They
are the staple of the garden. They are the most plentiful of garden and
homestead crops. The only problem is determining which variety to grow and how
much you want. Growing a good tomato requires diligence and hard work, but the
rewards can be immense. Three or four plants can yield more tomatoes than you
can eat all year and many people love to share. I’ll talk more about some ideas
for growing tomatoes in a later blog.
My
experience with tomatoes is up and down. I’ve only grown two varieties,
Beefeaters and Roma. I am a huge fan of Roma tomatoes. I love the flavor raw or
cooked. I love the size. And they couldn’t be easier to grow as the plant doesn’t
spread as much as others.
The
Beefeater is another story. The plant grows very large and continues to spread
all summer and into fall here in Kern County. You have to continually clip the
new growth or your tomatoes will be small and sad. They also have a nasty habit
of splitting when temperatures get high.
This
year I am going another way. I bought a few different varieties from Burpee’s
catalogue just for fun. In the past, I’ve always bought the small plants so
growing from seed is new. So what am I planting?
Black
Truffle tomatoes are from Japan and are grown a lot in Russia. They are
pear shaped, but not real big. Apparently they have a sweet, yet acidic flavor.
They are supposed to grow very well in my area.
Brandywine
Pink tomatoes are usually ready later in the season. Their taste is
supposedly sweeter than a normal tomato (they are a fruit, after all). I got
the heirloom variety because I am told the flavors are much bolder in
heirlooms. Also, I want to collect the seed myself.
Now,
I may throw some Big Boy or some other variety in later. But I am very
interested in how these will pan out. I planted 15 seed plugs and am still waiting
from some sprouts. I’ll keep you posted.