Hi Julia
I think it's the short days that have the tomatoes slowed down. Mine also aren't doing much right now, just green balls. Whenever I see one that has a "break" in color I bring it inside to ripen.(I am zone 9-10 similar to you).

Summer is the next worst season to grow tomatoes, way too hot this past summer.

I have started my tomato seeds for planting in late Feb-early March which is the most productive season in Florida. Keep trying. Your winter plants may kick in again if they don't get killed by frost but better to start new plants now or buy new in early spring.

2009 was a real challenge for me tomato wise. Horrible hot summer that continued through the fall hurting fall production because it was too hot for blossoms to set. Then when it got cool enough the days were too short for plants to grow much.

Here's hoping 2010 will be a better tomato year!

Denise

P.S. If you look at previous threads you will see people in other Florida areas with LOADS of beautiful tomatoes. Lucky them :-)

Hi Julia, I agree with Denise.

First, you're not going to get tomatoes to grow here in the summer unless you live in the panhandle. Night temps > 75F stops bloom set. For the most part we grow tomatoes from September through May, just the opposite of up north.

Second, this has been a lousy fall, October was ridiculously hot and since then it's been too cool for the plants and fruit to grow much. I just pulled out my fall plants, threw away probably four hundred small tomatoes, kept only about 50 pounds of greenies.

Spring will be much better unless we get more freaky weather like a lot of frost or too much rain.

Tom

I'm not having much better results with my veggies right now either. My cuke seedlings are still 3 inches high and my lettuce is about an inch tall. It's been weeks like this. Nothing seems to be growing much at all.

My one tomatoe plant's lower leaves keep turning yellow and falling off. I do have green baby tomatoes but nothing ripe so far.

I think it's the lack of sunshine and all the rain we've been having.

Hi Julia, same here. My tomatoe plants are 6 feet tall or more, just full of nice green tomatoes. The ones on the bottom are just starting to turn red. Hopefully more will ripen before I have to pull them and start my spring garden. Good luck to us all for the next season.

Guess we can have fried green Maters instead of salad toms.
Mine are doing the same here, lots of green and no red? What a bummer.

I was about to give up on mine. In fact I started picking small green ones to pickle. Then the week before Xmas they started to ripen and I ended up with about 40 lbs. My neighbors got tomatoes for xmas. ;>) Now I see the second wave coming, if the weather holds. If I am still getting tomatoes in Jan I'm going to start believing in miracles.
john

I kept two cherries that are producing nicely and keeping us happy but pulled all the large indeterminates, some of the large fruit is just beginning to break so they should ripen, but I'm giving greenies to anyone who likes fried-greens....

I started five different yellows the last week of November so hopefully they'll be my first maters by mid-February, and I started my spring plants a little over two weeks ago. They're ready to be potted up now but with the cold weather coming it'll have to wait until next week, sure not going to pot up and move them outside now.

Tom

John, I am believing in miracles...lol. My tomatoes are finally starting to ripen...yeah!

...I still cannot believe that my lettuce is only 3 inches tall and it's been over a month since I've planted it!!!

Probably this are going to be the last tomatoes of the season. I will be pulling the plants soon. For some reason or another I always end up with yellow tomatoes at the end, they are the first to ripen too.

Julia, I am starting new tomato seedlings for the new season. Concentrate on the new and let the old ones go. :o)

Tomato salad for lunch

Silvia

Oh, Silvia, that salad looks delicious! Got that recipe handy? I would like to make it.

Just came in the house from harvesting some Swiss chard, broccoli, and pea pods.

Christine

Hi Christine

Is nice to have green things to eat after all the sweets of the season.

I am going to post some pictures from the garden in another thread.

Silvia

Here is a link that might be useful: orzo and tomato salad

Well it's good that I'm not the only one! I should have more than 2 tomatoes from 4 plants! I've never started plants from seedlings, just buy from Home Depot. So should I try it for the spring? I really want lots of tomatoes! I want to can Salsa to use for next years Christmas gifts

I am a novice at this (and my first year gardening) but my tomatoes all died and my investigation indicates that the problem may be the soil. Apparently South Florida soil pH is rather high (at 7.7 at Fairchild Gardens) and high pH interferes with some of the nutrients absorption. Okra seems to tolerates a high Ph but after two month in the soil starting to look very sad too.

Silvia, thanks for the salad recipe link. I love orzo and that recipe sounds delicious. Yes there was a bit too much sweets at Christmas, darn brownies and chocolate covered pretzels...lol.

You are welcome Shar, and yes too many sweets this season. One of my favorites was a macadamia brittle that a nice gardener made and sent me. Delicious! I think Tom can agree with that.

And for anybody that is a beginner to growing tomatoes in Florida:

Sandy soil has no nutrients and maybe nematodes. Soils have to be heavily amended with organic materials. The easy way is to have a fast draining potting soil and grow them in pots. You can grow anything like this, heirlooms or hybrids. Some will produce more than others. Have a mix and try new varieties all the time, to see which ones do you prefer.

Julia, you are in zone 9b like me, time to start seedlings, send me an email if you like to try some seeds that I had saved from previous seasons.

Silvia

Silvia --- Thanks for the Orzo Salad recipe. I agree, it is great to have all those greens in the garden to pick anytime. I'm still trying to eat up sweet potatoes and Seminole pumpkins too. My sweet pepper plants still have fruits but they have stopped growing.

You are starting your tomato seeds already? Next week I will start my pepper seeds and when those are sprouted I can use the heating pad to start the tomatoes. I have those sprouted by mid-Jan. Your area is a little warmer than mine. Hope you don't get a freeze this weekend.

Christine