Tangled Branches: Cultivated
happenings in and around my zone 6b gardens in northern Virginia and in central Virginia
Thursday, August 03, 2006
These Tomatoes and Those Tomatoes
Want to see some really nice tomatoes? Click here. Want to see mine? Click here.
This time it's birds AND hornworms.
But I'm so very grateful that I live in a time and place where this is a disappointment, not a disaster, and I CAN go to the farmer's market and buy tomatoes just as good (or better) than what I can grow.
The local farmer's markets are just overflowing with wonderful fruits and vegetables now, including some things I've never seen before. Why didn't I know about donut peaches until yesterday? I was skeptical, but bought them anyway. And you know what? They're great! I haven't liked the white peaches I've tried in the past, but these are very sweet and fragrant. I plan to cut them up and serve them with ice cream and honey, but that's only if I don't eat them all first.
6 Comments:
Tomatoes, oh, how they can break your heart! At least perhaps you are getting closer. I haven't harvested one tomato yet, they are just green and tauting me when I walk past them!
I enjoyed your posting about tomatoes. We are indeed fortunate to have farmer's markets for a back up plan! I've harvested a few tomatoes already, but have also thrown some bad ones into the compost bin.
Your blog is terrific! I've enjoyed reading and looking at your pics!
I'm so sorry about your tomatoes...bummer. One year before frost I picked all the tomatoes (many green, some with just a touch of color) and they all ripened! The next year, in an effort to avoid the bird holes (someone told me they're looking for water?), I picked them all as they just began to ripen (remembering the year before) and it worked great! No ripening on the vine, but hey, had very good tasting tomatoes!
Anyway, take heart, it happens to us all.
Boy, the birds have been killing me on the tomatoes this year too. I think it is must be the long periods without any rain, because I don't ever remember them doing this before. I've also got chipmunks eating tomatoes during the day and what must be larger mammals eating them at night--not to mention the deer eating the plants. Still, somehow despite it all, we are getting a fair number of tomatoes now, including a couple of my favorites--Belgium giants (very sweet!) and enough Italian tomatoes to make the season's first sauce
I'm a hornworm fan. I think the caterpillars themselves look cool, but I also like to see the adult sphinx moths buzzing the flowers in the evening.
Thanks for the sympathy and encouragement, guys. Don't tell any of the critters, but there's about 3 tomatoes starting to get ripe. I debated myself about picking them slightly underripe, but just couldn't do it. The hornworms have been dispatched - I didn't kill them, just resettled them somewhere far from the tomatoes. I understand they'll eat some Solanaceous weeds if there are any around, so I didn't feel too guilty. I wondered about the birds looking for moisture, too, but they have their choice of 2 birdbaths here, and I've had the sprinker going almost every day. So I don't know what their excuse is ;-)
hi, this is salman. i am from pakistan.
is it possiable, any of you to donate some tomato seeds.
if you can, please send me some, by the envelop, through an ordanery mail.
my address is:
salman ullah khan
71-f, model town, lahore, pakistan.
thanking you in anticipation.
salman
supersalman@gmail.com
Post a Comment
<< Tangled Branches: Cultivated, main page