TOMATOES!

Memorial Day weekend was perfect weather for planting a vegetable garden.

Here’s a sample of last year’s harvest, except for the tomatoes. The tomatoes never made it into the house for the picture—but they tasted great!

Unfortunately, my veggie patch will be fairly sparse this year, but you bet that I have some tomato plants from the King County Master Gardener Plant Sale in May. And I finally got them planted during Memorial Day weekend.

A few years ago I learned to plant my tomatoes by pretty much burying them up to the top leaves. I don’t even prune the lower ones off before covering them with soil. All of the plant that is covered with soil will sprout more root growth, which will help nourish and strengthen the plant. Stronger plant, better produce. Yum.

This year I’m trying a few different types that I hope will do well. The only repeat is the ‘sungold’ cherry tomato. They are incredibly sweet, juicy, and such a pretty golden orange when they are ripe. We liked them so much that I’ve got 2 plants so that some of the fruit that is harvested actually makes it to the salad this year!

Here is a picture of a sungold tomato plant with some fruit on it.
(Do you call it a ‘fruit’ or a ‘vegetable’? That is another topic for another time!)

Another type of indeterminate tomato I’ve chosen to grow this year is the ‘green zebra’. I’m told it has a nice sweet-tart taste, and is a lovely green with yellow stripes when it ripens.

Of course I had to plant a ‘big beef’, a winner when it comes to size and taste. It’s an indeterminate plant that produces a tomato that can’t be beat.

The last type of tomato I’ve planted is ‘northern exposure’. It is a determinate tomato, which ripens in less than 70 days. It is perfect for the short growing season in the PNW.

All of these tomatoes are disease resistant, an important quality for any grown in this cool, damp climate. I’ve planted them in containers (cages will go up later) so I will have added flexibility for changing their location. Right now they are on the south side of the house under the eaves, so they will have the benefit of the warmest spot, most sun, and least moisture on their foliage.

And now, we wait, as Dr Frank-N-Furter/Tim Curry would say, with...

‘antici-PA-tion’ …