them and then, a tiny tomato finally started to form on the burnt-up branch of one wretched looking plant like some sort of defiant, mutant mini-tomato. It is only 2" long and oddly shaped.
So, today I was able to pick a red, ripe tomato. It is definitely NOT a Hanover tomato. It is, sadly, a Florida tomato.
The heat and sun of Florida (and south Louisiana) are too much for tomatoes. I have found growing them in the summa shade (shady summa da time) is better. Full sun in the rest of the world doesn't mean the same is ok in Florida.
ReplyDeleteEarly morning and afternoon sun is good - hot noon time sun is not. Cement gardens do not work either. It is possible - and the best (little) ones to grow are the Sweet 100 - (cherry tomatoes), the best medium ones are Heatmaster. If I can do it, so can you :-) Just change for the environment you are in. Good luck!
Thanks for the tips! I love cherry tomatoes. Everything just bakes here.
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