Yes, the general consensus is that it is a "crock" and you'll find many discussions here about it under the title "Organic tomato magic". This is just one of it's several websites geared toward selling the book. It even has it's own video on U tube I hear. ;)

Dave

Dana,

I am in Campbell not too far from you. Last year I switched to growing in self watering containers. Here is a Stupice plant that went into the EarthTainer on March 22, and I was picking tomatoes on May 27:

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I found that the containers warmed up a lot quicker than my previous in-ground garden, so I was harvesting tomatoes 4 to 6 weeks earlier.

Druzba is returning to my 'Tainer "Farm" this season but note, it is not an early variety. Black Krim is also returning. You may also want to consider Gregori Alti and Bloody Butcher for this climate. I took a flyer on a variety called "Cold Set" that reportedly sets fruit early in Canadian climates. Don't waste your time and space on "San Francisco Fog" as it is pretty tasteless.

Raybo

That site has got so much bull in it...starting with "Today, When You Cut Open a
Tomato, What Happens?" and getting worse as you scroll down.

Hm. Looked like one of "those" kind of sites to me too.
Thing is, I get beautiful plants, but no toms. I always figured it was just not hot enough to set fruit, and I guess I am right.
Too bad, I wish it was as easy as heavy duty leaf pruning to actually get tomatoes.

I am doing big containers this year, but they are not earthtainers. Im debating about plastic mulch, etc, for keeping the soil warm. One year I took a large sheet of flexible PVC and wrapped it like a giant tall ring around the container to make a makeshift cold frame. Don't know if it helped or not though as the tom production was still weak.

I started another trial (there was one done sevral years ago) to test this method out. I think the post has snuck it's way toward the bottom of this page.
you can follow my and others results or join in if your brave and have a couple of tomatoes.

Here is a link that might be useful: OTM trial

dgbeig

If people start jumping up and down and yelling about that "book", it's because it contains many suggestions about growing maters that are nothing if not controversial and most would say violate the science of tomato growing (stripping off leaves, etc.)! IOW, the hornets aren't after you! The guy even came to this forum to defend his growing methods, and while I personally thought he was a nice enough guy, he didn't convince many people that it would work. I think a couple of people said they were going to test it but I don't recall any reporting back.

So, just so you know, there isn't much on the internet about tomatoes that the regular tomato posters haven't seen or heard about, though some links may be of interest to newbies. Some new reports get discussed when people are interested, some don't. Some, such as the link you posted, make some people go all googly-eyed!

[I just didn't want you to feel bad about posting that link, and maybe you don't! All to the good.]

You will get good advice about tomatoes that do well in your area. My problem is the opposite -- tomatoes don't do very well in midsummer Southern heat.

Hi Anne(y) from Georgia-
That was nice of you to write that, but I don't feel bad.
I used to be on this forum daily and then I had a little one.
Now he is two and loves going out in the garden. I can actually spend time out there again. I have almost given up on tomatoes entirely (dont want to waste the precious garden space I have) but then I end up at the nursery for completely different reasons and I see all these cold weather toms, and I buy too many and I get all hopeful.

Then I read, read, read and think there must be some other trick out there. I love this board, because people are knowlegable and passionate. I figured maybe someone tried this and could say if it worked or made a difference.

I am trying "Sub-Arctic Plenty" this year as a late planting, hopefully late producing tomato.

I got it through HeirloomSeeds.com

Here's their blurb about the variety.
#1066 - SUB-ARCTIC PLENTY 40-60 days - For those with short growing seasons, this extremely early variety has upright stems packed with 1½ inch fruits. Has excellent cold-setting abilities. Great for early summer harvests or when used in Fall container gardening. Determinate vines.

Here is a link that might be useful: link to heirloom seeds, if interested.

Stupice, Glacier, Siletz, I have had good results with all 3 and would recommend them, but my 1st choice would be Sophie's Choice and you might try Paul Robeson some time.
I am still harvesting from Paul and nighttime temps are in the 50 degree area.

For growing I would definitely recommend earthtainer type planting against a south facing wall, that is where Paul is and my other tomato plants in the garden succumbed to the cold months ago.

For ground planting I would suggest hilling the dirt into raised rows at least 6 inches high, covered with green grow plastic sheeting. Green plastic is great. It appears to let the infra-red light through to heat the soil while blocking enough visable light to inhibit weed growth.

It is INDEED a 'crock' and a 'cracked pot'. They have no luck growing tomatoes and therefore want everyone else to fail as well.
I have had good luck growing tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets. Just remember to use fertilizer every week or two.

Good luck,
James

Well, I'm sure Sub Arctic Plenty and Glacial Blah Blah will do well in northern California, but really...

You don't actually have cool summer temps.

SAP was developed in Alberta, Canada for Greenland.

In Northern Californication you should be able to grow almost anything you like, unless you are above 5,000 feet altitude.

I have not been very happy with Sub-Artic Plenty compared to the other cool weather varieties I have tried. For me the plants were very small and not that productive. If I were to grow it again I would plant many together, closely spaced. In the off chance that they would get crowded I would just start thinning.

Also, I would not hesitate to add Siberian to the list of dependable cool weather tomatoes.

I'm in the San Mateo Hills where the fog rolls in like clockwork at 4 PM everyday. I grow in containers on my deck. Cherries always do well. Black Prince and something called Chianti Rose (which was bred for a cool climate) have done well for me as well.

Last year I gave up and built a greenhouse on my deck and had an enormous crop.

Dana:

Two things about not setting fruit that I suggest.

One, as you suspected, is the temperature: either too hot in the day, or too warm at night. I used to grow tremendous toms in Sacramento, so it can be done where you are, where it is much cooler than Sacto. The other is too much N. Cut the N in your fert. I suspect this will get you 90-95% of the way there.

Dan