Atomic,

I live very close to you and am having a similar problem with ALL of my tomatoes (at least as far as I can tell, the pic is very small). I thought it was Septoria, but had a friend with more experience look at them over the weekend. She said it was probably due to the cold weather we've been having. I don't know how close to the water you are up in the hills, but it has been as cold as Winter down here.

I'd like to hear what other people think.

Good luck, I know it's a bummer. Mine are almost all wiped out.
JJ

I'd like to hear what other people think.

JJ,

If you look on page 2 here you'll see the main thread for atomic woman.

This post was just illustrating something being discussed in that thread.

Carolyn

Oh thanks, Carolyn. I wondered where the other post was, but am too lazy to do a search. I still think it's caused by the weather. The June, July, and hopefully not August gloom has done a number on my plants. :(
over-and-out
jj

Hi,
Thanks for responding. JJMc. I'm sorry that the pics we're so small. I have this new digital SLR and the images are HUGE, so sized them in Photoshop. The limit I believe is 61K, difficult when your original is 1790x1192 and about 952k. Anyway, I have to figure out how to post the images inline and should probably shoot in a lower resolution for posting. If anyone can clue me in on posting the images within my message (I'm sure this is quite simple) I would appreciate it.
As for my poor plants, I have 5 tomato plants in pots, only one, the sad Nepal, is really stressing. The rest are in the ground.
I agree, it's been a longer than normal "June Gloom" cycle here in Southern Cal. We're still having those grey, cool mornings around here until about 10:00 am. I'm sorry to hear that JJmc's babies have bit the dust. It's been a really weird season to be sure. It seems like the fruit is taking FOREVER to ripen. Usually I have tons of tomatoes by now.
How close are you to me? Are you on the ocean side? I'm on the warm side of the peninsula. This location is a hot little microcosom when when summer really comes on. Ah but it's all the better when we have tomatoes in November.
I'm sure that the gloom has a lot to do with some of these failures. But the adjacent plants in the ground are rolling merrily along. The Nepal and some of my other varities are supposed to do well in coastal and cool climes. My Stupice has been producing since May. It's nestled in a bed surrounded by wild grape and just keeps on trucking.

Hi Atomic,

I'm glad your ground plants are doing well! I still have some that are alive, but they aren't looking very healthy. Like you, last year I had tons of fruit by now. I'm just crossing my fingers that these plants hang on long enough for some fruit to ripen.

I'm on the ocean side, and it never gets hot here. Maybe next year I'll try the varieties you mentioned. It might be a little less risky... I just don't want to spend all this time and energy for nothing again!

Ok, time to stop feeling sorry for myself and appreciate all the extra time I have since my plants no longer need me. Now what else can I obsess over....

Anyway, good luck with yours, neighbor!
jjmc

Hi JJMc,

My friend Maddi lives on the Portuguese Bend side of the hill. Yes, it's been chilly and soooo very much fog. She's got citrus, two small children and hates tomatoes. So I have no idea what it's like for tomatoes over there. But...I have a client who lives at the PB Club, even closer to the sea. I shall ask her. She's always growing something in her Mediterranean climate. Artichokes and grapes seem to do well there.
Whole Foods was selling early, organic heirlooms (what a mouthful!) this year. They came from Windrose Farms up in Paso Robles. They had a number of early/cool weather tomato plants available in March. The only other way to get these plants is to go to TomatoMania or order them online. The Cosmonaut Volkov is quite appealing, the Stupice was dependable, as is/was the Nepal. I have a few tomatoes on that plant that might make it. But I think that after the few that remain are harvested, I will probably yank out the poor thing. Next year, I'll risk the @#%%&$! peacocks and plant in my raised beds that are down by the barn.
I'm concerned about composting the old soil from these pots, but I suppose that's for another post/forum.

And the best of luck to you. Take heart, it's warming up! You might try a late planting. Heck it's California!