In the past I have grown lots of tomatoes. Lots of tomato PLANTS that is. Which doesn't always equal lots of tomatoes.
I remember some years that I had hundreds and hundreds of tomato plants out in the field, loaded with tomatoes. As the season progressed the work would get away from me and the bugs would start feasting and the number of sale-able tomatoes I ended up harvesting was a fraction of what it could have been.
Compare that with last year. In addition to some field tomatoes I grew several short rows of tomatoes inside our high tunnel and took SUPER good care of them. I pruned them and trellised them and picked off the horn worms. And I got way more tomatoes than I every did off of all the ones I used to plant and was unable to care for. I am realizing as a farmer that it is how WELL I work, not how much I do, that impacts production the most at the end of the day.
So this year I purchased high yielding grafted heirloom plants and am only growing IN the hoophouse. You should see the number of tomatoes on there right now! I just gave them their second pruning today.
So after 11 years of farming I am finally learning a few lessons. God is so patient with me!
