My tomatoes were great this summer but they aren't doing too
well now (Ohio. zone 5). Next year I guess I'll start a few plants
later in the Spring unless anyone knows of any long lived varieties.
Any ideas?

Thanks

In our last fun filled episode, Thu, 25 Sep 2003 02:43:26 GMT, H
Hornblower proclaimed:

My tomatoes were great this summer but they aren't doing too
well now (Ohio. zone 5). Next year I guess I'll start a few plants
later in the Spring unless anyone knows of any long lived varieties.
Any ideas?

What varieties are you growing? Are you sure it's not some sort
of late blight rather than short-lived tomatoes?

Consider looking into what open pollinated or heirloom
types of tomatoes were developed to grow in your area.
One of my favorites for late season tomatoes, before the
advent of the spit Thrips and their biological warfare,
was Russian Silvery Fur Tree Tomato. They would
produce early tomatoes, shut down in the full heat of
the summer (I'm in zone 8), and pick up production
again in the fall.

I thought my mystery yellow tomato had succumbed to
the dreaded Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, but it's showing
new life and blooming up a storm. I should, at the very
least, have some green tomatoes to pick right before
first freeze.


Pam


--
"Maybe you'd like to ask the Wizard for a heart."
"ElissaAnn"

On Thu, 25 Sep 2003 02:43:26 GMT, H Hornblower
wrote:

My tomatoes were great this summer but they aren't doing too
well now (Ohio. zone 5). Next year I guess I'll start a few plants
later in the Spring unless anyone knows of any long lived varieties.
Any ideas?


If they are determinate (as opposed to indeterminate)
tomatoes, they're maybe just at the end of their useful
life. My understanding of determinate tomatoes is that they
have all their fruit in a fairly short period of time, then
...what? Just wither and die, I suppose.

The only determinates I've grown were little Red Robin
miniatures which I grew indoors, and they did in fact fruit
very nicely for a period of about two to three months, then
sort of withered and died.

I think you might want to investigate next year to be sure
to grow some indeterminates if you want them to last longer.

I've often had (indeterminate) tomatoes succumb to some sort
of late blight, or fungus, or virus or whatever - but always
very late in the season, when frost is going to kill them
very soon in any case. So it doesn't seem that there's been
much loss.

Pat

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