I would do the following:

1. Forget that nasty soil and grow in a raised bed, 6-8" high.
2. Ditch the Miracle grow, use compost and some manure for huge growth. If you are on a budget, you can cut your costs by mixing in 1/4th of the mixture with existing soil.
3. For flavor, add trace minerals. Azomite has 'A to Z' trace minerals. Check out your local hydroponic store for some wild stuff.
4. Supplement with compost tea! Do a search and learn to brew for super growth!
5. Check out the video link.

I did the above last year and my plants toppled over my 4' tomato cage. This year, I'm building 7' x 18" tomato cage in only 6" of raised bed soil.

Here is a link that might be useful: Raised bed and why (video)

This post was edited by LoneCowboy on Wed, Feb 12, 14 at 22:54

I also believe that big plant (with lots of lush foliage) is not necessarily synonymous with better tasting tomatoes. Big plants , in general, take up a lot more water thus diluting the flavor and taste.
It is difficult to formulate what makes tasty fruits(in general). There are many factors: Plant variety/genetics, climate (especially sun and dryness/humidity), amount of water, soil chemistry. I know that most fruits and vegetables of smaller size, grown in semi-arid climates are tastier than grown with lots of rain and water. JMO

My tomato plants are enormous. And for the most part produce bland tomatoes.

Then with all the rest falling into acceptable levels I'd look into re-evaluating the amount of N you are using and the watering regimen you are using. Excess N results in "enormous" plants and over-watering, or in the case of rain, poorly draining soil, results in bland tomatoes.

Dave

PS: also depending on your altitude in CO, research the effects of altitude on water uptake and cut back even more accordingly.

I appreciate the comments. What I'm really trying to figure out is why my largest tomato plants always produce bland tomatoes, while my smaller plants produce flavorful tomatoes. I have several theories, which I'm going to explore this year.

In my garden (picture below), my tomatoes are planted along the back, and beets, onions, squash, etc., are planted along the front. I turn off the irrigation lines to the tomatoes once they start setting fruit, but the front side of the garden still gets watered.

Theory #1: My largest tomatoes also have the largest root system, and they're running over to the front side of the garden where ample water is available, thus producing watery tomatoes. To test this theory, I plan on running a spade down the middle of my garden a few times this summer to prune any roots that are running across.

Theory #2: The roots of my largest tomatoes also run deeper, to the bottom of my raised bed where there is a layer of hard packed clay. Perhaps rainwater is collecting there, and the bigger tomato plants draw up more of this water. To test this theory, I plan on putting my tomatoes out later this year, without the help of season extenders, so the plants don't have as much time to develop deep roots.

Theory #3: (could apply to anyone's garden) Larger tomato plants have more self-shading than smaller plants, meaning there's less sugar available per tomato. I'm going to prune my tomatoes this year to 2 or 3 stems, to open things up and get more sun on the leaves.

Theory #4: Some other stress factor is responsible for the smaller tomato plants being smaller, and those stressful conditions produce better tasting tomatoes. I'm going to try watering a couple times this summer with diluted seawater. I bought some Sea-90 from seaagri.com, to see if a little sea salt on the roots will stress the plants just enough to slow their growth and produce more concentrated, flavorful tomatoes.

This picture of my garden was taken the first week of July. The 2 right-most tomatoes were started under a cold frame, and turned into monsters with bland tomatoes. The two staked tomatoes in the middle were put out later, grew comparatively smaller, but had much better flavor.

It is an interesting question and it is partly the nitrogen balance. Tomatoes don't need much of it. You are right about restricting water which essentially concentrates the flavor. Certain salts also increase the brix level. Test for brix with a refractometer, then cut back on water and test the difference.
Lee

Others have addressed your questions very well, so I'm going tomake just one comment.

In general, the more foliage a plant has leads to increased photosynthesis which results in more production of the energy compounds ATP and GTP.

ATP and GTP are what drives development of everything associated with the plant, from root structure growth, to above ground growth, to blossom formation, fruit growth, and most importantly for some, synthesis of all the compounds that determine taste , of which the primary determinates are the specific genes in the DNA of a specific variety.

Yes, for sure there are lots ofother variables involved in taste, some that can be controlled by the gardener and some that cannot be controlled, such as weather.

Just noting that for many years I grew tomatoes in Denver, not many, and they did just fine in a small strip of just dirt at the side of my home that was shaded a good part of the day.

Carolyn