Whe do I pull up a tomato?

[Ladyhawke1]

I am new at all of this gardening stuff, so if I ask dumb questions please forgive me. I do read a lot but I cannot find any answers to some of my concerns. I also have a hard time, as in being a softy, a real chicken about pulling up plants when the season is over. I feel like I am killing something that is still alive. Yeah, I know that is silly but please help me get over it.

I have a Mr. Stripy tomato that is still working its tomatoes. I planted it last August. There are about five very large tomatoes left on this plant. This plant started out really impressing me. However, just before the fruit starts to ripen, it gets an ugly disfigurement on the top, which then allows the bugs entry and rot starts working on it. By the time I cut out all the bad stuff there is hardly any fruit left to eat. Yes, I eat it. I do not want to waste anything. I think this condition is called, Cat Face and is caused by rapid temperature changes.

My question is should I just pull this up and get rid of it? I know I am not supposed to plant tomatoes or peppers in this area again for a couple of years. However I am prepared for this, I have two other four by four raised beds. I want to plant more tomatoes this year and there are sooooooomany to choose. I prefer to plant right now and not start seeds. Thanks.

 

[vfem]

I am new at all of this gardening stuff, so if I ask dumb questions please forgive me. I do read a lot but I cannot find any answers to some of my concerns. I also have a hard time, as in being a softy, a real chicken about pulling up plants when the season is over. I feel like I am killing something that is still alive. Yeah, I know that is silly but please help me get over it.

I have a Mr. Stripy tomato that is still working its tomatoes. I planted it last August. There are about five very large tomatoes left on this plant. This plant started out really impressing me. However, just before the fruit starts to ripen, it gets an ugly disfigurement on the top, which then allows the bugs entry and rot starts working on it. By the time I cut out all the bad stuff there is hardly any fruit left to eat. Yes, I eat it. I do not want to waste anything. I think this condition is called, Cat Face and is caused by rapid temperature changes.

My question is should I just pull this up and get rid of it? I know I am not supposed to plant tomatoes or peppers in this area again for a couple of years. However I am prepared for this, I have two other four by four raised beds. I want to plant more tomatoes this year and there are sooooooomany to choose. I prefer to plant right now and not start seeds. Thanks.

First, where are you that you have a tomato plant still producing?! WOW!

Second, it sounds like you may be getting a lot of rain, water run off this winter? Sounds like your tomatoes are swelling and cracking. My Mr. Stripy was REALLY cracked bad from our rains last year.

It was a lovely tasting tomato to me though... I just cut around the cracks and ate it anyways.

Now Tomatoes are annual plants, all I can think is... when it DIED pull it. I don't know how a tomato plant would do going into a second season. Maybe someone in a warmer climate will know.

 

[HiDelight]

post a picture?

maybe we can help figure it out?

I never pull mine if they are producing and I can eat the tomatoes but we have a lot of blight here so when I can have them I eat them and let the plant go as long as possible!!

where you live you can grow all kinds of tomatoes all the time I would think!!! ...if you think whatever it is is soil born ..i pull it and move your tomatoes to another bed then plant something else in its place for a few years...

(I rotate my tomatoes every year)


I will just keep talking here until I get it right you know

 

[HiDelight]

PS I do use my Master Gardeners for the county as triage nurses and will call to see "what is going around" and talk about what I am seeing

they have NEVER failed me!!!

 

[Ladyhawke1]

post a picture?

maybe we can help figure it out?

I never pull mine if they are producing and I can eat the tomatoes but we have a lot of blight here so when I can have them I eat them and let the plant go as long as possible!!

where you live you can grow all kinds of tomatoes all the time I would think!!! ...if you think whatever it is is soil born ..i pull it and move your tomatoes to another bed then plant something else in its place for a few years...

(I rotate my tomatoes every year)


I will just keep talking here until I get it right you know

Thank you for the advice. I need to get tough and just pull it. I would like to grow about four or five different tomatoes. I would like some cherry types, a roma type, a good old sandwich type etc.

I live in So. Cal and would love some names of tomatoes that are never fails so can get some experience under my belt.

 

[HiDelight]

I bet if you called these guys they could help you if no one here is from your area http://camastergardeners.ucdavis.edu/

start planting with reckless abandon I say!!! row

but then I have made a lot of mistakes so maybe you should not listen to me

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Ok, I had to go outside and release the chickens. I hate it when they start pounding their little fists yelling Freeeeedom! just like in Braveheart.

I picked this mato. It is about four or five inches across and not fully ripe yet. It is soooo ugly. I can also see some insect damage starting.

Ya know, my problem may be that I expect my veggies to look like the catalogs I get. D' oh!

 

[Ladyhawke1]

I bet if you called these guys they could help you if no one here is from your area http://camastergardeners.ucdavis.edu/

start planting with reckless abandon I say!!! row

but then I have made a lot of mistakes so maybe you should not listen to me

You know, I like the idea of "reckless" abandon. Nothing would ever get accomplished unless we are willing to take a chance. Thanks for the Master Garden website. There is a picture there that is very interesting.

 

[HiDelight]

wow that does look ugly ..my formal advice ..pull that sucker and plant tomatoes elsewhere

I am going to make a heck of a Master Gardener huh? LOLOL!!!!

 

[Ladyhawke1]

wow that does look ugly ..my formal advice ..pull that sucker and plant tomatoes elsewhere

I am going to make a heck of a Master Gardener huh? LOLOL!!!!

I told you it was uggggily!As me Irish Grand Da used to say... "I'ts na a sight for ah sober mann".