Kind of off topic, but for “bringing a dead stick back to life” — bag it in an airtight bag and keep it out of the sun for 1-2 weeks. Then take the bag off, but keep it out of the sun for another week or two. Keep well watered (daily) but do not get soil soggy or waterlogged. If the plant still has green (cambium), it’s got a shot.
As for the tomatoes, there are really two key elements: variety and leaving them on the vine as long as you can. Some varieties will never taste good, and there’s nothing you can do about it. And tomatoes never taste that great when picked green and then ripened off the plant.
In his final years, my grandfather was in a nursing home which had a room designed for a gardener. He owned it. Folks would bring him very dead plants. Not only would those plants flourish but he was big into cuttings and would distribute the booty to others.
Everyone adored him.
They are delicious picked green and fried coated in flour.
OK OldGuard, I got a tomato problem - the blooms keep falling off before they even open up. What am I doing wrong? Too much water? Too little? Not enough fertilizer? They get plenty of sun, and there are a few tomatoes but not as many as there should be.