Post by chefcorey on Aug 22, 2011 11:38:00 GMT -5
How is everyone. I am a first time gardener from Silver Spring, MD Zone 6b. I have caught the tomato bug and am excited to see if I will have tomatoes this year. I am an executive chef in the DC area and recently bought a home with a 12x13 raised flower bed. I moved into the home in mid June and turned over the bed and added lots of organic compost. I am growing sweet 100, Gardeners delight, sungold and an heirloom named Mr. Stripey. The heirloom tomato is limping along with one flower but no pollination. Sweet 100 has about 10 baby green tomatoes (so proud). The Gardeners delight has 10 flowers awaiting pollination and the sungold is about the same. I am aware that I got a late start. I purchased the heirloom plant at a big box store(a no no for next season) and the others are sown from seed. The seeds have caught up to and passed the heirloom plant. We recently had a four days of torrential downpour in the DC area and my plant leaves started to to turn brown on some spots. Will the excess rain deluge that we received ruin the potential crop for the rest of the season or should I charge on and be patient. I also planted serendipity sweet corn in the same bed that is thriving and almost ready, contender bush beans, a banana pepper plant and 3 types of basil. I fed the soil with an organic tomato food 5-10-10 once every 5 weeks. I have heard that you don't want to water your tomato plants for awhile after they pollinate and start to form to intensify the sugar. i know that I don't need to water them for awhile after the rains of the past days but I don't know how to ensure that I will receive sweet juicy tomatoes. Any help or suggestions or even counsel would be appreciate. Glad to be here.
