My husband and I love gardening, but we live in an apartment, so space it tight. We do have a balcony, and traditionally we buy (among other things) a nice tomato plant from our local nursery. These usually run $12-15, and will produce 8 or so gorgeous red tomatoes for us. It will then start a second crop, but they never ripen, because our balcony faces north. This year, I'm thinking we'll just skip the tomato plant and buy tomatoes from the farmer's market instead. We'll still enjoy local produce, but get a lot more tomatoes for the price. I'd be sad not to be growing my own tomatoes, though, so I'm still torn. Anyone else have recommendations on a "shade loving" tomato variety? (I don't think they exist). Or is there a different plant we should try? We were also considering patio eggplants.
I've never had a tomato plant that loved shade. That said, the only tomatoes I've ever had thrive were those I planted in containers. So your small space isn't probably your biggest problem. Is there a way to maximize sunlight through reflection? I've heard of people planting tomatoes near mirrors to increase sunshine. Also $12-$15 on a tomato plant is a bit ridiculous. I buy all mine for $1 at a local nursery. They start small, but end up growing huge. If you plant early enough, they'll be fine. $12 is too risky for me for any plant. I'm not going to be sad if I kill a $1 tomato plant, but $12?! Oh man....
I don't think it's worth it. My tomato plant has never thrived. I do better with herbs. I'd rather just by tomatoes and concentrate my energy on my herbs which always do well and provide me with seasonings all year round.
I think if you get satisfaction from growing them yourself, then go for it! I agree that the plant price is too high to make it cost effective though. As for the second batch that never ripens, do you mean the season is ending with frost coming? I had loads of tomatoes one year, including a ton still green on the night of the first predicted frost. When I saw how many I could be losing, I just picked them all and brought them in. Believe it or not, they all ripened up nicely on my counter (over time) - pounds and pounds worth. So don't give up too easily on the green guys!
I don't know. Sounds like you might do well to find a market that sells homegrown tomatoes and try growing something else on your balcony. Although I surely understand your feeling torn concerning the decision. I would hate to give up my tomato plants.
There's no point in growing only tomatoes if all you get from them are 8 tomatoes. Best thing to do is inter-crop. Tomatoes can be grown along with other vegetables and it wouldn't affect their yield because some tomato plants die and depending on how you stake them, they can take up very little space. If you are still interested in growing some tomatoes, then here's how you can get your own tomato plants. Farmers markets normally have fresh tomatoes. Ask the seller for tomatoes fresh off the farm. Choose the ripest one and set it apart. Store that tomato in some container until it starts rotting. Now get the hard cardboard core of a tissue paper and cut it in two. Fill them with soil. Now squeeze out the tomato seeds in. Cover them lightly with soil and place them where they'll get some sunlight. If the seed were viable, after a little while they'll sprout. You'd have saved more than $12.
I have never paid that much for a starter plant. I've never seen any priced that high in my area, thankfully. It would probably be worth it if you could find some plants that weren't so pricey. I pay a buck or two for mine usually, maybe three bucks at the most. This year, someone gave me one, so I'll probably just stick with that. A friend of my daughter was planting a bunch of them, so she brought me one too, which I thought was really nice.
It hilarious because I have an upside hanging tomato pot, tomato fertilizer and food, but have never grown tomatos. Every spring I swear I'm going to start. I have done this every year for about 4 years now. Maybe this year will be my year.
I start tomato plants from a cheap seed pack, keep a plant or two that looks healthiest and sell the rest of the started plants for about $2 each. So for me, the tomato plants are worth it price wise. If the numbers don't work out for you, you have to decide if the satisfaction of growing them yourself outweighs the inefficient use of money. If it doesn't, there's nothing wrong with buying tomatoes. You could try growing a different plant instead.
Go for it. It is a good feeling to grow your own stuff. Even if you only get one tomato the first time, picking that one piece of fruit gives you a sense of accomplishment. I used to love gardening. I would look everyday to see if anything was happening. The first time we picked something and could eat it, made all the work worthwhile (we used to plant a huge garden). Sometimes, things don't go as planned, but that's okay too. Just try again until you get it right.
I think growing your own plants is very rewarding regardless if it turns out to be a little more expensive than just buying some from the market. I'd say the extra effort and cost is easily worth it, so if you think you can do consistent crops this time then I personally would be for it and then maybe just buy a few here and there from markets to supplement whenever you fall short or run out.
I bet growing and eating your own fruit is a very gratifying feeling. My sister's neighbor has a garden and they can and pickle the fruit they don't eat fresh. I have always wanted to try it, but am afraid I don't have much of a green thumb.
