Garden Update 2014 April 29th and May 1 Photos

 Photos of my garden plot on April 29th.  Everything is looking well and growing quickly now with the warmer weather.  I did cut most of the lettuces on this day and only have two left.  I hope it doesn't bolt in this heat.  We are supposed to reach 98 degrees today and we have Santa Ana winds too.  I watered last night so we are good as far as moisture.  Let's just hope we don't have sunburn on anything.

3 of the 6 Heirloom Purple Bell Peppers, Carnival Carrots in the box and snow peas on the trellis.  I also seeded some Mache and Sorrel around the back of the box. 

In the back is my lettuce row  I seeded April 17th. Cocozelle Zucchini on the right is finally growing and looking healthy.

San Marzano in corner and Soyu Cucumbers to the right. 

Henderson's Ponderosa

not sure which Eggplant this is

Lolla Rosa Lettuce with Peas now able to climb the cane poles since I cut the lettuce head that was covering them.

Ronde de Nice Zucchini, Blue Lake Beans in the cage, Easter Egg, English Breakfast, and Round Black Spanish Radishes in the background

Newly planted Heirloom Purple Bell Peppers 6 plants total and Italian Basil

Onions, Patty Pan Squash, Swiss Chard and Blue Lake Pole Beans

Cherokee Purple in corner and Chocolate Stripe to the right

Bull's Blood Beets, Gourmet Blend Beets, Crookneck Squash

German Queen in wood cage, Poha in red cage

Southern Night and San Marzano to the right

Below are photos of the tomatoes growing along the driveway.

L to R: Green Zebra, Ponderosa, Green Zebra, San Marzano, Big White Pink Stripe, another Big White Pink Stripe, Dr. Wyche, Cherokee Purple, and Black Krim.

Green Zebra

Ponderosa

Green Zebra

San Marzano

Big White Pink Stripe

Big White Pink Stripe

Dr. Wyche

Cherokee Purple

Black Krim

Lacinato Kale.  I pulled this today since the seed heads were forming.  We will have a huge kale salad for dinner tonight.

Below are the tomatoes growing in the citrus grove

Left to Right: Goliath, Gold Medal, Hillbilly/Flame, Chocolate Stripe, Southern Night

Left to Right: Green Grape Cherry, Sun Drop Cherry, Bi-Color Cherry, and Brown Cherry.  Also in this bed is some late seeded Beets, Carnival Carrots and a Parisian Round Carrot.

Eversweet and ever-bearing strawberry.

We are keeping the BEES BUSY!!!!

Tomatoes we are growing this year 2014

Big White Pink Stripe Tomato

95 days to maturity  

Indeterminate: regular leafed, pale-peach colored 4” slicer with pinkish blush on blossom end and peach-cream colored flesh inside. Meaty fruits with tropical flavor similar to melon but slight sweet-tart tang. Low yield, but worth growing for its unique color and flavor. Though this tomato is neither pink nor striped, it is by far the most interesting and delectable tomato I’ve tried. It’s sweet with dense flesh, good smooth texture and rich fruity flavor.  Fruits are big but squat and irregular shaped.

Black Krim

75 days to maturity

Indeterminate:  originally from the Isle of Krim on the Black Sea in the former Soviet union. This rare, and outstanding tomato yields 3-4” slightly flattened dark red mahogany colored beefsteak tomatoes with deep green shoulders.

Cherokee Purple

90 days to maturity

Indeterminate: regular leafed type. Grown over 100 years ago by the Cherokee Indians, this heirloom variety is from Tennessee.  Plant produces high yields of 6 to 12 oz. purple-dark pink tomatoes.  Tomatoes have a sweet rich flavor and turn dark pink with purplish tint and green shoulders.  A favorite among heirloom growers.

Chocolate Stripe Tomato

70-80 days to maturity

Indeterminate: regular leafed, one of the most stunningly beautiful tomatoes.  Very rich and earthy flavors, large fruits upwards of 4-6” across weighing as much as a pound.  Smoky red fruits with dark green stripes and rich flavor, it’s a favorite for sandwiches and salads.  Very productive and has a good yield. 

Dr. Wyche’s

80 days to maturity.

Indeterminate:  regular leafed type. This heirloom was introduced to Seed Savers Exchange by the late Dr. John Wyche, who at one time owned the Cole Brothers Circus and used the manure of elephants to fertilize his heritage gardens. The 1 lb fruit is solid and smooth; their color is a glowing tangerine-orange that always stands out on the vine. One of the best heirloom orange types, with its smooth texture and tropical, sweet taste. Heavy yields.

Flame or Hillbilly

70 days to maturity

Indeterminate:  prolific French heirloom that bears in clusters of 6, 1½” round golf ball sized tomatoes that are persimmon-orange colored inside and out. A delicious full-bodied flavor that literally bursts in your mouth, very pretty tomato. Note: this may be Hillbilly in which case it will take 80 - 85 days and is a huge, bi-color heirloom with brilliant yellow color and red marbling. Very large with a rich, sweet flavor. Beautiful when sliced. An heirloom believed to be from West Virginia.

German Queen

75-80 days to maturity

Indeterminate: potato leafed type, very rare, old heirloom German pink (see note) beefsteak tomato that has large, sweet fruits.  Lower in acid and quite meaty, making them perfect for slicing.  Vines will grow tall and bear fruits all summer long.  14-18 oz fruits.  (Note: there are two German Queen Tomatoes I found on the internet and this may be the yellow stripe one)

Gold Medal

80-90 days to maturity

Indeterminate: regular leafed type. Introduced as Ruby gold by John Lewis Childs in 1921.  Ben Quisenberry renamed it Gold Medal in 1976.  Sweet, dark, golden yellow tomato, some reaching over 2 pounds; gourmets delight, meaty gold color flesh with beautiful red steaks running though out.  Very impressive sliced tomato.  Heavy yields.

Goliath

65-85 days to maturity

Indeterminate: Hybrid regular leafed type, beautiful, smooth bright-red, deep oblate beefsteak fruits averaging 10 to 15 oz., to a sweet luscious flavor that lives up to its virtually blemish-free exterior  Goliath hybrid tomatoes have classic shape and flavor with firm, light red fruit that have few seeds. Plan on harvesting 70 or more fruit from each Goliath plant. The indeterminate vines are vigorous, so you will want to stake them or use a tall cage. Tall vigorous plants produce yield after yield, and modern disease resistance.

Resistant to many diseases:  verticillium wilt (V), fusarium races 1 & 2 (FF), nematodes (N), and tobacco mosaic virus (T). (VFFNTASt) this is the only hybrid I am growing, I was so impressed with this one last year that I am growing it again this year.

Green Zebra

80-90 days to maturity

Indeterminate:  regular leafed type, this one was developed in 1985 by tomato breeder Tom Wagner, and this is an unusual green tomato.  2 inch round fruit ripens to a yellow-green gold color with dark green zebra like stripes. The flesh is lime-emerald in color and has a lemon-lime flavor. Even though this tomato is not old it is now categorized as an heirloom tomato by many.

Ponderosa

86 days to maturity

Indeterminate: regular leafed type.  A meaty pink-red beefsteak introduced by Peter Henderson & Co. in 1891.  Heavy yield, some reaching over 2 pounds, needs adequate support of a tall growing tomato up to 12 feet. Great for canning and freezing.

San Marzano

75-80 days to maturity

Indeterminate: regular leafed type. A large plum tomato with 5-6 oz fruit formed in clusters of 6-8 fruits, very heavy yields on tall 6-plus foot vines.  San Marzano tomatoes have been grown in the Campania region of Italy for centuries.  Provide tall, adequate support for this heavy producer.

Southern Night

84 days to maturity

Indeterminate:  potato leafed type.  A rare, old traditional Russian heirloom with black-shouldered, slightly-flattened, blackish-red fruits. Reputed to be darkest of all when grown in very warm conditions.  Plant produces lots of 12-16 oz., purple-brown beefsteak fruits with some green shoulders. Good disease resistance.

Rainbow Cherry Tomato Blend

65 days from transplanting. Indeterminate, bushy, tall, climbing cherry tomatoes.

Sundrop = orange, round

Brown Cherry = brown, round

Green Grape = green, oval grape shape

Bi-color Cherry = pink/white striped, round