MicroTom tragedy ...sob ...

[ddsack]

Well, I guess in terms of the whole big world out there, it's not much of a tragedy, but after coddling these cute little guys for a couple of months and then doing a really stupid thing, I feel sooo bad.

I had some old 10+ year MicroTom seed from Gurney's -- hadn't grown it for years -- but decided to start what seeds were left and try to save new seeds from them. I got about 6 or 7 seedlings, and they all went into this planter, which was balanced on the porch railing below my deck.



They were just starting to plump up with lots of little tomatoes, this picture was taken about a week ago, and they had filled out even more. I also have various hanging plants under my deck, and when I have to reach up high with the hose wand to water them, I sometimes prop one foot on the railing so I can reach over a flower bed in front. Well, tonight like a clumsy ox, I put my foot too close to the planter and knocked it off the rail, and it landed totally upside down, breaking off the best branches of tomatos and soggy dirt all over the cement.

I saved out a branch, but don't suppose the tomatoes can ripen in water, guess I'll just have to enjoy it as a flora centerpiece or something.

[dcarch]

last year, I was trying to cut away a large branch from an oak tree which was creating a lot of shade over my tomato patch. I was very careful to check out everything to make sure that when the branch fall it would not fall on the patch. I even used a laser leveler to check.
Well, this was what happened:
As the branch was being cut by the chain saw more and more, the little bit of bark still holding the branch made the branch act like a pendulum, it swung all the way right above the patch then dropped down and crashed every plant on the patch.

I still have lots of pickled green tomato from last year!
I know how you feel.

dcarch

[bcday]

If you keep it in the water, not only might you still get ripe tomatoes, but new roots will start to form and you can replant it in a pot.

It might droop for a few days in making the transition from water to potting mix, but it will recover and keep producing. You can even bring it indoors before frost and it will keep going. 8)

Check out Bully's "Red Robin at the Office" thread: http://www.tomatoville.com/viewtopic...ghlight=office

[Adriana]

Put everything back in the3 pot, you might get more than one surviving stem.

[SelfSufficient1]

They could still ripen in the water, I would give it a try but I have to say after growing them this year they really aren' t worth it. They are tiny and it takes a whole lot of them to mske anything.