Tomato Update 2012, Lots of Pictures

Gold Medal Tomato

 A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins. –Laurie Colwin (1944–92)

The heat finally arrived on Sunday hitting 90.  The rest of this week has been 98 to 100 degrees each day. Today will be around the same.  I wanted heat for the tomatoes and we got it! Be careful what you wish for....

Cherokee Purple 1 pound 9 ounces

This plant has about 6 big tomatoes.

I've been picking tomatoes each day; the older plants are slowing down now and I've picked all of the Persimmon Orange, Black Krim, San Marzano, Purple Russian, and Big White Pink Stripe that were in beds 1,2 and 3. I went ahead and pulled out most of those plants.  I would have pulled them all but some of them are tangled in with Green Zebra, German Queen, Anna's Russian Pink, Mortgage Lifter and Cherokee Purple, and I am still harvesting from these plants.  San Marzano that is in bed 4 is doing pretty well, I picked about a dozen yesterday morning.

Green Zebra Tomatoes; I made green pasta sauce with these.

The tomato plants that are on the driveway bank are doing very well.  I picked one Cherokee Purple that weighed in at 1.9 pounds; this is the plant that I planted May 28th I picked it a little green since I don't want the birds pecking at it once it is ripe.  I also pulled out the two Southern Night plants that were planted along here.  They didn't have any large fruits left on them and I can use the space to plant some winter vegetables in September.  Gold Medal still has some large fruits that are just beginning to color. This plant will be finished by the end of next week, at which time I will pull it out and use the space for winter vegetables.  The two Ponderosa Tomatoes that I planted in May are setting some nice large fruit.  I am still harvesting from the Ponderosa Tomato that I planted in March on this bank.  This plant is still free from any diseases and doesn't seem to show any signs of stopping. I love this plant!  The Black Krim, San Marzano, Dr. Wyche's and Chocolate Stripe that were planted June 24th are about 3 feet tall now.  Lots of blossoms but I have not looked closely for fruit.

Black Krim that was planted in July

San Marzano that was planted August 1 from one of my extra seedlings.

 Here we have the Cherokee Purple that has the large tomatoes.  The plants are so heavy with fruit that the stakes were falling over.  I had to anchor them with additional stakes and twine.  Tony hammered the stakes in the ground 1 foot or more but they were still being pulled over.  So far this additional support is working. They are leaning together now so I may tie them all together with a few more stakes.  This is why I don't like to stake my tomatoes, they just get too heavy.

Flame or (Hillbilly) Tomato

The aloe's are around 5 feet and Flame' is just about as tall now.

 Flame/Hillbilly, that is planted in the backyard by the birdbath has reached the top of the red wire cage.  I need to add some more stakes for this guy, I think it will be huge. A few tomatoes are showing themselves but are small right now. I am looking forward to this one as it is new for me this year.

Tony's watermelon's are getting huge. The Charentais melon's are also doing well, I can't wait to cut into these; this is the first year I have grown them and I have heard the flavor is wonderful.

Orangeglow Watermelon Aug 15

Orangeglo Watermelon Aug 15

Charentais Melon Aug 15

Tony has calculated that we have picked close to 1000 tomatoes this year!!! Most of these plants are finished now, except for the ones along the driveway that were put in much later.  I should be able to harvest from these plants through October.  But for now I can use the break, I have processed the majority of these tomatoes, just keeping a few to eat until we can pick more.

No wonder my hands are raw!  

I will leave you with another shade of red, this one from Lady Baltimore Hibiscus that is growing by the chimney on the West side of the house.  She is a beauty!

Seed pod