Gardening Shorts - Tomatoes

A Short Tongue In Cheek Story About Tomatoes.

Remember when we had that wee seedling in our hands and were getting ready to plant it? How we took off the bottom leaves, made a deep hole (or maybe you planted it sideways), and popped that seedling into the soil right up to it's neck.

Cuz we wanted that lovely tomato seedling to grow up big and strong. We wanted it to make roots all along the buried stem, roots that went nice and deep to take up lots of water and nutrients from the soil. Saves on watering for us! Yay! Tomato is happier and thriving - Double yay!

Summertime - That tomato plant sure is getting big. We know those roots are going deeper and deeper so we are watering really nice and deep with a weeping hose. Running it for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Yay! Our tomato is getting water right down to it's tippie toes! It is so happy!

We water deeply so we only have to water every 3rd day. Some of us are only watering every 5 days. Wow! Cuz we know those roots go deep and there is water in that soil if you dig down a bit. That soil on the top is dry but we know that the soil is nice and wet deep down. The roots are drinking it up and taking up the nutrients from our lovely nutrient rich soil.

Oh, you were really wise and mulched with grass or something, also, so the roots are staying damp even longer, thus extending the days in between each watering? You are so wise and the planet thanks you. Hugs and kisses from planet earth!

Darn. The leaves are limp during the heat of the day? Well, we get it. It happens. We droop in the heat, too, but perk up again in the cool of the evening. The daytime heat of the sun is so great though, we are loving it! It is filling our tomatoes full of flavour.

Indeterminate tomatoes growing in 5 gallon tall pots, in the greenhouse. Remove the bottom leaves as they yellow.

Bottom leaves getting yellow? Whew, they sure did hang around for a long time. Those things are old! We just take them off and toss them in the compost bin.

We hear about others finding tomatoes with BER, bland tasting like grocery store tomatoes, or kinda grainy and mealy, but not us. Our tomatoes are amazing and taste like summer. We are so happy!

Paste tomatoes come in all shapes and colours.

Mid August and holy doodle, we can hardly keep up with the tomatoes, they are coming on so fast. Yay! All our dreams for that wee seedling came to fruition! Can't wait to do it all over again next year.

Costoluto Fiorentino tomatoes... the pretties tomatoes you have ever seen.

Happy tomato growing, my friends ~ Tanja