The Tomatoes Are Out

The tomatoes are out. I put them out today - 14 this year. That's not as many plants as last year but it will probably do for us.

I know what you're thinking if you don't live around here: "You waited until May 20th to put your tomatoes out?" Well, it was 33°F here Friday morning. We've had frost as late as May 31st at our house. I almost put them out last weekend. Maybe they would have lived through the cold...

I was pleased this year to find an heirloom tomato called "yellow pear" on sale locally. I put some out a couple of years ago and they were great - nice taste, and the plant produced quarts and quarts of the little thumb-sized things. They have a nice taste and they dress a baby spinach salad up very nicely. I put out two plants.

I put our three Mr. Stripey tomato plants. Mr. Stripeys are irregular in shape and two-toned. They grow to be fairly large and look beautiful sliced on a plate. But last year they all blighted and I'm not sure we ate a single one of them. Maybe we'll have better luck this year. I put out three plants.

Of course I put out some Early Girl plants as well. Early Girl tomatoes turn very red and come to maturity in about 60 days. We'll probably be eating a few of them by mid-July. I have three of them.

What's left? Three Lemon Boy plants (yeller tomatoes taste the best), a Pink Beefsteak, and two Big Boy hybrids.

Here's wishing for a good growing year and the first frost of Fall to hold off until late October of November...