Last summer I grew three varieties of tomatoes.  The cherry tomato “Sweet 100”, Yellow Pear, and Black Russian.  Sadly, I have no photos of the Black Russians because the plant sprouted just three tomatoes and then it died.  I  used the Topsy Turvy tomato planter and that was a big mistake.  I will get more into why at a later date.The other two varieties were an average success.  They were both tasty and vibrant in color.

Next summer I will make sure to prune the tomato plants so that they will bush more.  The branches on both plants grew so long than the plant outgrew the tomato cage by quite a lot.  At one point, I had to tie the branches to the fence to keep the whole container from falling over.

So, my main concerns next season (2011) will be to pinch back the leaves to encourage bushing. I also want to grow a successful pot of Black Russians.  These tomatoes are actually a deep purple color.  I think the mixture of Yellow Pear, Sweet 100 and Black Russian will look beautiful in a salad!  I am really looking forward to it and will be sure to update this summer.