"Katra" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"RJ" wrote:

As a northern veggie gardener,
it was always dissapointing when an early frost
would kill off the tomato plants.....
( full of tomatoes, of course )

I had dreamed that in places like Calif,
with no killer frost, tomatoes would be perennials.

We've recently moved to Southern Arizona.
In theory, this is tomato weather.
Sunny days, cool nights.

We have a cherry-tomato plant in back,
it's making tomatoes..... but slowly,
and the leaves are turning yellow.......
The plant is looking sickly....

I'm going to need some help here;

1. When planting tomatoes here,
will I need to make any special preparations ?

2. Can I reasonably expect to see tomatoes 8 or 9 months a year ?

3. Any special variety to better deal with the Arizona climate ?


rj

I am in Texas, and even with very late freezes and beautiful weather,
I've been unable in "invent" a perrenial tomato.

Your best bet is cyclical planting to extend your growing season.
Start
new ones every couple of months.

I may be wrong, just my 2 cents. ;-)

I understand that tomatoes are perennials. On the other hand, modern
varieties have been bred for optimal production in a temperate climate.
I would not be surprised if some or all cultivated varieties have lost
their ability to be a perennial. Perhaps you can find a heritage
variety from a tropical area.

Most of the tomatoes around here have bit the dust. I have had some
plastic over ours for a while, though. Most of them are full of healthy
green tomatoes and a few ripe ones. Maybe we'll get a decent amount
this year. I really need to build a greenhouse, though.


Ray