Will to live

I uprooted a cherry tomato plant I found particularly repulsive and replaced it with one of my smaller understudy tomato plants that had just been waiting for a nice, spacious home. I went out today to check on everyone and noticed a weed growing like crazy in the pot.

Curious to see what would grow so fast and so concentrated, I pulled it out. Verdict:

The tomato plant that wouldn't give up!

Prize pupil

Due to several clumsy mishaps, I had no idea what varieties I planted where on our farm. I was hoping I could figure it out after they bloomed, but I'm probably only 50/50. Some are very obvious - due to freak sizes or color - but others I'm stumped.

I have one variety of tomato that has been producing consistently and rapidly. It is great for sauce and salsa. Almost perfectly round, it tastes like nothing I can buy in the store. I envision planting at least 50% of next year's farm with nothing but this variety. Thank goodness for google and the record of seeds I bought. I now know without a doubt my star student is the Arkansas Traveler. Finally, an heirloom tomato that doesn't suck!!

Speaking of tomatoes that suck, I actually pulled some plants out of the ground this weekend. They were taking up too much space. The losers had end rot, too much cracking, or I just didn't like the taste. Good bye, orange banana and friends. Hope the squirrels like you more than I did.

It's baaaaack!

Just in time for the peak of salsa season, my beloved cilantro returns! It bolted and I let it go to seed, then re-seeded the pot by hand and voilà -- deliciousness.

Options

What do you do when Farmer Margarita hands you so many over ripe tomatoes that you don't think you'll be able to use them before they all go bad?


Tomato and mozzarella salad bay-bee! Then eat it all yourself before anyone notices how yummy it is.

Progress report - 3 1/2 months in

The last progress report was just about 2 months ago, and the first one was June 4 (those were the days). Sorry, I disappeared for July (which resulted in the loss of all garlic and onions.) Here's your August photo montage -

These are the two smaller boxes:

Due to planting the tomatillos next to a weed like currant tomato plant, they have kind of melded into one giant mess of plants. I've attempted selective reduction several times, but those pesky tomatillos just keep coming back. They are growing through, over and around all the peppers. Annoying, but shades them which they seem to like.

This is the large bed. When I go to harvest, I just dive in and hope I can find my way out:

Many tomatoes have rotted in the center because I didn't see them in time. I think I have 8-10 plants in here, but who can know; they're all growing on top of each other at this point. Some of the vines are probably 10 feet long and could stretch to my deck if I got off my ass and constructed a fancy trellis.

(You will note however my ass is quite lazy. That is why our deck is 2 colors - we got tired halfway through staining it 8+ years ago and never finished. You got a problem with it, you're welcome to pay for a new one.)

Pest control

Many of my fellow farmers are having trouble growing tomatoes this summer, suffering mysterious disappearances most likely caused by critters.

I haven't had this problem -- in fact have had more tomatoes than I can pick -- and will now share my secrets:

1. Plant 28 tomato plants for a family of 3. You'll hardly notice if even half your tomatoes go missing.

2. Leave offerings of your less than perfect fruit, preferably on an easily accessible surface like the ground, or a deck railing.

You're welcome.

If only they came in blue

I guess it's about time to figure out what exactly you do with peppers.

Screw you, delicious peppers.

These are red Thai chili peppers. I hate them.

I hate them because they remind me that Farmer Nacho is halfway around the world in Thailand, and not here cooking for me and doing all my canning.

Parasitic twin

Mystery

What is happening to my peppers? Farmer Margarita, I may need your input.

So that's what you do with a tomatillo

Roasted tomatillo salsa

Freak show