I discovered a useful planting method for tomatoes last year by accident. I had decided quite late, early July, that I would plant tomatoes before it was altogether too late, and bought a few stocky, established seedlings that came from a big-box store. It's not really summer w/o home-grown tomatoes, right?

At about the same time, the gardens of friends and neighbors began to produce the 'tomato tsunami', with it's massive supply of fruits, and I gratefully accepted a few since mine were delayed. By early August my own plants began their own flood of fruits, and I was able to return my neighbors' favors, giving quite a few tomatoes to those whose plants had now slowed down or completely petered out.

So, this year I'll be planting my tomatoes at 1 week intervals, in order to spread the ripening over a 5 week period, avoiding the usual oversupply. I can grow short-season vegetables such as lettuce, beets, etc. in areas that will be late season tomatoes.

--Rick in CT