While I have been absent from my soapbox for a while, one of my wagon train tomatoes continues to solider on into the fall of 2017. My originial three wagon train tomatoes went into their pots about August 22, 2016. They were amazingly productive in the spring of 2017. In early summer as the plants appeared to be finished, I cut their stems off just above the ground.
One plant had such a will to live that it sprouted new growth. My wife who always has a soft spot for a struggling plant took it under her care. In September, thirteen months after we planted it, we enjoyed a few nice tomatoes off of it. All of our other tomatoes planted in the spring except for one were long gone. The picture of the green tomato was taken October 10, 2017 so it is likely we will enjoy another handful of tomatoes in November.
I am amazed that a tomato plant could last this long and continue to produce tasty tomatoes. While we had plenty of tomatoes this summer, it was not the bumper crop that we have enjoyed in previous years. Many of our plants were felled by a disease that quickly killed them as they were approaching peak production. We will try planting more tomatoes in pots next year. We planted tomatoes where our beans had grown for the last three years but it did not seem to help.
Aside from tomatoes, our spring and early summer garden was exceptional, lettuce, spring onions, spinach, beans, and cucumbers almost overwhelmed us. Precipitation during the growing season was close to what we needed. From January 1, through May 31, we recorded 18.45 inches. June brought 6.05 inches, July 6.20 inches, August a wet 9.27 inches, and September 6.90 inches. So far October has been dry with only .55 inches in a couple of showers.
At this still summer-like point, our only fall crops are some hot peppers and cucumbers that refuse to give up and our second planting of green beans that should be ready to harvest in November. With temperatures still in the eighties, it is still too hot for our fall lettuce, broccoli, and onions. This year I do not plan to do another set of fall wagon train tomatoes but I will be starting a few plants in December and hopefully put them in our wagon in January or February.
The Crystal Coast remains a great place to garden, fish, and live. If you are interested in visiting, fall is a great time. The crowds are gone and soon the humidity will also disappear. If you need some guidance for your trip, try our book, A Week at the Beach - The Emerald Isle Travel Guide. For full details on our great summer visit this site.
