Sorry Linda but contrary to what many say, starting early for me has produced ripe toms a full month before most in my area.

Last yr. on June 10th. Year before, in late May. This yr. I'll be lucky to beat July 1st because I didn't do what it takes to nurture large early plants, namely potting up several times, moving them daily to maximise sun and protect from temps, planting out early in deeply dug, large holes with more protection from temps etc.

They weren't great tasting but better than store bought and I was giving extras away before many had their first.

Rip up her plants and then clam gophers did it (or some other destructive local creature), throw a ton of leaf cutters lover there :) i just don't deal with people like that and a i am a little mean.

In all honesty, you can't really accelerate growing too much outside of proper watering, fertilizer, and great deal of sunlight. I do however completely endorse "SuperThrive" the stinky liquid in the little brown bottle. It says it is concentrated plant hormones and 50+ vitamins, but whatever it is I have used it in side by side tests of my own and it does produce results. You can find a 4oz bottle at Wal-Mart for about $10 and that is more than you would need for 1 growing season ( unless you just have tons of plants).

But with proper soil, fertilizer, sunlight and a little luck as well as know how, you will stomp her :).

Linda,

The war is on. Heat and longer sun. Do you want to win or not. Grow lights and heaters set in the evening and maybe all night long. $$ are no object to proving your right. Oh yeah, hide the set-up during the day. Monitoring her movements during the set-up time might be helpful. you can do it.

It really helps to start with an early variety such as Stupice or Bloody Butcher.

I'll admit to being one of those who has tomatoes a full month before everyone else because I start sooner and put them out earlier.

That worked up until this year...VERY cool spring, very late.

Maybe prune so you get bigger, better tomatoes, as pruners claim. Then hint to her, "Hmmm, your tomatoes are so small, what happened?" ;-)

Linda,
Buy a can of tennis balls, shave them, paint them red, and tie them to your tomato plants.
You will never win an argument or contest with your neighbor--she is much more experienced in being a know-it-all expert on everything. Just say, "Yes, you are right as always, how silly of me, and I'll just have to live with my ignorance." Then when you are enjoying your tomatoes, raise a glass of wine and toast your ignorance!

You guys have it all wrong. What you need to do is by a few crappy tomato's from the grocery store and super glue them to your plant. Other than that your only shot is to plant a very early variety.

Hi Ya'll!
Well I went to town today and bought the wall-o-water thingies, I also fertilized them and brewed a big pot of stinky alfalfa tea. She doesn't fertilize, so I figure this gives me the edge. We are considering wiring store-bought tomatoes to the branches (you know, the kind that comes on a stem), but we should wait about two-three weeks at least for that one to be believable!
I do have one Early Girl planted, that was the earliest I could find.
The weather looks like it will be good for the next ten days at least, with no lows lower than 50. Of course the weather is the same for her too!
Sabotage - maybe, all's fair in tomato wars! Only if I can't beat her fair and square.

Best tip..plant early and protect the plants from frost and warm the soil prior to planting,,black plastic works well.

There is a bright side...if your neighbor put them plants in at being 2 foot tall, now having blossoms...that plant is focusing on producing fruit rather than an established root system, which is the most important thing a plant can do. Yours, though smaller, will have the time to set up a good root system thus making a stronger, healthier plant able to resist diseases and drought. When all is said..kick back and enjoy the fact that you gave your plants time to crawl, walk, then run...instead of your neighbor's making theirs do a marathon from birth. Though yours may not be the first, (they may) to produce maters, they will most certain be the healthiest...lasting longer than theirs into the growing season. I have a neighbor across the street and we usually compete, but in a sense that benefits both of us..Clyde and I have a deal that if my garden produces the first ripe mater, he will pick my garden for the weekend..and if his does, well, I get to pick his. Well I lost..by 1 week..no biggie..in the end we sit around with some lemon pepper and enjoy each others maters..comparing flavor..that's another argument all together..hehehe.
And the remarks about sabotage...booooo--hissss..any retaliation should be against the neighbor..not the plants.
Order a pizza and have it sent to their house..prank call from a pay phone, but leave the plants out of it.

Happy gardening

Yuck! I am like your neighbor when it comes to tomatoes though! I think I know it all!And I too start mine at least a month earlier ( Middle Feb)than most. Ok, SO WHAT? I am NOT snotty though and feel it just lets me SHARE my tomatoes with my awesome neighbors and family, sooner! Don't comepete with your neighbor! Gardening is to be joyful.Bragging is ok, but competition? No.

fyi..toss down some chicken poop and bonemeal. "-)

Here is a link that might be useful: In my backyard

Amen to you yummykaz. Aloha to all.

Linda when your toms are ripe trade tomatoes with your neighbor and compliment her on what she has accomplished. She just did things differently than you. She will have forgotten what you said. You can both learn from the trials and tribulations of tomatoe growing. This is in case next year your harvest is not up to snuff she will then give you some of her tomatoes. Otherwise start getting ready to skunk her for next Spring. This could be the start of a annual feud thing. Cool.

Since you appear to be taking better care of your plants, more than likely you will end up with more tomatoes than your neighbor, thats a plus I would take over early tomatoes any day. And through good care, your plants may end up producing longer as well. Good Luck

Lindawisconsin...I'm an IL grower in z5 and I've used the WOWs for years and they do work as advertised...below is a picture of the tomatoes in my bed about a week ago when I still had them around my plants...I transplanted them on April 22nd and it kept them safe from all the crappy cold weather...

And here's what they look like now that the WOWs are removed:

Good luck on you competition with know-it-all neighbor! My solution is that if her plants fruit and ripen first -- steal 'em and have yourself a great tomato salad!

Steps to take to catch up with your neighbor:

1. Take a hand rake and rake in some Rose or Flower type granular around the new transplants ... something like 10-15-15 or 9-12-12.

2. Buy a box of Rose Formula or Tomato Formula Miracle-Gro and water you new transplants in with that even if they've been in the ground a week or more.

Those two actions will provide more phosphorus for earlier and healthier blooming.

3. Lay down some black landscape fabric covering the root zone of your transplants to absorb solar rays and warm the soil ... accelerating root development and possibly forcing the plants to catch up with hers. Black plastic will work, but landscape fabric is porous.

4. Make sure your plants get the equivilent of 1 to 1.5 inches rainfall per week in one or two deep soakings.

5. Spray a foliar application of Messenger as soon as possible.

6. Prune all unnecessary lower foliage and "leaf prune" the outer 1/3 or the leaves (NOT THE GROWING TIPS) of the foliage you allow to remain.

Hi Linda,
Didn't know what Messenger was, but located it. Here a link for info:

http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/biopesticides/ingredients/factsheets/factsheet_006477.htm

May do some good protecting plants and yield or so it says. anyone have experience with Messenger?

Another competitive tool in the arsenal.

Hey! As I was tightening the supports to my plants I noticed fruit forming on all of them already (planted on 4/22 in WOWs)!

This is a photo of the fruit on the Purple Prince (I call these little tomato-babies my Purple Princelings)...

Oh my gosh this has to be the funniest thread ever...

Thanks for the chuckles,

Elliott

P.S. Red round christmas ornaments would look like tomatos if you painted them a flat red, then they could hang and not even hurt the plant.

Thanks guys for all the tips and funnies!
I did use most everything, and I'm happy to say three of the plants are blooming already, and they have made real significant growth, so I'd say I'm even with her on the tomato production front!
I have used the wall-o-water things, fertilized with granular, used alfalfa tea, and I'm foliar feeding with Miracle Gro for tomatoes. We've been getting great rainfall here, but I'm right on the job if there is a week without rainfall. I watered daily the first two weeks after transplant.
I haven't had to prune yet, but it will be time soon, I think!

My husband says we're ready to hot-glue the stem tomatoes from the grocery store, but I'm content to lean back with iced tea in hand, and repeat "Yep, they catch right up!". (Just a little louder than usual, so it can be heard next door!)
Actually, this has been a lot of fun. I usually just put in my transplants, and give them routine vegetable garden care. This has been a great experience in learning how to maximize tomato growth. It shouldn't be long until I have tomatoes - the nights have been pretty warm.

I used to use water from boiling eggs--dilute it until it's just a bit warm. I hoped for extra calcium to stop blossom end rot, and the warmth of the water of course warms the soil a bit.

Linda, you may have stopped giving your neighbor advice too soon.

Go buy two big bags of 20-0-0 or other high-N lawn fertilizer and give your neighbor one of the bags. Then take your bag and pretend to shake it all around your tomato plant. Then throw it away.

When your neighbor get a big beautiful tomato bush, she'll thank you! When she doesn't get any tomatoes, and she asks you what she did wrong, tell her she didn't use enough of that fertilizer and tell her to go sprinkle some more on it. Lots more. Everytime you see her searching her huge bush for tomatoes, shake your head sympathetically and repeat this advice.

OOOHHH Doof!
That is a good one! The great thing is I'd be helping her make her tomato plants the biggest in the neighborhood --- because she let me know that is the most important aspect of growing tomatoes!