Now honestly, I can barely grow tomatoes in the spring. My tenderly cared six bushes have produced an equal number of tomatoes (yes, only six!) I water them diligently, put down fertilizer each week, but sadly, I get nothing in return.
So, failing that, why not try and grow some in the torturous months of July and August? When rain doesn't fall from the sky for over sixty days and the sun scorches everything.
Sounds like a good idea to me. Really!
And with the 25% off sale at the Natural Gardener, I am only out $5.
Well, $5 and a whole lot of hours of watering these things to get them to limp through the end of July and all of August, and let's not forget those first two months of September. September, the start of school and fall. Really, the temperatures should drop out of the 100s by then, right? Yeah, I know better than that. We'll see 100s through mid-September.
And I've done this before, right? I know that come October, I will start to see some tiny little green tomatoes appear, and my heart will soar. I will know that it was all worth it. I will watch them slowly grow. But as the temperatures drop, growth rates also slow... and slow. The calendar flips to November, and I know it is a race against the clock. Is that a little red I see? With warning of the first frost, I will pick those green tomatoes, place them in a brown bag, and hope for the best. I'll start looking for fried green tomato recipes.
Ah well, it is all in fun.
This summer, I purchased four different varieties. My primary picking process was to pick those that matured quickly.
Early Girl - Matures 50 days after planting. September 12th I should be enjoying my first fruits.
Sunsugar - 62 days after planting. End of September
Super Fantastic - 70 days. Hmm, I must have picked the wrong one. I had tried to pick ones 60 days and under. Bummer! If these produce anything is will by early October.
Red Grapes - 75 days to harvest. Okay, seriously, Natural Gardener had much different dates, or else there plants were poorly marked. If I get these established and going, the best I can hope for is Mid October. Oh - wait a minute, the tag on the plant says it matures in 57 days. But the internet says 75... who to believe??? Only time will tell ;o)
