Tomatoes

If you need 5 tools to solve a problem in the garden, 4 of them will be easy to
find                                                                         Mike Garofalo

I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself.

                                                                       Sir Peter Smithers

Tomatoes are not my favorite plant to grow.
                                TexanGardener

 

Porter on the left and Better Bush compact on the right
(If you click on the picture they should enlarge)

I have come to the conclusion  that I am not going to do this anymore! There are lots of farmer's markets in the area and I plan to reward their efforts.
Having tried to raise tomatoes and failed numerous times over the years, my patience is waning.  

The porter is setting lots of tomatoes. The bush has set 5 or 6 and no more blossoms.
The other 2 I tried were an heirloom, Pineapple Beefsteak and Solar Fire.
Solar Fire keeled over before it even had blossoms. Disease of some sort, I expect.
Beefsteak has NOT set one tomato. Lots of blossoms and in a windy area that is conducive to self pollination. It is now tall, leggy, and turning brown from bottom up.

Bedraggled bush on left is the heirloom

The watering system works well. The "pile" has to get thoroughly soaked in order to leak the good stuff to the plants.  Have to water at least 2 hours to soak things.  I may have over watered early on, but now that roots are deeper, water less.

 I admit that I tend to get discouraged when work is required to produce such little result.  
Hubby, bless him, suggested I plant a watermelon vine in the spot where the heirloom is going to be yanked. I smiled sweetly and asked is he going to water it? Is he going to trim weeds that grow up around it when it is taking over the yard? His reply "No."  
Nuff said!
I may try flowers or a bush of some sort and leave veggies to the ones who can grow them.