Tomatoes don’t belong in my Garden

Given the fact that tomatoes are incredibly easy to grow in Fairfield, when compared with many other places in the world, one would probably think that I would be crazy to say this, but I’m not growing tomatoes in my garden anymore. Don’t get me wrong – I love tomatoes. As anyone in my family would tell you, I can hardly get by a day without them. However, after having experienced a host of tomato diseases in the past and experiencing the depredation of the garden soil that was caused by growing tomatoes last summer, I finally decided not to grow tomatoes in my garden anymore.

 

Finally - Celebrity Tomato Starts! (=

The compost that I made was good - but filled with plant-devouring woodlice.

After solarizing the compost, I planted some tomatoes and carrots.

This does not mean that I will stop growing tomatoes this year though. I am planning on growing out some vigorous determinate Celebrity and Rosella Purple Dwarf in a small plot I recently dug and in a wine barrel. Hopefully, the plantings will do well. This way, I can keep the soil in these plots contained and grow out some winter green manure crops between tomato plantings.

Measuring out the hole for the new tomato plot.

Now all I need are some soaker hoses and tomato cages.