My tomatoes are GIGANTIC!

[thistlebloom]

.....if you live in Lilliput .

There I was, just joy riding around, checkin' the crops...

This is a tomato I picked up after the calamitous June 6 freeze. It's called Red Robin. Huge huh?

But not everything died as I had supposed. I was so discouraged that I didn't peek under the straw that I had covered things with after the freeze. I know, too little, too late.

I weeded on the 4th and this is what I discovered when I pulled back the straw.

Who knows if they will produce much, but it's encouraging that they actually survived.
I thought I had lost all but 5 of the 100 peppers I set out, but I discovered more of them also while weeding. I have about 25, plus the 7 or so from the nursery.

So, it's all good!

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Did you guys actually have a June 6th freeze?

 

[thistlebloom]

Oh, yeah. Our average last frost date is May 15, and I didn't get these out till about the end of May since the weather was so wacky. We had a freeze here and the local mountains got snow. I think digitS dodged the bullet that time.
I am fortunate to live in the "snowbelt". I believe Steve is in the banana belt .

 

[digitS']

Of course, I had to look at this Thistle' topic carefully:

I'm not much of a competitor. Still, fair's fair! And yes, I think only the snow belt had that June frost. My move out of the snow belt 35 years ago should be rewarded in some way. Ripe tomatoes should be the reward . . . please, don't throw them.

The variety that contaminated my 2011 Early Girl seed may be the 1st this year, beating even the cherries.

I've been reading more about Stupice - the only variety that could have contaminated that seed during company packaging - if that is where it happened. Glowing reports have me worried that Stupice, which I felt didn't make the cut for me a half-dozen years ago, might be what I got in that packet. The deformed fruits that were common with that variety then, isn't mentioned by these other gardeners. I suppose that the only way I can be comfortably sure that what I've got is not-a-Stupice is to grow them side-by-side in 2013.

Nothing in the tomato patch is gigantic, by any stretch of the imagination. I'm just pleased that there are some green fruits on those plants. Speaking of gigantic, there is 1 fruit on the Woodle . . . I circled it with the tractor this afternoon and came home at 11 when the thermometer climbed above 80F. Right now, it is 95.7 according to the nearest Weather Underground volunteer.

There's not a snowflake in sight!

Steve

 

[lesa]

Thistle, you got me nervous! I was celebrating the first few green tomatoes! How funny, that the plant is tiny, but it has tomatoes on it! I love your woman on a tractor, where did you find her??

 

[thistlebloom]

Of course, I had to look at this Thistle' topic carefully:

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h22/Digit_007/Just 4 Fun/cantlook.gif

I'm not much of a competitor. Still, fair's fair! And yes, I think only the snow belt had that June frost. My move out of the snow belt 35 years ago should be rewarded in some way. Ripe tomatoes should be the reward . . . please, don't throw them.

I'm not sure I know what you mean by that first sentence....

And really Steve, supposing I even get a ripe tomato, I certainly wouldn't throw it at you!

I have potatoes for that.

edited so you'd know it was all for fun

 

[ninnymary]

Well Thistle, at first I was shocked and happy for you when I read the title. Then when I saw your picture, I wanted to brag how mine are almost 7ft tall but decided that wasn't nice. Then I thought that was you on the tractor! Like, lesa, I love that tractor. It shows alot of woman power. You know, if you had weeded earlier, you might have discovered that tomatoe sooner.

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

Thanks Lesa and Mary, the tractor lady was a gift and normally rides around on the kitchen windowsill, but somedays I let her get a little mud on the tires .

That itty tomato plant came with blooms and I was so greedy I didn't remove them. I'll probably have to stake it with toothpicks.

Thanks for the good gardening advice Mary, I'm making a note to myself right now to weed more conscientiously!

 

[Smiles Jr.]

I'll probably have to stake it with toothpicks.

I blew snot out of my nose.

 

[digitS']

I'm not sure if I can compete with anything gigantic.

Take Mary's tomato plants. A couple years ago, a neighbor told DW that he was putting in tomato plants that were supposed to be 5' when mature. He said, "Of course, I've never seen a 5' tomato plant." I restrained myself and didn't go over to brag about my 5' plants but then, I knew full well that 90% of the country has tomato plants that are bigger than that!

Potatoes? I know I can't compete on yield with Jim's crop in North Carolina!

Steve