Cherry Tomatoes

I took this photo a couple of years ago with the idea that the cluster looked similar to those big drag-racing traffic lights: red, yellow, green. The tomatoes (cherry, Roma and Celebrity varieties) this year aren't growing nearly as well as they usually do. Some people are saying that the deluge of rains we've been having since spring has contributed to a tomato blight. The leaf bunches have progressively (from the bottom up) turned yellowish, then brown spotting, and then they are sere. It may be that with the frequent rain, the roots haven't developed as they normally do. Then again, as my grandfather --- who was a farmer --- taught us long ago, I plant tomatoes deep so the roots are pretty much forced to spread.

Now, this is not to say that there's no tomato production. Just, not as many and not as full as they always have been. Connecticut grown tomatoes are some of the best tasting you'll find, with that rich, concentrated classic tomato smell and taste. The ones available in the supermarket from California or Florida have absolutely no taste. It's like eating solidified red water pouches, and essentially that's the science as well. What makes for the smell and taste is the vitamins and minerals from the soil; if these are lacking, the plant will make do with what it can get, but the fruit quality suffers.

I guess I'll be able to make a diagnosis when I pull them up in the fall. The findings are always interesting.