Finally... eating tomatoes

Yes, we finally have tomatoes to eat.  Well, I use that phrasing a little loosely.  I picked 5 beautifully red little globes of the Cherry Buzz Tomatoes. Mr. B and I each had 5 halves, slightly salted.  They were nice, but to be truthful, I was disappointed.  I'm not sure if it is the slow start with the unusually cool summer , but these were not delightfully sweet.  Last year I planted Sweet 100's and they were little bursts of sugar with each bite.  These were ...... just ok. 

Oh well, more are turning pink so I hope to have better reports.  The heirlooms and slicers are setting on, but nothing red to eat yet.

However, cucumbers are more than plentifull.  I"m taking several to neighbors most mornings as there are just too many to eat at 2 meals a day.  iI may try to use my mother's Bread and Butter Pickles recipe this weekend.

So, off to the dirt!

57 Tomatoes (Plants, that is)

Dearest husband asked me how many tomato plants I actually have in the ground...... I asked if those in pots count and we agreed that they do.  Well, I officially have 57 tomato plants planted!  Yes, that is  a rather large number for a home garden!  However, with this cool start to the summer I may not get that swamped with those luscious red orbs.... yet one can only wish to have such a problem!

This afternoon I'll give them another dose of bone meal.  Make sure to water the soil first then two tablespoons at each plant  (114 tablespoons???  I'd better check how much I have).  The bone meal will give them a boost to blossom and set fruit.  Make sure to fertilize every week now going into the heavy production time of year.

I have lots of kale to harvest for salads.  Yummmm

Tomato Envy

Here we are on July 21 and I still don't have a single red tomato. I am 6 weeks behind the first ripe tomatoes in 2010.  Lot's of beautiful little yellow blossoms, some forming tomatoes, but nothing red, except the pots some are planted in.  I have great envy when talking to my mom (in Central California) and she is harvesting  5 - 7 each day off her two 'Home Depot' plants while I have nothing to show (yet) for all my hours of tending over seeds, seedlings, transplanting and bi weekly fertilization. 

With nice warm weather here again this week, I hope to see something turn red!  Cucumbers are going great and I harvest 2 - 3 each day.  Just one little eggplant starting to grow... and that's on a total of 3 plants.  

And so, I've finished with my complaining about the results of the cool weather.... and the good news is that our electric bill is the lowest it's ever been!!!

So... off to the dirt.

Blooms are a beautiful thing

Tomato blooms, that is.  Each day there are more and more of these beautiful little yellow flowers on the tomatoes.  I know that after the fertilization of the flower, fruit starts to grow!!  However, a problem is becoming apparent.  I have not seen any bees in the last few weeks.  I know that my growing garden needs these  little kings of the garden in order for the beautiful flowers to turn into something edible. 

When we had 2 days of spring in March, I marveled at the buzzing all over the garden.  They were everywhere.  However, as we are now actually in summer, not a buzz to be heard.  Although we have a yard full of lavender, rosemary and flowering thyme, not a bee to be seen.  This weekend I added a  large yellow yarrow near some of the new raised beds hoping to draw bees to that area of the yard.  I need to do more research on what will be a draw to the bees.

Off to bed...then in the morning, off to the dirt!

Oh Why Little Tomato

So, of the 22 replanted,  why did two just die?  They are in in the potted area, so I need to watch how dry the soil is getting.  I'm loving the new compost from Cameron Park Nursery.  It is truly so much richer with actual compost material than that which I've been using from the 'big box' store which seems to be mostly wood chips. 

The peppers look like they made the transition from seeding into the garden. 
I have Ascent  (Thai), Anaheim College, Ancho Magnificio, Lady Bell and the green bell is California Wonder.  All the green bush beans popped up this morning.  Looks like I'm going to have a nice selection of green beans. 

The chive plant I purchased was so large that I divided it into two and planted.  They are in the big tomato raised bed.  Since they are a companion plant, the idea is that they will be low and under the tomatoes.  After success last year with pruning the tomatoes, the plan is to to the same again so I can have several types of plants in the the tomato bed. 

Still working to design a portable trellis for the tomato bed.  Hummmmm..

Well, off to the dirt.