My tomatoes are terrible!

[KrisD]

I plant only heirloom veggies and this year I put in heirloom Romas, heirloom grape tomatoes, and black Krims. The Romas and grapes have NO flavor at all! Might as well eat a sponge! Last year they were delicious, I moved them over to a new raised bed, used the same compost and I am planning on ripping them out, they are that bad! The plants are loaded with tomatoes
I tried drying them to increase the sugar content but they are still bad. What happened?

[Ravenlost]

Have you tried planting nasturtiums with them? And basil? Both improve the flavor of the tomato.

My heirloom romas and salad tomatoes were the only thing that has done well this summer.

[kellyst]

I've never liked the flavor of romas. They always taste bland to me.

[rockhound]

Romas ain't for fresh eating. The flavor comes out best in a sauce.

[luvrulz]

Pour the epsom salts to them - supposed to improve the flavor too! Dissolve them and water with them.... Can it help them now? Don't know -

[HermitJohn]

I am experimenting with a homemade "earth bucket" this year. Only reason I have any tomatoes at all. Has its own little water reservoir at bottom and very efficient with water. Planted three tomato plants in it. Only the Porter (egg shaped pink one) survived the heat and grasshopper plague. It produced much tastier (and larger) fruit when night time temps dipped below 80 at night. During triple digit temp weather the fruit was closer to what is sold in supermarkets. Little taste and tough skins. But I was just thrilled to have any home grown tomatoes at all. Even crappy ones are better than none at all when my garden turned into a mini version of Death Valley.

Was interesting, before garden gave up the ghost (my well went dry), the grasshoppers didnt bother the Porter tomato plants, they went after the others big time. Even eating the immature green fruit on them. Since I apparently am going to be living in the newest desert area in the USA thanks to climate change, going to make few "earth barrels" next year. At least I'll have bit of salad.... Wont be any better tasting than supermarket crap, but at least no chemicals and dont have to pay $$$$.

[frankva]

Don't give up on the grapes yet. The first 3-4 of one of my varieties was bland this year. Last one was a pleasant surprise.

Romas are bland for fresh eating.

[Awnry Abe]

Originally Posted by rockhound

Romas ain't for fresh eating. The flavor comes out best in a sauce.

Interesting. A friend gave me a couple of 'German Lunchbox' plants. They are slightly smaller than a roma and sort of like a large grape tomato, but non-clustering. The fruit has been plentiful, but very bland. I have been tossing them in the freezer for making sauce later. I wonder if they are a made-for-sauce variety?

[fatrat]

I've never really cared much for Romas. I've grown them a number of times and have finally given up. They are just tasteless. They are okay for sauce but in sauce the spices give it the flavor. One past tomato I have liked is Amish Paste tomato but the seeds I ordered some years ago seemed to have come with a disease. I save the seeds every year and they just never do well, always look diseased when planted. I think I will order new seeds next year and start over.

[foxtrapper]

Originally Posted by HermitJohn

It produced much tastier (and larger) fruit when night time temps dipped below 80 at night. During triple digit temp weather the fruit was closer to what is sold in supermarkets.

Now that's interesting. I'd always thought, and heard, it was a water issue. What you're saying matches up well here. We've been stink'n hot all summer long, and everyone I know of has mediocre tomatoes in their gardens.

[pancho]

Originally Posted by HermitJohn

I am experimenting with a homemade "earth bucket" this year. Only reason I have any tomatoes at all. Has its own little water reservoir at bottom and very efficient with water. Planted three tomato plants in it. Only the Porter (egg shaped pink one) survived the heat and grasshopper plague. It produced much tastier (and larger) fruit when night time temps dipped below 80 at night. During triple digit temp weather the fruit was closer to what is sold in supermarkets. Little taste and tough skins. But I was just thrilled to have any home grown tomatoes at all. Even crappy ones are better than none at all when my garden turned into a mini version of Death Valley.

Was interesting, before garden gave up the ghost (my well went dry), the grasshoppers didnt bother the Porter tomato plants, they went after the others big time. Even eating the immature green fruit on them. Since I apparently am going to be living in the newest desert area in the USA thanks to climate change, going to make few "earth barrels" next year. At least I'll have bit of salad.... Wont be any better tasting than supermarket crap, but at least no chemicals and dont have to pay $$$$.

I have added wicking beds to my aquaponics system. Works great.

[salmonslayer]

I wonder if its because of all the wet and cooler weather you guys have been having. Its been hot and dry here and we have had the biggest crop and best tasting tomatoes anyone around here can remember. We are canning them again today and I have been eating tomatoes with almost every meal for over a month and half.

[Raven12]

I had a terrible time with heirlooms this summer. My hybrids were the ones that did well. I am dumping the heirlooms next year.

[Callieslamb]

Have you been getting a lot of rain? Lots of rain when they are ripening will dilute the flavor. Also, cooler temperatures will affect the flavor.

[Kstornado11]

Ours have been kind of blah too, but I blame the horrid drought. Finally got some rain today & a break in the heat! YAY!

[KrisD]

Hmm I do water them lot, do you reall think I'm diluting down the flavor? I'll water less then and see if that helps. It has been nice weather lately but will be hot tomorrow. I'll try the Epsom salts too.

[jamesdaclark]

I let the plant wilt a little before i water again. I think it keeps the flavor much stronger.

[Kstornado11]

Originally Posted by KrisD

Hmm I do water them lot, do you reall think I'm diluting down the flavor? I'll water less then and see if that helps. It has been nice weather lately but will be hot tomorrow. I'll try the Epsom salts too.

Here in Kansas the heat has been HORRIBLE the last 2 summers, & my tomatoes have been the only thing to survive with minimal watering! Maybe you are over watering, as mine seem to do fine with only watering every couple days in EXTREME heat....I've always heard that if you water too much it encourages shallow roots & weaker plants.

[ChristieAcres]

The recent heat, 80s, has done wonders for our garden (50s at night, perfect weather I'd say). The Tomatoes began looking so much happier, but went ballistic when I fed them Comfrey Fertilizer. Since our Tomato harvests are late in this climate, word is out on the taste. Every year, I grow Heirloom and they taste great. I agree on the watering, ground level, every few days, unless they are in pots, then every other day if possible.

[romysbaskets]

I am in Washington state also with tomatoes doing beautifully although I am not sure how they will taste, they are not ripe yet. I saw the low temps in June and lost all these green pole beans I planted to drowning with the heavy rains and cool temps.. My sister told me not to plant them outdoors and she started hers indoors. I am still waiting for beans after 4 plantings and she is eating beans! No way was I going to plant tomatoes back then after my beans drowned/cold too. Did you plant yours in June by chance? We had awful weather for tomatoes that month too. So my tomatoes were started in a green house to a nice one foot height, so then I planted them right away in early July and they are covered in blooms now great height and width. These look wonderful so I am crossing my fingers. They are heirloom large tomatoes a few different kinds. I have only green tomatoes as mine as I planted them late. I planted them in big planters I drag in and out of my gazebo. So that I could keep them out of the rain completely. I then water them by hand at the roots. I was warned by my sister to be wary of our weird cool weather. I think the larger tomatoes have more flavor, I did little tomatoes before and they did not have the flavor I was going for then either. Then when I was securing my Raspberry canes which are towering, I found three volunteer tomato mystery plants about a foot tall now. I will revisit your thread and post whether my tomatoes had issues too. It is always nice to keep track of what is going on with others. I water my tomato planters every few days.