Hasn't been egg-zactly a banner 'mater year here either. I've got several new bugs that chew on the fruit, the creeping yellow leaf fungus, and what looks like some sorta blight where the leaves curl up brown from the top down.

At the other extreme, I've 4 plants that are huge-over-my-head and a combined 3 tiny green tomatoes on them.

The nighttime temps here are now down in the 40's, and I'm picking boxes and trays of anything that's even thinking about turning pink and bringing them inside to ripen up.

Oh well. The onions did good.

I heard on the weather today that this is the 41st day over 90 degrees this summer so far. Last year we had 18.
Out of probably 10 bean plants, both pole and bush, I got not 1 bean. The grasshoppers ate the flowers and most of the plants. Grasshoppers are my enemies this year.
I'm actually not too disappointed in my 4 tomato plants. Surely not a banner year and a very slow start, but I have more than I can eat now.
It's been a pretty good year for the peppers.
I planted a Black Beauty Eggplant and a Zucchini from the clearance rack at Wally World, planted too late, but am going to get a few of each soon.
There's always next year!
Barb

I'm beginning to think I won't get a single ripe tomato this year. But, maybe I will...who knows? I'll still let them try and maybe I'll get lucky.

I'm going to try something different next year. I'll not use the tiny peat pellet "pots" nor will I wait for the season to warm up. Hey, if they are inside, I should be able to start in early March.

I'm going to use small plastic pots about three inches in diameter and not one peat pot. I'll stick the pots in a tray and water as needed.

I think trying to transfer the seedlings in peat pots slowed their growth some. Seemed like they took forever to grow after the first transplant! Maybe I should have taken them out of the peat? I didn't want to damage the roots though.

Next year, I'm ready, or, readier!

colokid said "I am beginning to think that you need a shade over tomatoes in Colorado."

My experience is that tomatoes do best in full sun all season or some shade in the middle of summer. Some fruit might burn in full sun but that's okay with me.

twas seemingly a brief one.... this season, while not over yet....last measurable snow june 11....dawn broke with frost on the ground today and fresh snow covering the ranges ....the tobacco roots madison range and east pioneers ablaze at dawn the smoky skies of last week a memory ...I covered pumpkins and winter squash... and my artichokes are beautiful the silvery foliage worth growing almost as an ornamental....temps supposed to rebound by the weeks end but summer...summer recedes

My tomatoes just started ripening this week. I got everything out too late this year, but I'm still hopeful I'll get a harvest if the frost holds off till Oct. as usual.

Nice, Jnfr! I just noticed a tomato on one of the plants in the Earthbox showing color too, and then when I looked closer the bottom had a huge brown spot. Do you guys throw the whole tomato away, or cut the bad spots out? It only seems to happen to my container plants, the ones in the ground don't do that. I tried to be more consistent with my watering this year, but there was a day or two that I missed, and before I could get there, the foliage was droopy. Almost immediately the brown spots showed up on the bottoms of some of the fruit.

Anyway, I have quite a few full sized tomatoes that should ripen before the first frost ... if it's not earlier than usual, that is.

Oddly enough, I have some pie pumpkins that are already orange. Never knew them to ripen this early, but it's been a weird year all around.

I've had blossom end rot problems before, but usually earlier in the season. Tons of info in the tomato forum about that. It's not a fungus so I suppose you could keep them, but it's kind of creepy so I usually toss those fruits.

It is related to watering and calcium uptake so sounds like your situation could be related to that. Alas.

We have frost on the hot tub cover this morning. Bye bye summer -- see ya next year!

It's been a great summer for greens in our garden. Not much else. Good thing I love salads!

I've got the garden covered -- looking forward to seeing how far into fall (winter even?) it makes it.

Vince Lombardi's quote seems appropriate..."we never lost one football game, We Just ran out of time".

Must be football season. Hope its not the same as this years tomatoe season.

As the Broncos have been saying for the last nine years.. "its a rebuilding year"...

I learned a lot about gardening this year after the disaster of 2009. Now I feel like I have at least a fighting chance and how to compensate for more problems.

Firm beleiver in a cheap greenhouse and container plants for the Rockies.

"Man are we going to be a contender next year. Its going to be great, we invested lots of money in the future and learned a new system."

See ya at the fall swap meet

D