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I FINALLY have the tiniest baby tomato on one of my plants. we are now over 50 days of over 100 degree heat. I figure thats part of it. Hoping for some this fall.
Misti, congrats on your first tomato! I think the heat is a big factor, from what I've heard they won't set at all when it's above 100. I'm sure you'll get more when fall comes around if your plants are still healthy now... it should start cooling down soon, right?
Carol, I think it depends on why it stopped giving fruit. If it is heat like Misti's experiencing, the plants can produce again when it cools off. I don't think it ever gets that hot in Hawaii, though. If you have some kind of disease, the plants may start producing once it's gone - my plants looked on death's door early this summer with early blight, aphids, and what appeared to be Fusarium wilt, but went on to produce heavily. On the other hand, if you have a determinate variety that has already used up all its blossoms, I don't think there's any way to get more.
Thank you! yea I have been doing daily watering due to the heat and moved them further under the covered patio. They are still looking pretty healthy so Im just trying to keep them hanging in there till the weather cools down some.
Name: Sally central Maryland slef employed writier
I've had no more fruit on the one heirloom, and the Champion II hybrid is only giving golf ball size, and ditto cracks. Two tip cuttings of the heirloom seem happy in their pots.
"If you bring joy and enthusiasm to everything you do, people will think you're crazy" W. Haelfeli, New Yorker cartoon
I harvested some cracked tomatoes today too. I just cut out the exposed bits and use the rest of the tomato, as long as it hasn't started going bad before I get to it.
Unfortunately, I think my plants might be done for. They lost most of their leaves yesterday, but were getting pretty scraggly even before the storm.
Name: Sally central Maryland slef employed writier
I cut off much of my struggling potato top but see new grwoth from some branche axils. Still, its just way too late for them to do anything- right? I did get two tip cuttings started and can plant on the south side.
"If you bring joy and enthusiasm to everything you do, people will think you're crazy" W. Haelfeli, New Yorker cartoon
Name: Cheryl Eastern Ky Truth should be everpresent.
My tomatoes did good this year. Much better than last year. I hardly got enough for seed last year before the blight did them all in.
This year all my cherry sized tomatoes did well but the bigger ones not so much. I had planted yellow and red varieties of Mortgage Lifters and Orange Kentucky Beefsteaks. I got a few off each plant.
The big producers this year are the chocolate cherry, white cherry and Matt's wild cherry. MWC are always prolific. The white cherry is my favorite. I planted a Cape Gooseberry and the plant looks great but not a single fruit. Do any of you know anything about them? I am wondering if it is something I have to plant over each year.
Sad news is that my DH has kidney problems now because of his diabetes and can no longer eat tomatoes because of the potassium. So in spring I will only plant a couple cherry tomatoes for me to snack on while I am in the garden. A white cherry for sure and maybe a MWC. Do any of you know of an interesting cherry tomato I might try?
If you're looking for cherries, I'd say Black Cherry. I'm growing it and Snow White Cherry this year - the color contrast makes for a nice presentation in salad, but they also have very different flavors (sweet and fruity versus dark and smokey), so you get some variety. It's the most vigorous tomato plant I've ever grown.
If she doesn't, I have seeds from a delicious potato-leaf type with large pink fruit. It is probably Pruden's Purple, but it came from a mix so I can't be 100% certain.
Name: Cheryl Eastern Ky Truth should be everpresent.
Do you think the chocolate cherry and the black cherry are different? I grew chocolate cherry and it is a dark champagne colored fruit. Has a good taste.
I'm not familiar with chocolate cherry personally. They do look very similar... they could be different names for the same variety or just two very similar varieties.
Name: Carol Noel Hawaii (near Hilo) It's all about choices.
My tomatoes have been a total disaster this year!!!! We've had an usually humid/rainy year...with cooler temps (we had snow on Moana Loa end of JUne!!!)...I have planted 5 rounds of tomatoes between two areas...I grow them in large containers and every year I have had tremendous success!!! They get powdery mildew and all sorts of crud...don't grow.... So I have ripped them out, put new soil amendments, calcium etc. and planted new ones... this is getting boring!!! Now they just sort of 'stall out' after just setting fruit. I've been giving them tomato feed about every couple of weeks...and they are planted in compost mix. I always add Dolomite as our growing conditions are acid (dirt/water both) @5.5.
Can anyone in humid areas share types they've had the success with. Cherrie tomatoes or small varieties do well here...they ripen quickly.
OUT of the rain and growing in a hoop house made of plastic works really well but you need alot of ventilation...but how can you put the roots in the rain and the plant under cover?
Wait...I think I have the answer (no kidding...this just popped into my head just as I asked the question): as long as I have MOST of the roots deep in soil and let the plant grow at a curve.... See, I can't grow in the ground because our shallow soil (3-4") over lava makes large beds impossible.
Well...this has been an interesting post for me....
Do you have seeds for the Potato tops? I have been after some since I learned about them recently. 
