Crisp

And my garden is coming together bit by bit. 

My dad and I have been getting a lot of free compost from the Ojai Sanitary District… We’ve recieved about 10 cubic yards of biosolid compost, I would estimate. We’ve never used the stuff but we’ve seen things growing directly in it at the sanitary district so we assume it can’t harm our plants too badly. We’ve mixed the compost into a small plot of land in the back yard and its awaiting its new tenants. 

In the front yard I planted some Spearmint, Rosemary and Thyme; my favorite and most used herbs. I have some little basil and parsley sprouts in little pots too. 

Tomatomania came to Encino today so I sifted through hundreds of tomato plants and wound up with 20 plants, probably about 10 kinds of tomatoes in all. About half of them are hybrids– strong against pests and disease through scientific means– and half are heirlooms — proven strong against all odds by continuing to grow for decades or even centuries (seeds collected and re-planted yearly of course) 

another note: tomatoes come classified as determinate and indeterminate. Indeterminate means the plants grow and produce throught the season. Determinate means tomato plants grow to a certain height and produce tomatoes that ripen all at once, then there aren’t so many tomatoes. Determinate tomato plants are favored in comercial productions for obvious reasons but are also good for people who want to can their tomatoes, thus needing many at once. 

Tomatoes should be planted deep — as their stems will grow roots, and their roots can grow up to 10 feet — so you might as well give them a ‘lift’ … in the opposite direction

Tomatoes like things hot and dry — overwater and you will have huge plants, few tomatoes, and the tomatoes you get will be watery 

Once you do have tomatoes, try floating them in water. The tomatoes that sink are the tastiest  :D

Anyways I’ve planted 

Momotaro Tomato – a hybrid developed in Japan and my family’s personal favorite tomato (and like all of Japan) medium size, 70 days to produce fruit , indeterminate 

Black Cherry Tomato – heirloom variety of dark round cherry tomatoes — 65 days, indeterminate 

Black Japanese Trifele- pear shaped heirloom variety from Russia — I don’t know why its called Japanese!– 80 days, indeterminate 

Suncherry extra sweet- hybrid, extra sweet yellow orange cherry tomato — 55 days, indeterminate

Husky Gold- hybrid yellow variety — 70days, indeterminate (my dog that passed last year was named Husky… so I bought him a tomato plant…) 

Transparent – heirloom, weird freakin name for a tomato. Apparently this tomato doesn’t get any color. small fruit and I was curious so I bought it. 75days, indeterminate 

Better Boy – very popular red hybrid, strong against lots of bad things for tomatoes. 75 days, indeterminate

Champion – hybrid, also popular and red. 70 days, indeterminate

Celebrity- hybrid, red, 70 days, DETERMINATE — Oh gee… I bought 2 of these… I’m going to have a lot of tomatoes all at once

Ace – hybrid, red, 85 days, indeterminate

Hillbilly – heirloom yellow orange red streak, 1-2lb fruit, 85 days, indeterminate (who wouldn’t plant something named hillbilly) 

Legend- hybrid red tomato, 70 days DETERMINATE– I bought 3 of these plants. 

Today is Friday March 27.  70 days from now I have 5 determinate plants ripening. I tried hard to pick colorful heirlooms and tomatoes that ripen at different times in the season. I’m already excited ! 

Hopefully I will have a camera by the time the tomatoes ripen