GARDENING -

The constant challenges of an everyday vegetable gardener and dealing with all the aspects of planting as an amateur.

It is an awareness that helps to achieve Garden perfection.





Monday, July 25, 2011

Risk Reward - Tomatoes

We have purchased, planted, replanted and LOST every tomato in our garden in South Carolina. We have finally given up.
The cost to purchase tomatoes at a store or market stand is much cheaper!

Most folks in the neighborhood have done the same. They say it is just the pure heat in South Carolina.
While I am not totally convinced that is all it is, I am beginning to be a believer.

After attempting several different growing methods: in raised beds; in round plastic containers; in separate soil areas - nothing works. They will grow and mature to a point and then suddenly, they just start to deteriorate and never look back. There is no saving a tomato plant once it starts to deteriorate.

Reluctantly, I have attempted one final option - the earth boxes that I refer to in my other blog comments. So far, so good, BUT , it is too early to call. Every one I have spoken with in the South swears by these earth boxes - www.earthbox.com - but as I said, the jury is still out for me. I will keep you posted on my results. Until then, here I come grocery store.

I could have bought tomatoes for the entire summer already on what I have spent to attempt to produce my own in SC.

2 comments:

Elisa said...

I don't think it's the heat. Do you fertilize? Too much or too little water?

Achiever said...

Thank you but I've tried - fertilize regularly, watering I have tried many different methods, just totally frustrated here.