Hello, from Utah

Hi, everyone, I'm visiting our younger daughter's family in the Salt Lake City area, and I'll be here for the next week and a half, babysitting. I've really been noticing the differences in the garden season here from back home - I saw irises and strawberries blooming in someone's yard yesterday - we saw the last of those in June at home.

I'm looking out the patio door over the valley, seeing my daughter's 4' x 4' SFG box. She was so excited to pick her first large tomato last week - too bad she had to leave for a work conference and had to refrigerate it until she gets back. (I hope the flavor isn't totally ruined.) She said her neighbors told her you can't grow tomatoes in this area of Utah, but she decided to chance it. They were snowed on one night after she planted them, but it melted quickly and they came through it fine. She was very happy to harvest a few fruits from her vines before cold weather comes.

Any other SFG'ers out there from the lower foothills around SLC? Do you grow tomatoes?

Hey Ander! So glad to hear from you, I've missed you. Enjoy your visit!

Thanks, Megan. I probably won't have much time to check in after today - grandson is having his tonsils out tomorrow.

I picked another tomato from daughter's SFG yesterday and I've now seen first-hand what others from the western regions have complained about - snails! Ugh. There was a beautiful, ripe tomato barely touching the ground and when I went to pick it, I saw the whole bottom and inside had been eaten out, and there was a snail all curled up inside, happily munching away. I crunched him on the sidewalk with my shoe. At least that's one critter we don't have to contend with in our Missouri garden. Daughter has several large tomatoes beginning to ripen as well as some jalapenos.

She purchased her box as a complete kit from Mel's store in Ogden, and it has worked well for her. I felt really silly this morning. I had been watering her garden all last week while she was away, carrying a bucket of water from the house. I mentioned to her that I needed to water it again today and she laughed as she told me they have automatic lawn sprinklers, and one is positioned to water her garden every other night. Ah, well, I needed the exercise anyway.

I just now saw your message.
I live in Bountiful - just north of Salt Lake City. I have not had trouble growing tomatoes here or anywhere I have lived including Alaska. Why did the neighbors say tomatoes cannot be grown there?

LOL me too, right after I posted in this thread

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/seed-exchange-and-growing-info-f29/agricultural-forecasts-t4251.htm#33196

I punched in the zips for Bountiful and SLC, and they both came back well over 3000 GDDs for the year so far. I would guess that your daughter must live in a very localized, geographical anomaly if tomatoes can't be grown. Or, the neighbors are pulling her leg for some reason?!

Seems like Utah summers would be pretty close to what tomatoes like best, warm days with cool nights. Seems like as long as she picks a variety that matures within the right time frame she should be golden. She might not have enough time to grow big beefsteaks, but any of the "early" varieties ought to do well. Maybe a tomato expert can enlighten us more.

I think the neighbors were just uninformed, or didn't pick the right variety, or giving her a hard time.

ander217 wrote:
I felt really silly this morning. I had been watering her garden all last week while she was away, carrying a bucket of water from the house. I mentioned to her that I needed to water it again today and she laughed as she told me they have automatic lawn sprinklers, and one is positioned to water her garden every other night. Ah, well, I needed the exercise anyway.

Wow a first! Someone to take care of a garden who actually does it!

boffer wrote:LOL me too, right after I posted in this thread

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/seed-exchange-and-growing-info-f29/agricultural-forecasts-t4251.htm#33196

I punched in the zips for Bountiful and SLC, and they both came back well over 3000 GDDs for the year so far. I would guess that your daughter must live in a very localized, geographical anomaly if tomatoes can't be grown. Or, the neighbors are pulling her leg for some reason?!

I don't really know. She told me her neighbors told her that cherry tomatoes grow well here, but no one seems to be able to raise large tomatoes. She lives in what she calls the "bench" area of Sandy. (I was calling it the lower foothills.) She thought her neighbors were serious when they told her that large tomatoes don't do well here. The variety she is having success with is German Johnson. I'm not familiar with them but I remember seeing them at Baker Creek. They taste like a good, old-fashioned, slightly tart tomato, and they are really meaty with few seeds.