I'm envious. Let us know if it is as good as you anticipate it to be.

Yes, it's getting to be that time of the summer where we don't have to rely on store-bought tomatoes! I've picked a few Romas already, but my regular tomato plants just aren't doing well. Seems Romas do best for me, but does anyone have suggestions for a good full-size, disease-resistant tomato that does well here in Alabama? This is my 4th summer here, and I've just never had really good luck with any tomato varieties other than Romas. Seems about 75% of my regular-shaped tomatoes rot before they can be picked. Thanks!

Tom (Helena, AL)

I have planted Quarter Century for the last several years, & it has always done well for me. It is determinate, & the flavor is great, kind of mild, sweet. Others that are doing well (no diseases so far) are Arkansas Traveler, Creole, Boondocks, Sioux, Jetsetter (hybrid), Matchless, Better Boy. I've had to pull up 3 so far from disease (Mule Team, Earl's Faux, Box Car Willie) and Delicious isn't looking too good either. I do have to spray them all with calcium solution to prevent blossom end rot--that's a big problem for me too. I planted lots of different kinds to see what would end up making it here. I'm trying to grow mostly heirlooms, but they seem SO much more prone to disease--I may have to try a few more hybrids next year.

I've had three red Better Boys so far, but a few hundred of Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes. I went out early this morning and picked nearly a hundred. Because of that great rain we had yesterday, some were beginning to split open. I ate about a dozen while I was picking them - cool and sweet!

One of my Better Boy plants had a problem with blossom end rot earlier, but it's doing fine now. I didn't do anything special; it just started acting right on its own!

I got a care package of tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and peppers from my Mom yesterday. It seems you forget how good those home grown tomatoes are vs. store bought every year.

My tomatoes are nowhere near ready yet (and not doing well anyway) but she doesn't have any beans or squash or cukes yet, and I have tons. So it's a good trade. :)

Congratulations on that tomato. That first one is so good. I canned 15 quarts of tomatos last week and have a 5 gallon bucket to go. The tomato fields were opened last week for U-Pick but with the rain it looks as if the tomatos won't hold up.(I had rather have the rain.) I never canned tomatos until the past few years but they are so much better than the onces you get at the grocery stores.

My Beefmaster tomatoes have been terrific this year and Super Fantastic is a close second. What I'm having a problem with is peppers, of all things. These are usually bomb proof but the Marconis and Sweet Bananas have some disease that makes black spots on the leaves and the plants are puny. Got an inch of rain Saturday and was VERY grateful. Linda