There is a world of difference in growing peppers and tomatoes. What makes growing tomatoes difficult is the correct temperatures for fruit setting and growth of which peppers are not nearly as restrictive. Or climate is not the best for growing tomatoes. We get too hot too soon for good tomato production.
Just a little advise on what to grow in our climate. Stick with determinate tomatoes except for cherry varieties. Bell type peppers normally do not produce as well as non-lobed peppers or two lobed peppers. Hot peppers, even mildly hot peppers produce better than sweet peppers. Sunshine is the secret. The more the better.Thanks for the advice.
I have time to consider what I will grow next summer.
So are determinate tomatoes less "needy"?
No, they are grown exactly the same but determinates produce all of their fruit in a fairly short period of time, where an indeterminate produces its fruit over an extended period of time. When nighttime low temperatures reach about 74F both determinates and indeterminates cannot reliably set fruit. Determinates have a concentrated fruit set, indeterminates do not. This does not apply to cherry varieties as they will set fruit until it gets really hot, 95F+. After a determinate harvest you pull the plants and plant something else like okra or a pepper. With an indeterminate like you had you try to just keep it alive during the heat of summer until it cools off enough to set fruit again usually late Sept-Oct. and hope it doesn't frost before the fruit is mature.
The best varieties I have grown here are Sun Gold, Large Red Cherry and Sweet 100's. For a good determinate type tomato Celebrity is hard to beat. You can usually get these as transplants at any nursery.
I do not know what killed my tomato plant. But it grew like a weed for around 3 months, getting to almost 5 feet tall.
