So I learned something new recently. As I have mentioned in past posts, I live in an apartment, and have a small container garden out in back behind our place. And as I mentioned we tried to grow tomatoes there this summer. We got one, and then nothing until the end of the summer when we had an explosion of tomatoes. I didn't think they were going to get ripe before they all froze; that is how late they all came on.
So, while talking to one of the farmers at the Sugar House Farmers Market I mentioned our tomato troubles. He asked if we had a couple of tomatoes, then nothing, and then an explosion of tomatoes. I was blown away that he knew exactly what I was talking about. Apparently I wasn't the only one with that problem this year.
What happens is that there is a build up of phosphorus in the soil, and it needs to be released for the tomatoes to grow well. And apparently the phosphorus wants to stay in the soil until it hits a certain temperature. And tomato plants don't want to produce if there is too much phosphorus in the soil. See the problem?
Since we had such a cool wet spring the soil held onto the phosphorus which meant the tomato plants wouldn't produce. Then at the end of the summer when it got nice and toasty the phosphorus could finally get away and then the tomato plants could produce.
So, if you had problems with your tomatoes this year, and I am betting you did, now you know why.
Cheers.
