I had been getting very twitchy about the fact that my tomato plants weren't in position yet last week. Particularly as I'm entered in a competition and all.
That was resolved today with a mammoth Sunday allotment session, broken only by the consumption of a picnic lunch, during which time I planted tomatoes, globe artichokes and physalis, sowed 12 types of squash (summer and winter), weeded, watered and hoed, and cut back the grass with my brushcutter.
It was a fantastically rewarding day: I could feel my muscles working in all the right places; I was outside enjoying the dry (if not quite sunny) weather; and I got to spend the day surrounded by plants and lots and lots of bees.
Just in case you're interested in what tomatoes I am growing this year, here's the list - all grown from seed, naturally:
Brandywine (the potato-leaved heritage variety, as pictured)
San Marzano
Auntie Madges (from the Heritage Seed Library)
Gardener's Delight
Yellow Scotland
One little trick I learned from experience is that when planting out tomatoes in their final growing position, you can bury them pretty deep, even if it means cutting off a few of the lower leaves. New roots will sprout out from the stem and help the plant develop a good root system (essential especially if you're growing them outside) and it also helps to stabilise them. It works for me anyway, although I am not sure if it's the orthodox way of going about things.
The list of squash is a little more scary. Here goes, of the ones I can recall (I'm only growing one or two of each):
Twonga
Jack Be Little
Zapallito de Tronco
Aubergine blanche (yes it is a squash - from the HSL I think)
Whanga Crown
Waltham Butternut
Rainbow
Rouge vif d'etampes
Plain green courgettes
It's wonderful to see everything growing like there's no tomorrow. Top highlights were the chives (pictured right) - surrounded by bumblebees flying in and out of the flowers like drunks leaving a pub at closing time - the peas and beans - now beginning to develop mini (i)pods - and the potatoes - seemingly unconcerned by the recent frosts, they're shooting up now (see left).
The weeds, unfortunately, are also shooting up. Fortunately my trusty assistant did a marvellous job on those. (And no, I don't mean the brushcutter.)
Jobs still on the list to do include planting various beans and more salads and beetroot. The sorrel I sowed a few weeks back hasn't done that well, and neither have the leeks. Is it too late to try again? Maybe, maybe not - last year I grew some summer cabbage about four months too late and it lasted me nearly all winter.
Hello! I'm curious how you will be staking your tomatos. Will you be using bamboo stakes? Just curious!
Posted by: Laurie | May 30, 2005 at 12:50 AM
Well Laurie, it'll probably be a combo of bamboo and string. And possibly some larger stakes for the brandywine. I usually nip out the top growth once there are five or six trusses on the go so they don't get hugely tall. What about you?
Posted by: Jane Perrone | May 30, 2005 at 05:10 PM
very nice tomato selection! i'm not growing any of those varieties, only roma, sweet-100, and rutgers. i'll check in next sunday, the first one of june, for my inane competition :)
Posted by: charles | May 30, 2005 at 09:05 PM
I clicked the link on the tomato competition and notice I also have been shanghaied into the race. I'm using simple five foot bamboo stakes and whatever is handy to tie them up, usually twine. I'm not growing Brandywine this year, despite how delicious they are. They are monstrously HUGE plants, especially for how few fruits they produce, and unless we have a very late frost, I have to induce them to ripen in time with all those mean tricks we tomatoers use. Although it looks like we're in for a long hot summer and this year would have been a perfect Brandywine year. Ah well.
Posted by: Gabrielle Adams | May 31, 2005 at 12:28 AM
hello fellow tomato competitor. love that chive picture. looks like you've been having warmer weather than we have here in the pacific northwest. your list of squash is inspiring. i've gotta get more. i have the tradional zuchinni and yellow crookneck for softies and butternut and acorn for hardshell. i'll get some brandywine tomatoes too.
work in the garden is so rewarding on so many levels.
Posted by: dread pirate roberts | June 05, 2005 at 05:50 PM