A crying shame, I came home yesterday to this......

BVGardener · May 22, 2008

I get home late from work yesterday and with a flashlight, try to check on the ripening fruits and discover a big cluster of fruit that had broken off of White Beauty laying on the ground....that was a three pound plus cluster of fruit.

Very frustrating but hopefully I can ripen them in the house. If I can ripen a couple, I'll be happy.

feldon30 · May 22, 2008

I've got record numbers of branches and even trusses bending to the point of breaking. I have to go out nearly every day and tie branches and trusses back up with twine. I thought with my cages I'd be fine, but this is getting to be a real pain! But it's probably a result of the number of fruitset I've got.

Tomstrees · May 22, 2008

Bummer to see.
Twine to me is "too sharp" for heavy tomato branches, so I use old ripped up t-shirts to manage those bulging trusses.

~ Tom

matereater · May 22, 2008

hope they ripen for you

**coronabarb** · May 22, 2008

That is a big, big bummer!

I've been in a life or death struggle with my tomatoes for the last week. I got the last tomatoes planted just before the 100+ weather hit...then gophers moved in.

First, one plant had the top chewed off...then a whole plant was missing (Green Giant

) no stem, no roots, just gone. Then, a large Kellogg's Breakfast with fruit shriveled up. The roots were chewed up underground. I had to dig up all 15 plants that were left, some 5 gal size, put them in pots, then drag/replant them in another area closer to the house. I'm sore, sunburned, and worn out. Thankfully, the weather turned and it is cool and cloudy. Otherwise, the big ones might not have made it.

dice · May 22, 2008

Vetrap (Co-Flex is a similar product, different manufacturer):

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...2-00b0d0204ae5

You can get it up to 4" width, but 2" seems more versatile
as a tomato stem reinforcement (can fit around shorter pieces
of stem without removing leaves or flower clusters). Think of
a stretchy, waterproof ace bandage that sticks to itself, you
will have the picture of how Vetrap works.

Ruth_10 · May 23, 2008

I had problems last summer with Aunt Ginny's Purple trusses ripping away from the plant. Really hurts to see them go.

Coronabarb, it's war or a jungle or both out there. Hope your plants make it!

CLa · May 23, 2008

Those two that are most green look like they may ripen up ok. I'd be intersted to know how it goes.

May 22, 2008	#2
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	I've got record numbers of branches and even trusses bending to the point of breaking. I have to go out nearly every day and tie branches and trusses back up with twine. I thought with my cages I'd be fine, but this is getting to be a real pain! But it's probably a result of the number of fruitset I've got. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

May 22, 2008	#3
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Bummer to see. Twine to me is "too sharp" for heavy tomato branches, so I use old ripped up t-shirts to manage those bulging trusses. ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

May 22, 2008	#4
matereater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: S.E. Michigan (Livonia) Posts: 1,264	hope they ripen for you __________________ Steve Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

May 22, 2008	#5
coronabarb Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7 Posts: 2,821	That is a big, big bummer! I've been in a life or death struggle with my tomatoes for the last week. I got the last tomatoes planted just before the 100+ weather hit...then gophers moved in. First, one plant had the top chewed off...then a whole plant was missing (Green Giant ) no stem, no roots, just gone. Then, a large Kellogg's Breakfast with fruit shriveled up. The roots were chewed up underground. I had to dig up all 15 plants that were left, some 5 gal size, put them in pots, then drag/replant them in another area closer to the house. I'm sore, sunburned, and worn out. Thankfully, the weather turned and it is cool and cloudy. Otherwise, the big ones might not have made it. __________________ Corona~Barb Now an Oregon gal

May 22, 2008	#6
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	Vetrap (Co-Flex is a similar product, different manufacturer): http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h...2-00b0d0204ae5 You can get it up to 4" width, but 2" seems more versatile as a tomato stem reinforcement (can fit around shorter pieces of stem without removing leaves or flower clusters). Think of a stretchy, waterproof ace bandage that sticks to itself, you will have the picture of how Vetrap works. __________________ -- alias

May 23, 2008	#7
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	I had problems last summer with Aunt Ginny's Purple trusses ripping away from the plant. Really hurts to see them go. Coronabarb, it's war or a jungle or both out there. Hope your plants make it! __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

May 23, 2008	#8
CLa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Central Louisiana. Zone: 8 Posts: 207	Those two that are most green look like they may ripen up ok. I'd be intersted to know how it goes.