July 8th - Bountiful Harvest

After 3 1/2 long months, my vines have outgrown the 11 foot frame.

When I first started this blog at my daughter's suggestion I realized I was putting a lot of pressure on myself for this year's crop to produce. My wife, after reading several early blogs asked, "What are you going to do if you have a crop failure?" As a result of this question I have worked extremely hard as to not be embaressed by all the sage advice I have been giving others about growing tomatoes.

Thank goodness my crop is about the best one I have ever had.

July 8 Harvest

In honor of William Webster Playford's first birthday today, his mother and I harvested a fine basket of delta tomatoes.

Prudence Purple on the vine



Brandyboy







Most prolific Dona

Dona



Green Porterhouse at the six foot level

EXOTIC TOMATOES (Those not normally grown in the Delta)

All of the exotic tomato plants have now produced a ripe tomato except for Mariana's Peace and Hillbilly. Today I harvested these seven and I am very pleased with them. I really would like to have a taste comparison to see which ones are the most desirable. My wife and I will attempt to rate them for taste and I will report the results. Later on I plan to have a tasting party with some taste experts to get a more professional opinion. Anyway, here they are------

Bottom to top:

1.Brandy Boy largest so far weighing over 1lb.

2.Black Krim

3.Brandywine (Suddth's strain)
4.Indian Stripe

5.Pruden's Purple

6,Cherokee Purple
7.Kellog's Breakfast

That is a quarter to the right of Brandwine to give a size reference.



Brandy Boy



The beer can is a size reference most of my

friends can relate to and was used only as a

prop.



Cherokee purple and Kellogs Breakfast





Squirrel's be gone!!!!!!

I am having an awful problem with my pesky squirrels. They have been raiding my wonderful tomato crop. I have tried everything to deter them to no avail.

My first attempt was to attract them away from the tomatoes by offering them nice juicy ripe nectarine's which our tree in the front yard was abundantly producing. The squirrels seemed to like the nectarines just as much as they liked the tomatoes. They would take one bite and leave them alone then go to the first blushing beautiful tomato and take a bite out of it.

My wife, tired of hearing me complain about the squirrels, took it upon herself to research the problem and found a commercial product named CritterRidder and gave it to me as a father's day gift. It's main ingredient is pepper oil. I spread it around as directed. The squirrels continued their attack. They obviously like a little pepper on their tomatoes.

I am growing a small plot of Silver Queen corn in my old tomato bed. I thought that the squirrels would certainly prefer corn over tomatoes. So, I pulled several ears that were not going to fill out properly, shucked them and placed them in the tomato bed. It appears that the squirrels, like their host, enjoy silver queen corn with their tomatoes.

Our figs will be ripe in July and I will then try to entice the ground monkeys with them.

I think they have won the fight. All I have done is create a squirrel gourmet restaurant.

If anyone reading this has a solution, please post a comment on this blog. I will try anything to keep these squirrels from ruining perfectly good tomatoes!

TODAY'S HARVEST

HARVEST BEGINS!!!!!



 The new tomato bed is working out just fine. The plants have reached the 8 foot level of the frame on both sides and we have been eating fresh vine ripened fruit for about a week now.





The plants are now 8' tall






Dona is most prolific

 The plants have all set fruit with Dona, Goliath and Park's Whopper all producing the first ripe tomatoes.











Black Krim


 Some of the exotics have been eaten already; however it appears that my squirrels prefer these and it is a real race to beat them to the ripe dark brown delicacies. This Black Krim was absolutely delicious and the first dark tomato harvested.

Of course the cherries were the earliest and, as always, the heaviest producers. I have been taking these to the office daily for about ten days now.

First Ripe Tomatoes

These four cherry tomatoes were picked from the vine on May 22nd. My goal has always been to have a fresh ripe tomato before June 1st and this is the first year I have accomplished that goal. Even though they are cherries, I am proud of this accomplishment. Two SunGold and two Sweet 100's. My wife and I ceremoniously salted these babies and shared the moment of tasting the first fresh tomatoes of 2011. She, of course, favored the red one, and I liked the SunGold best. We are anxiously waiting to harvest the big fellows starting next week.

CROP LOOKS GOOD SO FAR!!!!!!!

All 20 plants are healthy and are really growing now. We have had a cool spell which has really been good for the exotics.They have now set tomatoes and have reached the fourth rung of the of the support frame. The Potato leaf varieties,(Brandywine, Brandy boy, Hillbilly, and Pruden's Purple) are late bloomers and all have set tomatoes before the high temperatures arrive. If I can now avoid diseases, we should have a real good crop this year.


 

Indian Stripe



Just look at the fruit set!

Park's Whopper





If all goes well we will have fresh home grown ripe tomatoes in a week to ten days.