Plant Tomatoes In August

This week I planted six Celebrity tomato plants in one raised bed.  Before planting, I spread about a cup of vegetable fertilizer, dug it in and then watered very well.  I have drip set for Mon. Wed, and Sat. for 45 minutes.  Given our 100 degree weather this week, I've used water from my rain barrel for the days when the drip is not scheduled.  The plants have already doubled in size.  Also, I watered in the tomatoes with a water soluble fertilizer the first day.  I don't plan to fertilize again until I have thumbnail size fruit on the plants.  Don't want to encourage foliage yet.  On the second day after planting I noticed several chewed off leaves....a tomato horn worm had already attacked!  I picked off the worm and threw it into the yard for the birds to eat.

The eggplant and bell peppers are still holding on.  When we got back from our month long trip to the NW, there were about a dozen eggplants ready to pick.  They were a little dried out but still good.  I have the drip going just to keep them alive during the heat of the summer.  When it gets cooler in the fall, I expect them to explode with fruit.