What a surprise! Never did I ever expect my little note on urgency to inspire an extensive guide about…tomato growth. Here’s my summary: do a million complicated things to the tomato plant, and then, abruptly, stop watering it. That’s the part I would be good at!
Technically I think you can mostly ignore your tomatoes until you stop watering them. I even have some I'm not watering NOW, and I'm completely ignoring them. They're still setting fruit. Am I lazy or efficient??
The metaphor translates well, Robin! Now you've also got me thinking about how trans folks in high concentrations really are like nightshades, from a fascist perspective. I kind of love this idea. 🍅🩵🩷🤍🍅
I got into gardening while living in the Pacific Northwest, where even the most novice of gardener will see wild success. Now I am in the foothill prairies of the Rockies where the guidance is "Do not put anything in the ground until the last possible frost, which means never before May 22nd."
Tomatoes are one of my favourite things. I make a wicked tomato/cucumber salad that folks request I bring to potlucks. I adore using heirloom tomatoes in it, especially orange and yellow ones, which are all but impossible to find in super markets and only for a very small window at the farmer's market. So I have made a point of always growing them. In the PNW, this was easy. I had loads of tomatoes and cukes. One year I grew over 100 cuckes (I lost count, they were so damn successful and I was giving them away to neighbours daily).
But now? Wow...what a STRUGGLE. And the main guidance I've heard is: Tomatoes HAVE to be in pots here so they stay warm enough consistently enough. This has born out as my attempts to grow them in the garden beds we have were mediocre at best. I got maybe two harvests from the three plants I managed to get to survive last year.
So this is interesting to me because to grow any food plant here is for them to constantly be in a state of survival - except for raspberries which just need watering and are currently taking over half my yard in the most pleasing way. The support they need and how and when is so different month-to-month. It's still a grand experiment, but I will bear your guidance for watering in mind come August, and see what happens.
Your lovely photograph of all the various tomatoes created the sensation and memory of the scent of what I remember as a child. We had two large gardens at our country home. I remember tomatoes on the window ledge ripening for later use. I'm impressed with your labour and knowledge. Just wonderful and Thank You!!!
What a surprise! Never did I ever expect my little note on urgency to inspire an extensive guide about…tomato growth. Here’s my summary: do a million complicated things to the tomato plant, and then, abruptly, stop watering it. That’s the part I would be good at!
Technically I think you can mostly ignore your tomatoes until you stop watering them. I even have some I'm not watering NOW, and I'm completely ignoring them. They're still setting fruit. Am I lazy or efficient??
You’re a wizard!
I had 3 massive tomato plants one year. Tons of fruit😋 And other than watering them twice/three times a week, I ignored them. Lol.
The metaphor translates well, Robin! Now you've also got me thinking about how trans folks in high concentrations really are like nightshades, from a fascist perspective. I kind of love this idea. 🍅🩵🩷🤍🍅
I got into gardening while living in the Pacific Northwest, where even the most novice of gardener will see wild success. Now I am in the foothill prairies of the Rockies where the guidance is "Do not put anything in the ground until the last possible frost, which means never before May 22nd."
Tomatoes are one of my favourite things. I make a wicked tomato/cucumber salad that folks request I bring to potlucks. I adore using heirloom tomatoes in it, especially orange and yellow ones, which are all but impossible to find in super markets and only for a very small window at the farmer's market. So I have made a point of always growing them. In the PNW, this was easy. I had loads of tomatoes and cukes. One year I grew over 100 cuckes (I lost count, they were so damn successful and I was giving them away to neighbours daily).
But now? Wow...what a STRUGGLE. And the main guidance I've heard is: Tomatoes HAVE to be in pots here so they stay warm enough consistently enough. This has born out as my attempts to grow them in the garden beds we have were mediocre at best. I got maybe two harvests from the three plants I managed to get to survive last year.
So this is interesting to me because to grow any food plant here is for them to constantly be in a state of survival - except for raspberries which just need watering and are currently taking over half my yard in the most pleasing way. The support they need and how and when is so different month-to-month. It's still a grand experiment, but I will bear your guidance for watering in mind come August, and see what happens.
Your lovely photograph of all the various tomatoes created the sensation and memory of the scent of what I remember as a child. We had two large gardens at our country home. I remember tomatoes on the window ledge ripening for later use. I'm impressed with your labour and knowledge. Just wonderful and Thank You!!!