I use a lot of tulle in the veg garden, and to keep birds from eating ripe berries. There are two types, and the slightly stretchy french tulle will last a bit longer but costs more. It has kept flea beetles off of eggplant, so pests that small can't get through it. In terms of looks, you won't believe how much better olive green tulle looks compared to row cover. I've experimented with different colors, and olive green is the least obtrusive. I can easily hold a "bonnet" of tulle over a 6-foot tall blueberry bush by bunching it at the bottom and fastening it with clothespins. First year experiment this year involves "bagging" apples in drawstring bags made from circles of tulle and thread. It looks way better than plastic bags, but it remains to be seen if it will work. Here is a link that might be useful: tulle covers

Daniel, I have experienced very similar results this year in northern MN. All seeds were started at the same time, planted out at the same time, and treated the same. 2 of my early varieties (Glacier & Bloody Butcher) did beat Cherokee Purple, but only by 8 or 9 days. About 10 days after the 1st early small tomatoes, I picked a Giant Belgium that weighted 1# 8oz. At about 2 weeks after the earliest fruit, several 1# plus C.P. were being picked. The 1st fruit from my "Early Pick" variety were just starting about this same time. However, other large varieties, are very late. Mortgage Lifter, Black Krim, Super Steak, Super Beef Steak, are all very Sloooow. All plants are growing in the same conditions. This is the Giant Belgium that was only about 10 days behind to early little tomatoes: A very strange year.

Yes, we used those little blighters at school when learning genetics. Easy to collect, jush mash some banana and wait. They're pretty harmless though. Glancing through a permaculture book the other day, I noticed an interesting tidbit about FF and tomatoes. The author lives in northern NSW and when she first planted out the garden, had terrible FF problems and all but gave up growing tomatoes. She doggedly kept planting a few though each year and she noticed that after her garden had been established for about 5 years, the incidence of FF attck started to decline to the point that now, only a few of her fruit are stung each year. She was honest enough to say that she has no idea why and doesn't even know if it's permanent. She speculates that it's because she has a very diverse garden now with lots of bird and insect attracting trees, bushes, flowers, herbs and so on and suspects that there may well be FF predators that have now firmly established themselves in her garden. I'm inclined to believe she's right. Up until last year, I had always grown veggies, herbs and flowers all jumbled up together. I had very few pest problems. Last year I gave over most of my garden, and even reclaimed some of the pool area, to plant tomatoes. They were devestated by pests and disease. Coincidence? Maybe, but I suspect not.

Next year, look for Tiny Tim seeds. It can be grown in a styrofoam coffee cup and placed on a windowsill when producing. Tiny Tim has a good taste. Other dwarf cherry tomatoes taste terrible (Tumbling Tom, Red Robin, etc.). If you put Tiny Tim in a gallon pot, it gets to be about 18 inches tall, and produces quite a lot. In a coffee cup, it is only 6 inchrs tall and does not have that many tomatoes, but the little plant is covered. Unfortunately, it is determinant, so it stops producing after it gives you a windfall. It is also fussy about care. Wants daily watering and regular fertilizer. Does not tolerate full sun outside. Start the seeds yourself. Then send them to your "suburban place" when transplanted into their pots. When they start producing, put them on your windowsill, and you will have tomatoes to eat. I did that for years when I lived in an apartment.