Start smelling???
Adrea, I'm glad you got to enjoy a few. We also got some orphan plants, they were tiny pear-shaped yellow grape tomato type thingies. We got to enjoy a handful and they were yummy. I had them in a pot on the deck. The pot is now sitting alongside the deck on the ground and the dead foliage is all shriveled, but I don't think it ever smelled?
I think I'll just leave the pot until next spring... it's all covered with snow out there... and cooooold...

:) Mary

Ditto on you getting the chance to eat at least a couple. May I suggest next year you try a grape or cherry type tomato in addition to one of the larger types. I grew 3 large plants in a huge outdoor planter. They were Bonnie Hybrids about 6" tall. You plant tomatoes deep, burying about 3/4's of the plant. It will get roots all along the buried stem.

Out front I planted one plant each of grape and cherry and for a while they were kicking but the pots ultimately were not big enough. Tomatoes need room.

When I used to plant tomatoes in the ground there was a variety of cherry tomato called Sweet Million and they were not lying about that. I'd go out every day fill a mixing bowl to the top and they self seeded too. I started those from seed in February in a small greenhouse windowsill with an eastern exposure and then put them out in late March using the Wall-0-Water teepees which work. It gave me fruit 1 month earlier for my area.

Really - start with good sturdy plants, but not too big. Skip the plants that already have flowers on them. They look nice but they are too big and resent transplanting. Find a plant that has a nice thick stem and dark green healthy leaves and bury it deep in good soil with all day sun. Water and fertilize regularly, remove almost all of the suckers that grow between the stems, and stake them at planting time.

You might want to try that spray hormone to prevent blossom drop. I was happy with it as almost all the blossoms set fruit.

Good luck next year!

It's still getting warm in the day here. 60-70 day but 30's at night. Tis ze desert...

I had some grapes and early girls but the rabbits got them. I'm thinking I'm going to be putting in a better fence this year. Something a bit sturdier than chicken wire.

Ocean wanted to try the hormones you mentioned but it was already October by the time we thought of it...

I'll be making sure there's once a week fertilizer next year.