My tomatoes are still doing, but it won't be any world record for me, or my garden. I have had some nice ones. I was out shopping over a week ago, and found lovely HUGE tomatoes for $7 for a 25 lb box of them. They were perfect, and bigger than grapefruits. I bought myself a box. I shared some, and ate a lot of tomato sandwiches. Then I canned the rest. I had 12 qts of raw tomatoes cut up, and they cooked down to 8 qts in the jars. I havent gotten the picture into my computer yet. And those tomatoes were locally grown here in Missouri. Yummy. I would sure love to have that person's help with my garden!!! *** S-H, I have not forgotten you. Those blue butterfly peas are growing, but slowly. Hopefully they will bloom soon. So far, they are nowhere near 50 ft tall. They are only about 18 inches tall so far. That is okay, because I don't know where a 50 ft vine would go around here! It has been kind of dry most of the summer here, and a bit chilly some nights.
Well cold weather is something the butterfly pea doesn't tolerate well, (perhaps that's why it's growth is stunted). However, if it has access to full sunlight for at least 7 hours - Then it it sure to bloom, but after it attains a height of 4 feet or above. Over here in my part of the world, they are blooming. Actually they bloom from early February to late October (as that's how long our summer season lasts). In my area they are behaving as if they are perennials. But they in reality are an annual plant which automatically repopulates itself at the end of it's life cycle. It's seeds germinate easily, however they can be propagated by cuttings also. It also is self fertilizing, as it's a pea, and so all peas reintroduce nitrogen back into the soil - So it will never deplete your soil, rather the opposite may happen!
It has been in the 50s a few nights, but not colder. To me that is perfect weather. The tomatoes prefer hot and sultry night, perhaps the butterfly peas do also. They look nice though. We can get freezing weather in October sometimes, but if we do, it doesnt last long. They are getting lots of sun where they are, so they should do well. Sometimes we do not get freezing weather until December. I am glad they are helping my soil here.
