Springing into spring.

[Collector]

Sheesh jack those things have grown . I am interested in the paste tomato you are trying out. I have planted 20 Roma in the garden, to see how they will do.

 

[jackb]

Sheesh jack those things have grown . I am interested in the paste tomato you are trying out. I have planted 20 Roma in the garden, to see how they will do.

The jury is still out on the Alpine San Marzano called Redorta. It is the weirdest growing tomato I have ever had. Some people call the plants vines and this certainly applies to this variety. It has already grown above the top of the support and seems to grow about a foot every two days. It is not leggy as the plant in the garden outdoors is the same way. And, it looks droopy like it is in desperate need of water, but it is not. At first, I was wondering if it was ever going to set fruit, but it is now, and it is making up for lost time as it grows. The tomatoes look like paste tomatoes so it may be worth saving seeds if they taste good.

It looks like something straight out of Jack and the bean stalk.

 

[catjac1975]

Did your chipmunk come back?

 

[jackb]

Did your chipmunk come back?

Yeah, he is here, all day, every day, from sunrise to sunset. Thanks for reminding me, I just gave him his lunch. Just open the back door and say: Simon good stuff! He is here like a brown streak of lightning.

 

[jackb]

Six chipmunks showed up on Thursday and attacked poor Simon. They were so brazen they would come right back after I tried to chase them away. I chased one and as I walked back it would follow right behind me. Simon kept a low profile while I trapped and deported them to the Tomhannock reservoir fifteen miles away. Had I seen what they did to Simon I would have sent them to the happy hunting ground instead. This photo was taken the first day when he only had bites on his rump. Now he has these two bites and one on top of his head, two on this side on his neck and one on his neck on the left side. It has taken since Friday for him to get back to his normal self.

 

[jackb]

For the first time I am growing peppers on wire baskets in the greenhouse and it is working out well. The plants are now almost four feet high and there is still a lot of growing season left.

 

[Nyboy]

Do what ever you have to, to protect Simon.

 

[jackb]

The tomatoes in the greenhouse have grown higher than their supports. It is too early in the season to top them off so I am tying cord to the peak of the greenhouse to support them while they grow on.

 

[jackb]

Every year I try to pick my first tomato of the season in June. This year I got a late start so I did not expect to meet my goal. Thankfully, one of the plants came through to save me record.

 

[digitS']

Congratulations, Jack!

No tomato plant in my greenhouse this year. When one was there before, it suffered some from neglect but also got rather outta hand! It was in the far end where it had a huge amount of heat but that didn't seem to stop its growth. If it had been near the door there would have been no access!

I drive by a backyard with a greenhouse, often. Corner lot, the people put up a privacy fence. However, the greenhouse has a high up window for ventilation. I used to be able to see in the open door. Yep, full of tomato plants! I can still see in the window since its higher than the fence. Yep, tomato plants - kinda shooting up but they must have cut them back every year since the vines might otherwise have dropped down in their neighbor's yard.

Outdoors, I used to be pleased to have a ripe tomato in July. I don't think that I have lowered my standards but I gravitated to smaller, quicker varieties. Beefsteaks, I can wait for.

Steve