Monday, November 27, 2017

Tick Tock... The Race Against Time

I've been experimenting with the fall tomato crop the past several years.  The spring tomato crop is okay, but I have so much stinkbug damage to the fruit that it is discouraging.  The fall crop has SO much potential, but timing it is crucial.  In This Post from January 2017 I show what happens if you miss the timing of your fall crop of tomatoes!  I had to make green tomato sauce with the entire crop.  Let's take a look at this year's fall tomato crop, shall we?

The tomatoes look really nice.  Their foliage is thick and healthy and they are supported by the Florida Weave trellising technique.  It is doing a good job of holding them upright even with all of the weight of the leaves, vines and fruit.


The fruit is picture perfect.  No blemishes or scarring from insect pressure.  I've been looking closely for tomato hornworms, but so far, all is clear.


They continue to bloom and bloom.


Hidden underneath the foliage are some nice, big fruit.  Still green, but I think we'll be able to pick red ripe tomatoes.  Now as far as the fruit from those just blooming, probably not!


All of the tomatoes I planted was heirloom varieties, with one exception.  The tomatoes in the photo below are not heirloom tomatoes.  A lady from our church brought me a napkin with dried up tomato seeds that she had just saved and gave them to me.  The seeds were from tomatoes that she had bought in the produce department at Wal Mart!  I'm not sure what the variety is, but you've probably seen them if you've been in their produce department.  These tomatoes are sold in a plastic container and are still attached to the vine.  I never thought they would germinate and grow, but they did!  They don't look too bad, do they?


Wal Mart tomatoes growing in the garden, thanks to Mrs. Linda.  You can also see the hay bale twine that is supporting the tomato vines.


The vines are absolutely loaded up with fruit!


While most are still very green, there are a few that are on the pinkish-red side of shading that we'll be picking soon.  Fresh, red-ripe homegrown tomatoes in December!


It is risky business, but it sure is nice when the timing works out so that you can enjoy tomatoes in the fall before the freeze knocks out the vines.

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