This is by far not my first tomato of the season, nor the second, third, or fourth. All but the big one on the left I picked just about thirty minutes ago. However, yesterday there were three big tomatoes picked and a lot of the little yellow tomatoes as well as a few of the cherry tomatoes. I am a tomato growing fool. I have no problem eating at least one a day. This isn't the best picture I know, it was taken with my cell phone, and as for what kind of tomatoes they are? Hell if I know honestly. The big one I planted but I don't know what it is, I think it's a beefsteak variety from Bonnie, but I'm not sure. The other three are from two of eight plants in the same garden. They are similar in taste and texture, so I'm not to concerned. However, the one that I know I don't care for is the "Fourth of July" tomato. It is way to mild for my taste, I prefer acidic tomatoes.

I also watered twice today. Earlier in the afternoon since it wasn't too hot yet and they really needed it, and a little while ago. Though with this watering I used some Miracle Grow on everything, and then after that, I sprayed the hell out of the plants with my Japanese Beetle "juice" that also kills other common bugs. While I was holding out as long as possible for another spray, I was forced to pull up my string beans because they were decimated. I have found the little critter that was responsible, but I have not found out what it was yet. The bug killer seemed to turn them to juice so that makes me very happy. I feel a step behind honestly though, I missed two very important points when starting, I didn't mark down WHEN I planted nor did I pay attention to the days to maturity. I also know that I can try to guesstimate, and I would probably turn out fine, but it would be nice to know at least a round about time to pick things.

My pepper plants are doing somewhat well. My Sweet Banana Pepper plants have tons of peppers on them, okay not tons but probably enough for me to make at least a pint of the pickled banana rings I buy so much of for my italian salad. My Mariachi Pepper plant has two huge peppers on it, lol, woo! That may be all I get from it in all honesty, it is one of the plants that I started from seed and didn't harden off. I'm glad it got this far. I'm going to be pulling up two tomato plants possibly. My Big Rainbow and Bonnie Big Boy. The big rainbow is one from seed and is just... pathetic, poor thing the other is the biggest plant I have, but has yet to actually produce anything, and I'm sick of putting forth the effort, it needs to go. However, my Bonnie Better Bush will be pulled within the month as well. It has two tomatoes on it, if they get ripe to pick the whole plant will be coming up. It's more or less stopped growing and has not put forth any new growth. I'm still somewhat hopeful that it might do something, but I wont hold my breath either.

So, after much thought, I have decided that, yes, you can plant eight tomato plants in a 3x3 planter. They need to be Inter's and not Deter's, and if pruned right, you should have no problem with them getting to bushy. While I'm not planning to do the same thing next year, if I had to use this same set up that I'm using now, I would now that I know what I do. I know that I have a lot more to say, but I have to get some links put up in the post and then I wouldn't be able to post again for awhile. What fun would that be?

Ciao!

June Cometh Early

I've already harvested my first three tomatoes, and about a dozen cherry tomatoes, a healthy amount of string beans, one head of romaine, a handful of blondie peas, lots of yellow cherry tomatoes, and the mosquitoes have loved me just as much. In place of the peas and lettuce I've planted some potatoes, and I've started some new bush pea plants to replace the string beans that are coming up soon. I've had to throw out two hot peppers and one sweet pepper because bugs wanted to eat the fruit, and I've had to spray them all with insecticide because of Japanese Beetles. I am not an organic gardener, you mess with my plants I will kill you dead. I always wash wash wash the veggies real good.

I've had to pull up a few taters that decided to rot, no biggie, I figured it would happen since they were SO late going into the ground. I also realize I haven't talked about my melon vine much, well, it's doing GREAT. I've been plucking off flowers since I have 3 good melons going, and a fourth that is coming now. I can't wait to try them. Thankfully they will turn yellow and have a small silver line when they are ripe. Back to the potatoes though, I seem to have some very strong suckers in there, they are starting to get fairly big, and I have some new growth coming up from a few of the smaller ones.

I have yet to go outside and pick a tomato today, but I should also be able to maybe pick a pepper as well. I am a tomato snob, as the hubby says, so I have twelve tomato plants right now, and hopefully more for next year. I'm going to be working on uploading the seeds I have on hand right now, as well as my layout of what I have growing for all to see. A picture or two might eventually make it's way up here. I think the next post I do will involve a little bit more on the learning that has ensued so far from this, which means a few more tags will pop up for easier referencing. I've been keeping those fairly simple right now, but I might go back to the last post and add a few more specific ones.

Ciao!