It’s 11:30pm and I just found the Tomato Tuesday blog! (this blog doesn’t exist anymore in 2024, but it was written by Marc from https://www.gardendesk.com/) I’m happy to participate by talking a little tomato and listing the varieties I’m growing this year.
Thanks to the Wintersown.org (also taken down) self-addressed-stamped-envelope heirloom tomato seeds I received this winter, I’ve got a nice variety of plants going already. Plants. Not seedlings. I started my tomatoes early this year and I am already finding myself pinching off little suckers in the greenhouse.
I’ve potted them up once so far, but they need to be potted up again because I can NOT put them in the ground for at least another 3 weeks. Last year I was covering all my tomatoes and peppers up with row covers and plastic milk jugs every few nights because I jumped the gun and planted them too early. *sigh* I just get way to excited about home grown tomatoes.
The varieties I planted this year are: Ramapo, Giant Belgium, Black Krim, Sausage, Mexican Italian Tree Duo, Sunray, Black Cherry, Rutgers, Beefsteak, Hillbilly and The Miracle BPF. I’ll have at least one or two of each plant.
This tomato trellis I built will be a support system
This trellis is similar to what he put together in the video below. I built it as 3 panels, 2 short sides and the long top. They fit together pretty snugly, but for extra support, I tied the outside top corners together with twine.
The 4 legs are sunk about 14” down into the bed. I’ll tie strings down to each plant along the top 3 rungs of the trellis. I like the idea of using the strings instead of staking each individual plant because no matter how diligently I keep after them, the tomato bed is usually such a mess mid-season.
Here are some more pictures of what’s happening out there in the garden today:
