Beware of killer tomato plants!

[Old Salt]

My daughter gets me a nice cherry tomato plant every spring. I put it on my balcony and tend to it faithfully! This year the plant seemed to be a flop because of our late spring, it was scrawny and I thought at the time that I would be lucky to get five or six tomatoes for all my effort!

Help, it is now a 5'8" monster and still growing! I am locking the balcony door just in case. I have seen movies about killer plants and am not taking any chances!

 

[Fyrefox]

With drought, my tomatoes are puny little things that I can easily intimidate, barely worth my time and labor to cultivate. Thank heavens I don’t have to deal with rampaging ones!

 

[Old Salt]

With drought, my tomatoes are puny little things that I can easily intimidate, barely worth my time and labor to cultivate. Thank heavens I don’t have to deal with rampaging ones!

I don't know if I should or , Fyrefox! Too bad about your tomatoes! I know how much fun it is to see something grow into maturity and deliver those delicious tomatoes! And that's the movie I was thinking of!

 

[oldaunt]

Mine is sckly too, and got hit by the dreaded horned caterpillars yesterday. Poor thing actually has 2 tomatoes almost ripe. The only 2 it managed to have.

 

[Old Salt]

For all the doubters. Here it is straggly but at a proud 5'8" Too bad I couldn't stand next to it. We're the same height!



Do you think I should worry?

 

[oldaunt]

For all the doubters. Here it is straggly but at a proud 5'8" Too bad I couldn't stand next to it. We're the same height!

View attachment 294882

Do you think I should worry?

You could prune the longer branches back and get a better crop. Wish mine looked that good.

 

[gruntlabor]

It's beautiful, Old Salt. Mine are always puny. Do you know the variety? I'd like to get one.

 

[Old Salt]

It's beautiful, Old Salt. Mine are always puny. Do you know the variety? I'd like to get one.

I will ask my daughter, @gruntlabor! She always gets them for me and they are different every year because she picks them randomly! Or whatever is available!

 

[debodun]

Don't you know that Salt and tomatoes go together?

 

[Old Salt]

I just sampled my first cherry tomato! It was delicious and unexpected. I didn't expect any ripe fruit until a few weeks from now. I guess the steady heat we've been having helped! And I would swear the monster has grown another inch overnight!

 

[Old Salt]

It's beautiful, Old Salt. Mine are always puny. Do you know the variety? I'd like to get one.

@gruntlabor I talked to my daughter and she has no idea what the variety was! I am so sorry!

 

[Paladin1950]

 

[Old Salt]

View attachment 295323

I am very concerned about this devil plant! Did you have to add to my stress, Paladin?

 

[Paladin1950]

I am very concerned about this devil plant! Did you have to add to my stress, Paladin?

Just stay away from the tomato patch, and keep your doors locked. You should be okay then.

 

[caroln]

We had a tomato plant that grew up to the gutters on the house. Not one tomato though. All it's energy went into height. We just let it go, wanting to see how high it would get.

 

[Old Salt]

We had a tomato plant that grew up to the gutters on the house. Not one tomato though. All it's energy went into height. We just let it go, wanting to see how high it would get.

Mine has tons of blooms but most are not developing into mini tomatoes. Is that normal?

 

[caroln]

Mine has tons of blooms but most are not developing into mini tomatoes. Is that normal?

I'm not a horticulturalist, but a couple of basic things I know are that if flowers are not producing fruit it's usually caused by lack of sunlight or no pollination. There's also a thing called "blossom drop", caused by extremes in temperature and dryness conditions (too hot/cold or too dry/wet). That's the problem we had...very hot and dry conditions here in Kentucky and my husband didn't water on a consistent basis.

 

[Old Salt]

My giant plant was humbled overnight! A strong wind knocked it down. It doesn't seem to have done the plant any harm but I just called my son-in-law to come over with a piece of string to tie it down. We had planned that all along but I didn't expect gusts like this until later in the season.

 

[Knight]

For all the doubters. Here it is straggly but at a proud 5'8" Too bad I couldn't stand next to it. We're the same height!

View attachment 294882

Do you think I should worry?

Only if any tomatoes appear to have an evil grin.

 

[Old Salt]

Here's the latest: my devil plant is now over six feet tall! I am starting to change my beliefs about its evil intentions, though. Have a look at the potential crop!!

 

[Old Salt]

I was pleased to report a developing bumper crop but now I am nervous! The crows have discovered my plant! I just chased one of them off!

 

[Meanderer]

What could go wrong?

 

[Old Salt]

What could go wrong?

Wow!!! Now I am ashamed of my puny plant. This is what you call a bumper crop!

 

[Meanderer]

Wow!!! Now I am ashamed of my puny plant. This is what you call a bumper crop!

No.....It is from the movie "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes"!

 

[Old Salt]

It is from the movie "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes"!

I never saw the movie and hope none of my mini tomatoes will end up looking like that! Thanks loads, now I won't sleep tonight, even though the door to my plant is closed!