Tomatoes

            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.