wrote ...
Bob Hobden wrote:
Our Toms didn't dry out, they are in a clay/silt soil (moisture
retentive)
and were watered daily, and not long after they came into bloom/fruit it
started raining.

How odd, I wonder what caused it, then.
What variety are they? (And are they your 'normal' variety, or do you
chop
and change each year?)
Sorry, I know you weren't the original poster, but I'm interested now.
:-)

Because we grow them outside on the plot we use blight resistant varieties
Ferline and Fantasio every year to ensure we do get a crop. On top of that
we also plant at least one other variety just to see what it does and this
year it's Harbinger ('cause we got the seeds free!). I do spray with
Bordeaux Mixture from about the 3rd week of July as a double precaution
against blight. Too many years we didn't get one tomato after months of
cultivation.
I think if blight was not a problem then we would still be growing Roma
Improved (and certainly Brigade* if we could get the seeds) as we tend to
use more Toms for cooking than eating raw.

* Brigade is a fantastic Tom for sauces etc, much darker red flesh than
skin, not over wet, and tasty. Also grew well out on the plot. Unfortunately
T & M only sell it in the US now and refused to sell it to me when I asked.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK