Failure to thrive.

I know what you're thinking: I see the tomatoes, but where's the plant?

Summer got off to a very wet start this year, and our tomatoes did not like that at all. Truly, though, their failure to thrive can be laid directly at our doorstep -- or, more precisely, at the foot of the compost pile.

We never got around to sifting our compost this year, which means we never got around to enriching the soil in the tomato cage, which means we planted tomatoes in the same nutrient-deficient soil we planted in last year. After a few weeks, we dug in some Cockadoodle DOO organic chicken poop. Too little, too late.

We have tomatoes, thank goodness, especially these sungold cherry tomatoes that taste so good right off the vine. The plants holding up the fruit, however, look spindly and anemic.

Considering our neglect, we're getting many more tomatoes than we deserve. Next year, we'll do better, and dig in that gorgeous compost we make all winter long.

Comments

[Kalyn]

I've never seen tomato plants do this before. I'm actually surprised to see tomatoes on plants like this. Wish I could share my tomatoes!

[Lydia]

Kalyn, it's not pretty, I must admit. But the tomatoes themselves are healthy and delicious. Go figure.

[Candy]

Gosh, I wish I could share our tomatoes with you and Ted, too. Our neighbors think we are great farmers, but in reality, it is just a new vegetable bed, complete with new soil and new compost. Thanks for the timely warning. I will renew for next year! I also find that I need to move the tomatoes each year for best results. Is this true or merely an old farmer's tale?

[Lydia]

Candy, it's definitely true that the soil needs to be renewed; the tomatoes seem to take everything out of the soil every year. This year we just ran out of time to tend to it in the spring, and here's the result.