Why do the home grown tomatoes from Md and Va states taste so much better than the ones grown here in FL?

Question

When I go to Md and Va ( where I grew up) for summer vacations the first thing I look forward to is the home grown tomatoes. They are wonderful just like I remember. Why here in FL are they bland and have the taste of hot house tomatoes like the ones in most grocery stores. I tried growing all the kinds and used the best soil, both shade and sun areas and still no flavor. I can't understand why.

Answer 1

It has to do with the soil. Florida has sandy soil with very little organic matter which is what gives you flavor. I know my best friend moved to Florida and he says the strawberries actually taste like straw! LOL Try growing your own in a pot and use home made compost to add to the soil and I'll bet you'll see a major difference.

Answer 2

Home gardeners plant different varieties than many commercial growers. Tomatoes grown by a commercial grower are not grown for taste but because they can handle the mechanized harvesting, shipping and all that and still look decent when they get to their destination.



Home gardeners use different varieties that wouldn't do well in the commercial process but have far superior flavor. Home grown don't have to be mechanically picked, shipped and all that. They come from the garden to the table.



And the fact that home tomatoes are allowed to ripen or nearly ripen on the vine influences flavor a lot. The longer on the vine, the better the tomato.



And last, the commercial growers use a lot of chemical fertilizers to get a big crop; they want volume and really don't care about taste. Home gardeners are more apt to feed the soil properly and many of us are organic gardeners. When the soil is properly fed and maintained the way nature intends, she rewards us with healthier, better tasting foods.

Answer 3

because of the fact they are clean! those you purchase on the save are picked eco-friendly and put in a semi truck and that they placed a gas interior the trailer that turns the tomatoes pink till now they get to the save. they holiday many miles and sit down for days till now you get them