• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Carol J. Michel

Award winner author of gardening humor books

  • About
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Shop
    • Gardening Humor
    • Children’s Books
    • New – The Halloween Hare
  • Social
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
  • The Gardenangelists Podcast
  • Gardening Humor
  • Children’s
  • All Books

May Dreams Gardens

I Have Grown The World’s Ugliest Tomato

August 5, 2008 By Carol Michel 26 Comments

Plants grow themselves, compost happens and then inspiration strikes in a garden.

I was full of the lazy gardener’s lament this evening, thinking about all the weeding, harvesting, pruning and deadheading I haven’t done like I should.

Some of it is my fault, some of it isn’t my fault.

After all, I can’t harvest tomatoes if they aren’t ripe, can I?

But I do blame myself for waiting at least six weeks after it was ‘done’ to harvest the second batch of compost from my compost tumbler.

I know I haven’t mulched enough this year, another lament, and so I was thrilled to finally harvest two tubtrugs full of compost this evening, which I promptly spread on some nearby marigolds and zinnias.

Those marigolds and zinnias are bravely growing where some ratty ol’ Forsythia used to be, in some poor, tired dirt, so they deserved the compost more than other flowers.
They are proof that plants grows themselves, with not much of a helping hand from the gardener, other than I cleared that bed and sowed the seeds.

Aren’t those nice straight rows? I really do need to concentrate on planting more randomly or at least in curves.

The weeds have no problems growing randomly all over the place, all by themselves. They are a little too ‘successful’ this year, and I’ve got some catching up to do to get ‘em before they set seed.

Thanks to reader Lisa Blair of A Shower Fresh Garden, I believe my mystery weed is False Daisy, Eclipta prostrata. Bad weed. I pulled more of it with a vengeance this evening, with a renewed sense of who the enemy is. It’s False Daisy! It’s an annual weed around here, so I don’t want to let it set seed!

And thank goodness it doesn’t appear to be edible like purslane, so I feel no guilt about pulling it out and throwing it on the compost pile. Not that I feel guilty about throwing out the purslane…

So with all the weeds and the overflowing compost bins, it was easy to fill the tumbler up again with a good mix of brown and green garden waste and then give it a couple of fast spins. I’m marking my calendar hoping to have another batch of compost in early September.

But before early September, I will surely harvest a nice ripe tomato, too. A nice one. Not one like this.I declare this to be the World’s Ugliest Tomato.

And it is the only one turning red in my garden so far. Can you believe that? I’ve been waiting all this extra time for the first big, ripe tomato, and it looks like it is going to be this ugly one.

So in keeping with my goal of winning any tomato contest I have, I’m issuing a challenge to all garden bloggers to show us your ugliest tomato. The only rules are it has to be ripe AND you have to eat it.

So don’t show me a bunch of tomatoes with blossom end rot or anything like that. Post a picture of your best, ugliest, edible tomato. Go ahead, but I know mine is the ugliest! And all decisions of the judges are final!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: vegetable garden

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    August 5, 2008 at 4:26 am

    Noooooo!!!! I’m dying to see it. Just dying! Make sure to Tweet when the photo’s actually up there…must…see…

    Reply
  2. ChrisND says

    August 5, 2008 at 4:41 am

    You beat everyone to that last sentence 🙂 Maybe it requires an age restriction because it’s too shocking?

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    August 5, 2008 at 4:46 am

    Wow. WOW!

    That is uglier than any tomato I’ve ever grown. And since I’m not able to grow my own this year, I can’t participate, but if you need any help with the judging, let me know.

    I might just let you win. 😉

    Reply
  4. Eve says

    August 5, 2008 at 5:00 am

    LOL.. I have had tomatoes much uglier than that. That one doesn’t have extensions. But the great thing is, they all taste good. So I don’t care what they look like. I don’t sell em…I eat em. : )

    I don’t have any ready right now. My tomatoes are in the freezer from my first harvest They were ready to eat in June and early July.. I have my fall tomaotes in now.

    Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    August 5, 2008 at 5:28 am

    No, I’ve never seen an uglier one. If I do, I’ll surely post it so I can win. This post is so witty and fun to read. I like that you gave your coneflowers a good dose of composted soil cause they were in ratty soil. Who of us hasn’t done that. We plant something and mentally remember to go back and be better to it when we have time or compost.

    Reply
  6. Aunt Debbi/kurts mom says

    August 5, 2008 at 6:30 am

    Wow, I would like to see parents of that beauty.

    Reply
  7. Kitt says

    August 5, 2008 at 7:36 am

    If it tastes good, just call it Ugly Duckling!

    I have a pretty scary-looking tomato (third one down here), but it’s not ripe yet. I’ll keep you apprised.

    Reply
  8. Kathy says

    August 5, 2008 at 10:38 am

    I picked my first three ripe tomatoes the other day, but they weren’t ugly. I guess you win this one too, at least in the family.
    Kathy, the older sister

    Reply
  9. Sherry at the Zoo says

    August 5, 2008 at 11:08 am

    Carol,

    That tomatoe looks like it was visited by mutant aliens who contaminated it….are you SURE it’s edible? We have had LOTS of tomatos, AND NO, we didn’t ripen all of them on the windowsill, just some of them….

    Kathy’s right. You win this one.

    The youngest sister

    Reply
  10. Chiot's Run says

    August 5, 2008 at 12:42 pm

    I really like the wrinkled tomatoes, I think they’re neat. My grocery store sells them for a lot more than regular tomatoes.

    I just picked my first ripe tomato on Sunday.

    Reply
  11. Robin Ripley says

    August 5, 2008 at 1:20 pm

    That’s pretty ugly, Carol. In fact, it’s WAY ugly. I might just have a contender though.

    Can an ugly tomato break a camera?

    Robin
    Gardening Examiner

    Reply
  12. Anonymous says

    August 5, 2008 at 1:25 pm

    It’s ugly, but…I think YouGrowGirl’s reply via Twitter provides stiff competition.

    Reply
  13. Anonymous says

    August 5, 2008 at 1:33 pm

    Truly ugly. You should be so proud. 🙂 ~~Dee

    Reply
  14. KayGee says

    August 5, 2008 at 3:19 pm

    I don’t know, Carol. My ‘Pink Caspian’ heirloom tomatoe plant is growing some pretty ugly tomatoes. They aren’t close to ripe yet (that’s what I get for moving at the end of May), but when it is, I’ll post about it and send you the link.

    Reply
  15. Cindy, MCOK says

    August 5, 2008 at 3:24 pm

    I have no tomatoes so by definition, yours is uglier than any of mine! I like Sherry’s description of it. Perhaps an alien bunny took revenge upon you for spooning his earthly compatriots?

    Reply
  16. Anonymous says

    August 5, 2008 at 3:47 pm

    I am an expert on ugly and that thing is, indeed, ugly.

    I may have an uglier one brewing, but I doubt it. It’s a purple cherokee and it’s beginning to take on the look of Ernest Borgnine.

    Reply
  17. Helen/patientgardener says

    August 5, 2008 at 7:49 pm

    I think its lovely and completely original- you wouldnt find anything like that in the supermarkets, thats the beuty of growing your own.

    Reply
  18. Mr. McGregor's Daughter says

    August 5, 2008 at 8:22 pm

    I can’t tell you what I think it looks like, as I don’t want to offend. It is, as some people might describe it, b— ugly.

    Reply
  19. Frances, says

    August 5, 2008 at 10:39 pm

    Quite ugly Carol. You win hands down. Around here the heirlooms looks like that. Black Krim and Cherokee Purple are never nice, pretty round beauties, but misshapen wads of deliciousness. Looks like you will be having your prodigal tomato soon, I would have picked it to ripen on the windowsill so the birds don't get it. ;->

    Reply
  20. Lisa at Greenbow says

    August 6, 2008 at 1:18 am

    I agree that your tomato is U G L Y
    but I bet it is delicious. Wish I could find some tomatoes in the compost that were ugly, only acorn squash there.

    I love round beds. So I am sure if you eased into curves in your beds you would fall in love with circles. 🙂

    Reply
  21. Joanne says

    August 6, 2008 at 2:22 am

    I have twelve tomato plants, and your ugly tomato puts mine to shame. Yours wins the ugly contest, hands down, slicing it, adding mayo and salt, and relishing every delicious bite! They’re the best of summer …

    Reply
  22. Gail says

    August 6, 2008 at 2:24 am

    Well they are selling ugly tomatoes for $4.99 a pound at Whole Foods! I’m thinking you can make some money on this one!

    Gail

    Reply
  23. lafever says

    August 6, 2008 at 9:04 pm

    That is ugly-can’t say I have grown an uglier one. You should have an ugliest tomato contest.

    Reply
  24. Entangled says

    August 6, 2008 at 10:29 pm

    Carol, I think yours wins, but I have some pretty ugly tomatoes. I feel much better after seeing yours 😉

    Reply
  25. Anonymous says

    August 7, 2008 at 1:57 am

    Sorry you are not having a good tomatoe year. Some years are like that. We ar getting quite a few but plants seem to be struggling. I made salsa today. Wish I could share some with you.
    Saw purslane on Oprah yesterday. Dr. Oz says it is a great source of omega oils. Oprah ate it and loved the flavor and ate it on a salad.Susie

    Reply
  26. Carol Michel says

    August 8, 2008 at 2:14 am

    I’ve posted an update on the World’s Ugliest Tomato. It only gets uglier, in my humble opinion!

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Categories

  • Blog (3,053)
  • Internal (2)

Blog Tags

annuals Blogging books bulbs dr. hortfreud embrace fairies fall family flowers fruits garden bloggers bloom day garden bloggers book club garden design gardeners gardening gardening geek gardens hoes holidays hortense hoelove houseplants humor indoor gardening insects lawn letters to gardening friends perennials rabbits reviews Secrets seeds shrubs spring tools trees vegetable garden vegetable gardening vegetables weather weeding weeds when a gardener wildflower wednesday winter

The Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Footer

Gardenangelists Podcast with Dee Nash

Gardenangelists Podcast

Connect

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • maydreams icon

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Books
  • May Dreams Gardens
  • Podcast

Updates from Carol Michel

* indicates required
Email Preferences

Newsletter Archive

Copyright © 2023 · CarolJMichel.com · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

Book purchase links are affiliate links and Carol earns a small commission if you make a purchase.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT