bounce
Royal Member
Posts: 5,727
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Post by bounce on Dec 1, 2007 12:55:45 GMT -5
I just ate my last tomato that I picked from my garden this fall. Picked a bunch just before the 1st freeze in October. Most were still very green at the time I picked them, but I was able to keep thouse little treats going till snow and the 1st of Dec. I will miss them till next july.
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Post by Purebred Redneck on Dec 5, 2007 11:02:42 GMT -5
Was this your second batch of tomatoes?
Most gardens are done here by august
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bounce
Royal Member
Posts: 5,727
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Post by bounce on Dec 5, 2007 11:12:50 GMT -5
Yes mine gave twice this year!! Many were very green when I picked them. I wondered if they would ripen or spoil? every one ripend over time, I love home tomatoes!!!
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Post by Purebred Redneck on Dec 5, 2007 12:53:13 GMT -5
The same plant lasted 6 months???
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Post by Jack on Dec 5, 2007 13:50:40 GMT -5
I love home grown tomatoes, too.
I don't even bother with store tomatoes any more- it's home grown or nothing.
The same plant will keep giving until frost if you keep watering it- at least around here. Some varieties produce earlier than others, and you can plant at different times, too, to spread out when they're ready.
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Post by 4thebrdz on Jan 17, 2008 15:20:19 GMT -5
PBR- When I lived in Tucson we had a Cherry Tomato plant that lasted almost 3 years. It was 7' tall and 4' across. It lasted 2 winter with the proper care. My Wife would pick up to 300 a day off it. The chickens probably got plenty also.
This summer was good for tomatoes up here. we got so many that we chopped and froze about 4 gal. This was out of 3 plants. The first time we had tomatoes in July up here.
My jalapenos did equally as good. I have pickled almost 3 gal of them.
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Post by jimiowa on Jan 17, 2008 15:52:19 GMT -5
I too love home grown tomatoes.
Here's a true story for you though.
My parents spent 12 yrs in New Mexico after Dad retired from Maytag. Since they had a much longer growing season(pretty much year round if you keep the frost off), dad had all the tomatoes he wanted. He ate so many he developed an allergy to them and now can only eat the yellow ones since they have less acid.
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Post by klsm54 on Jan 17, 2008 17:39:26 GMT -5
Was this your second batch of tomatoes? Most gardens are done here by august Since we don't dare put tomato plants out until June 1st, lest they freeze, our tomatoes are just getting on a roll come August. If we don't get an early frost we always pick tomatoes into October. |
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Post by Jack on Jan 17, 2008 21:28:54 GMT -5
Klsm, same here in NY state.
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Post by jimiowa on Jan 17, 2008 22:10:15 GMT -5
There's a trick or two you can use to extend the growing season.
Starting earlier and run later in the season.
Set up stakes and stretch strips of plastic so the dew does not settlle heavily on the leaves. Do it in strips so it gets airflow around the plants. It's when the dew freezes on the leaves that it kills the plants. Just as you can start the plants earlier in a hotbox, you can keep them later in the season too.
Like Bounce said you can ripen them after a hard freeze and save most of the fruit. Pick the green fruit and put it in a dark place or even in paper bags if you don't crowd them and they will ripen.
Not quite as good as vine ripened, but better than what was grown a couple thousand miles away.
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