I'm looking for suggestions on what to improve or change for next
year.

This spring we planted 6 nursery 'Better Boy' plants, in clay soil we
amended with manure and peat moss. I got huge plants and tons of fruit
coming.

Unlike last year, the squirrels aren't all over them. Last year I lost
most of my tomatoes to squirrels. This year I haven't seen a single
one. The new neighbor's large dogs may have something to do with that.

Also last year the yield wasn't very good to start with, we have heavy
clay soil here, which is why we added to it this spring. Last year we
broke ground on the garden at this house, so we have a fair amount of
work to do to improve the plot.

I've got beautiful plants. Lots of blooms until it got hot, lots of
fruit coming along, I had mites right after I planted (in April) but I
sprayed and they've been pest free ever since. I've got a drip hose on
the garden now that it's staying hot and they get sun from morning to
early evening. It would seem I've never had a better year for
tomatoes.

The problem is my tomatoes have very little flavor. Is it just this
variety? I prefer to plant Romas, but couldn't get them this spring
and I had heard Better Boy was a good variety. Could it be something
in the soil? Is there something I could do to get better tasting fruit
next year? I'm not sure anything can be done this year....



Dawn

Flavor is for the most part a function of variety. Of course flavor is somewhat
reduced with reduced sunlight and excess water. A cool wet summer as oppsed to
warm relatively dry summer. Taste and flavor choices also vary greatly with the
taster. I f you like Romas than chances are you would not care for the
different flavor of the juicy red canning types of which Better Boy is a prime
example. I would suggest that you experiment with different varieties next
year. Romas and other paste types are usually available, Saladette types are
some what in between. You could even try some of the beefsteak types like
Mortgage Lifter or Brandywine. Each group has its adherents. But each group has
unique flavors, which varies considerable even among cultivars within that
group.