Tomatoes - gardening or obsession?

[Patihum]

Does it ever stop? I've been growing tomatoes for more years than I care to count. Gone from 3 plants way back when to 53 this year. (Doubled the size of the garden just so I could grow more tomatoes.) Have 21 varieties growing now and have already started making lists of what I want to grow next year. The list is already at 23 different ones from what I have now. Want to try hearts and GWR and more of the bi-colors etc. I guess what I'm after is that elusive "Best Tomato Ever!" Is it out there?????

[Qweniden]

Im growing 80 tomato varieties this year and it was really hard to stop at that many.

Originally Posted by Patihum

I guess what I'm after is that elusive "Best Tomato Ever!" Is it out there?????

ananas noire?

[peppero]

i would submit that you can have a foot in both worlds. i am like many who started with a few varieties and now have 100s. it is kind of like having your cake and eating it too. it is a wonderful sickness. enjoy.

jon

[COMPOSTER]

I have to agree that it is a wonderful obsession. I grow a lot of chile peppers also and there are plenty of varieties of those to try too. I'm having so much fun growing different varieties that I do not want to find the perfect one until I am on my death bed. Also as my wife would say: at least your gardening hobby is better than you hanging around in bars or playing video games!

[riceke]

I think as most of us that it starts out as gardening and evolves into an obsession. Like you PATIHUM I'm already thinking about what I will do differently and what varieties I might try...and I just picked my 1st tomato yesterday.

[rwsacto]

I prefer to think of it as an upscale "lifestyle"

Rick

[Tormato]

I've entered a 12 step program.

Every two steps is another row of ~20 tomato plants.

6 (rows) x ~20 (tomato plants)= my obsession.

Dr. Lve Apple

[Sharpcheddar]

This is my first year gardening and already I've made a spreadsheet of what I want to grow next year and am planning to build some sort of greenhouse in my backyard too

[mecktom]

It is an obsession...no doubt about it.

[Claudia]

Originally Posted by mecktom

It is an obsession...no doubt about it.

I mentioned that we could till up more lawn to my husband yesterday....

[PaulF]

Is obsession the same as addiction?

[Tormato]

Originally Posted by PaulF

Is obsession the same as addiction?

Obsession is just from sowing to harvest, with maybe a little bit of catalogue peeking and seed trading in-between.

Addiction is wanting that fix (home-grown heirloom tomato flavor), and going into withdrawal in the winter. And you just know your local dealer (supermarket) ain't got the good stuff that gets you high.

Dr. Lve Apple

[lycomania]

I'll let you know when I find it.

[Tania]

It never stops for me...

The garden beds are becoming wider and the paths in between are becoming more narrow every year. We now have lawn only in the shaded areas of the property, but Stan says he can remove some trees to let more sun in, so there is lots of opportunity to expand the area of obsession. He already bought the gear that is necessary for tree removal, so I think he is getting obsessed too! LOL

[linzelu100]

I had read somewhere, a husband told his wife she needed tomato seed anonymous to get help and she replied that she would love to go to that because she could swap seeds and stories with other addicts! That made me laugh real hard. It's an addiction, but a healthy one I think. The internet makes it so easy to become a full fledge crazy seed addict. I love seed catalogues, but reading other peoples stories about how much they like a tomato is enough to make me want to try it and seek it out. I also love the anticipation.

I haven't had the best tomato ever, but every tomato I have grown has been the best I have ever had- at least better than the grocery store. I grow some tomatoes I don't even like much, because I love growing them. I have a real sickness