Fall Tomatoes: End of Season Update

Below is my blog post from late spring where I outline my plan to plant two tomatoes in mid-July for a fall harvest. As planned, I did choose ‘Cherokee Purple’ and ‘Black Cherry.’ The ‘Cherokee Purple’ was grown on a stake and the ‘Black Cherry’ in a cage.

See my post Planting Tomatoes in July?
The weather was not as warm and sunny in July and August as would have been typical about five years ago. My spring planted tomatoes were lackluster performers. The staked ‘Early Girl’ only yielded about 18 tomatoes though they were very high quality. The ‘Cherokee Purple’ did not progress to ripen fruit before I removed it.

What I didn’t consider in my plan was the diminished sunlight to the garden in late summer. There is a large house to the east that blocks morning sun. In early September, the July-planted tomatoes did not receive sun until almost noon and then only for 4-5 hours. Gardeners growing in a wide-open setting where tomatoes receive a full day’s sun might have success with the plan I outlined.

My garden experiment was not successful. Though the ‘Black Cherry’ plant grew well, it did not produce any fruit. The ‘Cherokee Purple’ languished. I extracted both mid-September to prepare the bed for cool season crops. Next year, I’ll return to spring-planted tomatoes—’Early Girl’ for sure and likely in a cage; then maybe an heirloom such as ‘Black Krim.’ And I’ll hope for better weather and focus on other veggies that grow well in my garden. Gardening is about experimentation.
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Like @growinginfog on Instagram, who gardens in San Francisco, I can grow fabulous lettuce, but tomatoes—not so much. We both live in a fog belt. But she and also @sf.foggy.garden may even have more fog than I do. I’ve been to San Francisco in the summer. “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco,” attributed incorrectly to Mark Twain, is true, nevertheless.

August 1, two blocks from my home.

I’ve written about Growing Tomatoes in the Fog Belt. This summer I have a new plan with ideas from Tomato Dirt. I’ll be counting on better weather and warmer days with a fall tomato crop.

Instead of my usual four or five tomato plants, I’ve just planted two this month. ‘Early Girl’ performs better than others in my microclimate and I couldn’t be without the heirloom ‘Cherokee Purple’ even if the plants look ghastly and expire early. I’ll grow them on a stake but support some differentiation at about three feet.

Gardeners can grow fall (late) tomatoes in many areas by using just a bit of strategy. Tomato Dirt
Here’s a summary of the Tomato Dirt suggestions for fall tomatoes.
—Choose indeterminate varieties
—Choose short-season varieties
—Choose small varieties
—Choose heat-tolerant varieties
Then for more on fall tomatoes, follow these links:
How to grow fall tomatoes to get fresh produce until frost.
Should I plant second season tomatoes—and when?
Best fall tomato varieties.
More tips for growing fall tomatoes.
Taking fall tomato cuttings to grow late tomatoes.
How to root fall tomatoes from existing plants.

Here’s my plan:
1. Plant varieties that do well for fall planting: Cherokee Purple, Black Cherry and Celebrity. (An heirloom, a small tomato and a hybrid).
2. Grow my Cherokee Purple from a cutting of my spring plant. Tomato Dirt has instructions for growing a new tomato from a sucker. The Black Cherry will be from my saved seed, planted about 6-8 weeks before transplanting. I’ll purchase Celebrity.
3. Plant my fall tomatoes in late July, following the recommendations to water deeply and shade the plants. The nights should be warm enough for fruit set. Late August and September bring some of our warmest days of the year which should encourage good plant growth and ripen the fruit. By mid-October, I’ll begin planting my cool-season garden and the tomatoes may wane with shorter day length and cooler nights.

I’ll keep you posted on this garden experiment. Gardening is about experimentation.