I planted my tomatoes in differerent areas than usual to put in sweet corn, which never sprouted. But some of my tomatoes are in tried and true areas, and nothing is doing well as far as production. Many plants have no fruits and those that do only have 2-3 fruit on the first trusses -- the same varieties that usually have 5-10. Subtract 1/3 for BER, and that is not going to fill my freezer with sauce unless things pick up.
What is different? I'm thinking that the cooler temps and all of the rain (overcast/clouds) we have had here. My plants went in a little late and I think that the 17 days of dimness in a row hit them just wrong. My potatoes are loving the lower temps though and I have potato berries all over the place. I'm hoping that things are good for them underground too.
Very strange... hope your's are doing better.
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rainbowgardener
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mattie g
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I'm having the same troubles on some of my plants too, TZ. The Brandywines and the Cherokee Purple both started out super slow, and are barely catching up at this point. If I'm lucky, I might get 8-10 lbs of fruit from each plant, when I'd normally get 25+ lbs easy. Like you, I can only assume it's because of the cool temps in May and the abundant cloudiness through June.
However...
My San Marzanos started out really, really well, as did my Amish Paste. Unfortunately I got hit by what I think is curly top virus on my SMs, so they've nearly stopped producing (though one is on the comeback trail). They were full of leafy greenness and the trusses - 4-5 on each plant - were loaded, but they came to a grinding halt when the curliness started. The Amish Paste is doing quite well, and has been fruiting all season long.
Strange...I wonder why the CPs and Brandywines are doing quite poorly while some others are/were doing much better. And location doesn't seem to be a defining factor in all this.
However...
My San Marzanos started out really, really well, as did my Amish Paste. Unfortunately I got hit by what I think is curly top virus on my SMs, so they've nearly stopped producing (though one is on the comeback trail). They were full of leafy greenness and the trusses - 4-5 on each plant - were loaded, but they came to a grinding halt when the curliness started. The Amish Paste is doing quite well, and has been fruiting all season long.
Strange...I wonder why the CPs and Brandywines are doing quite poorly while some others are/were doing much better. And location doesn't seem to be a defining factor in all this.
Some of mine are brandywines and CP (indian stripe), also Wes, which I don't remember setting heavy early, and Kosovo, which did, so I'm sure some do better with bad weather than others.
My newest bad start item after corn and tomatoes is my garlic, which I just dug yesterday. About 25-30% of the bulbs/plants got hit with onion maggots, and I'm wondering it it is because I left my walking onions in so that they could complete their life cycle and over winter. I'll dig up my walking onions and replant in the spring rather than let them go wild.
My newest bad start item after corn and tomatoes is my garlic, which I just dug yesterday. About 25-30% of the bulbs/plants got hit with onion maggots, and I'm wondering it it is because I left my walking onions in so that they could complete their life cycle and over winter. I'll dig up my walking onions and replant in the spring rather than let them go wild.
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applestar
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I'm so sorry to hear you are having a run of bad luck with your garden. It's really disappointing and discouraging when your garden fails to grow or are destroyed by the various things that can go wrong.
In my case, my cucumbers were totally defoliated by the grounHOG TWICE. Once and the plants will try to re-grow, but the
came back and demolished them the second time after the vines grw lush again and started to bloom. Don't think they have the energy to grow again. 
Some of my potatoes were pretty disappointing too. Do you think tomatoes and potatoes prefer opposite kinds of weather?
In my case, my cucumbers were totally defoliated by the grounHOG TWICE. Once and the plants will try to re-grow, but the
came back and demolished them the second time after the vines grw lush again and started to bloom. Don't think they have the energy to grow again. Some of my potatoes were pretty disappointing too. Do you think tomatoes and potatoes prefer opposite kinds of weather?
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Blackgoats
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We planted Yukon Gold potatoes in a back corner of our house away from the garden area and they are literally popping out of the ground there are so many of them. Planted others next to the Cherokee Tom and those are not doing so well. Our tomatoes and potatoes don't seem to like each other. I understand potatoes become more prone to potato blight if planted near tomatoes or become sick due to tomato proximity. Won't do that again.
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mattie g
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Our situation sounds eerily similar...TZ -OH6 wrote:Some of mine are brandywines and CP (indian stripe), also Wes, which I don't remember setting heavy early, and Kosovo, which did, so I'm sure some do better with bad weather than others.
My newest bad start item after corn and tomatoes is my garlic, which I just dug yesterday. About 25-30% of the bulbs/plants got hit with onion maggots, and I'm wondering it it is because I left my walking onions in so that they could complete their life cycle and over winter. I'll dig up my walking onions and replant in the spring rather than let them go wild.
Yes, tomatoes and potatoes prefer different temperatures to some extent. Potatoes are cool weather plants, as can be seen by where they are grown (Maine, Idaho, Washington State). Hot weather stops tuber bulking. They are also affected by uneven soil moisture more so than tomatoes. A geenral guess I would put it that potatoes like 65f-75f while tomatoes prefer around 85f.
No, planting potatos and tomatoes close together won't harm either any more than planting two different varieties of tomato close together. Late blight spores will blow in from distant fields of either and affect both. Late blight over winters in live potatoes though, not in dead tomato debris.
No, planting potatos and tomatoes close together won't harm either any more than planting two different varieties of tomato close together. Late blight spores will blow in from distant fields of either and affect both. Late blight over winters in live potatoes though, not in dead tomato debris.