And it’s glorious! After battling worms and bugs and flying creatures, at last I can see the red through the vines–the tomato vines!
Okay, so they’re not red, yet, but I can visualize them just the same. Fabulous red tomatoes–gobs of them–will soon be dangling from my beautiful, leaf intact, tomato plants. Yes, as many of you know, I’ve had my share of hornworms and bug invaders, blossom-end rot and general leaf wilt but today? I am on the road to tomato bounty victory. And it feels good.
What’s my secret? Why, many, thank you for asking, the most important of which I daresay is dust. Dipel dust, to stop the caterpillars and worms before they get a chance to grow fat and hungry.
Prior to that flash of brilliance were the screen I used to cover my babies when they were young and tender. The Florida sun is hot and brutal in September.
I gave them their usual dose of eggshells and Epsom salts, and paid daily visits–except when traveling–where I plucked and pinched (leaves mind you, not worms) and generally admired the gorgeous girls. You remember pinching, yes? That little sucker, there, between the branches.
I made sure to mulch well and check my water source often. Although I use water from a well source, the misters sometimes clog and it’s crucial to catch this issue early. And how will my tomatoes reward me?
With gobs of decadent plump red tomatoes. Stay tuned!
Disclaimer: I’m staring down 35°F weather over the next two days. Tomatoes do not like 35°F temperatures. Not even a little bit. Ugh. I’m going to cover them and keep you posted.
Your tomato plants look amazing! I lived in Central Texas for thirty years before moving back to Central Texas, so I really love your blog and pictures. Good luck with covering the plants. I hope they make it through. We got our first freeze here last week. As freezing nights were predicted for several consecutive nights, I harvested all the okra, peppers and tomatoes and composted the plants. With all the green tomatoes, I knew we wouldn’t want to eat fried green tomatoes for three straight weeks. I gave ALOT to family and coworkers. With the abundance still remaining, I canned chow-chow last night. Good stuff! Looking forward to reading how your tomatoes pull through.
They were so fabulous but after the wind and cold, I can only keep my fingers crossed. They’re in knots as we speak! Stay tuned…and thanks for following BloominThyme 🙂