Planting Tomatoes in July?

If you follow my blog, you know I live in a fog belt, one block from the ocean in San Diego. With recent summers cooler and with even more overcast, my tomatoes have performed poorly—more disease, a shorter season and smaller harvests. Read Growing Tomatoes in the Fog Belt for the grim details and some recommendations for coastal gardens.

My strategy is different this summer and I’ve planted two more tomato plants in July. The days are warmer and there is more sun. I’m hopeful. Read more about my strategy in Rethinking Tomatoes in the Fog Belt.

Here are the two tomatoes I planted for my July experiment.

I’ve grown these black cherry tomatoes intermittently for almost ten years and I’ve shared the seed with San Diego Seed Company, which now sells it. Like most cherry tomatoes, it’s a good producer and my little next door neighbors call them “explosion tomatoes” because they explode with flavor in your mouth.

Do I need to say anything about ‘Cherokee Purple’ tomatoes? I’ll endure the bedraggled appearance of the plants and fewer number for this tomato. Here’s a description that’s spot on:

The Cherokee Purple Tomato is an heirloom tomato known for its dusky red peel with dark purple tones. This old-time favorite is also prized for its excellent flavor, which consistently ranks the variety in among the top-tasting tomato varieties. Cherokee Purple fruits are big, meaty tomatoes that grow on long, rambling vines. Home for the Harvest.

In two weeks the black cherry tomato has grown from the size in the thumbnail image to the size pictured in the image above. The ‘Cherokee Purple’ is slower but both plants are starting to flower. Nights are still warm so I’m not expecting any problems with fruit set. Our warmest days of the year are typically in September. The tomatoes should ripen well before the space is needed for the cool season crops.

I’m a tomato optimistic this summer. My motto is “gardening is about experimentation.”