@kunosoura: It doesn't really. The last few years I've been able to keep about half of the plants going strong. The weather has been a bit unpredictable, with unusually cold weather hitting us in Jan-Feb. And by cold I mean high 30s in the dead of night. I'm a bit inland so the daytime temps tend to be on the slightly hot side (90s max, usually 77 or thereabouts, and in the winter 60s). Never humid here. This winter is supposed to be wet but not cold.
Max downtime is two months. After that its wave after wave of seedlings to keep getting those big first fruits. The interesting part is seeing the whole spectrum of bugs and diseases, and figuring out which counterpunch is called for during that long span. It's like being in one those long 15 rounders of yesteryear.
I'm searching for compact growers with heavy fruit set and great flavor.
On a side note, I gave away a bag of tomatoes recently, prized ones, and I said "You should use these right away, they're perfect for salads or sandwiches." I went back to visit and the bag had the same knot on it 10 days later. Paul Robesons and Carbons wasted. I immediately understood what I had read on here, about that feeling. No worries.
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