Ok then... Gardenmama was the first to show colour... and lovely it was too. Now she's well on the way to a 'Tomato Summer". I can still remember how it was to see her first one while mine were still green (my toms were not the only things that were green, I can tell you). Well today was the day to introduce and consume the season's first debutante. I was pretty proud of myself making it all the way to the Rivera before scarfing that red baby. Actually it went like this: My bride said, "Why don't we go and have a look at how the tom is coming along" (day before yesterday there was only one that was red). So I said, "Sure...do you wnat to creep into the greenhouse, or shall I"? She deferred to me (mistake), so in I went. I got down on all-fours, crawled in and gently squeezed it a few times. It really did feel softish, I swear it did. I squeezed a couple close to it, and they were hard by comparison. I began to perspire in the heat of the greenhouse...or was it in the heat of the moment. I told her that it felt softish and she said, "When in doubt, pluck it out"...and that's exactly what I did. I cradled it lovingly in my palm as I scooted back out of the greenhouse. We stood therer admiring it for awhile, then began making our way to the Rivera. As I walked, I squeezed it a few more times, and you know what--it didn't feel soft at all. You can imagine my surprize. We took our seats in the cool shade along the canal and I presented it to her...and she did the honours. I reached for the salt..... Not too many seeds...and oh my, what a flavour! Here are a couple of fotos of the inside of the greenhouse (sorry for the blackened areas--apparently the lens covers didn't open properly). Confession: The tom could have waited about three more days.
WOW...now those are tomato plants...I know what you mean about the taste of a fresh tomato...we had our first one on top of a hamburger and it was oh so good.....the next ones will go for BLT's...a favorite here at our house...such a beautiful color on your tomato too...it is making me hungry...thanks for sharing..Sherry
Typical man....premature! hehehehe. Looks perfect to me Sjoerd, lovely and even red inside. Hopefully I will come home from our holiday to some....hopefully!
Gurrrrr EJ. I could just give your little ear a good twist! hahaha I'll bet that when you get back, you'll have all kinds of toms to eat and show. Thanks G'mama--The oines that I have shown are just the cordon types. The others have not really started to redden yet. How are your toms coming along, BTW?
To those ones who have toms already-I envey you. I still have green toms, that won't be ready for a little while yet. I doubt if I'll get any cherries toms this year, the plants are just not growing good. Way to go to all you, who have eaten their first toms.
The one plant I have been harvesting from has another that should be ripe in a few days. That is if the sun comes back out and it stops RAINING...the cherry tom plant has a few that should be ripe in a few days as well. I have found babies here and there on many of the other plants and they will start to turn soon I hope. I am even finding babies on the plants that I started from seed. that is encouraging. All that work and finally I can see it is paying off. The 9 plants I bought all are loaded and I just have to wait. I had to throw a few away because of the end rot but that is part of the game and there isn't anything I can do since they are outside and it has been raining a lot this summer and it hot as well. Thanks for asking!
That all sounds good to me (except for the blossom-end rot, of course). I can hardly wait until all those plants od yours begin to deliver the goods...it's gonna be something to see!
Gosh just look at all those tomatoes. I don't think I could have stopped at just picking one. All my tomato plants failed this year - just not warm enough even indoors for them BUT I now have a greenhouse that is up and running so next year I hope I get bumper crops like you do Sjoerd.
Well Eileen, I am really sorry to hear about the tom failure there. That is so disappointing. But I think that you will find that growing them in the greenhouse will give your already advanced prowess with plants, yet a new demention. Greenhouse growing is a science apart. It requires a completely different way of thinking. The results are pretty darned good though. Especially when you can give them protection and warmth during the cooler and wetter stages of a season. Did you post pics of the new greenhouse. I can't recall seeing it. Could you show it and give the dimentions?
