The Great Tomato Race
Just in case you haven't noticed, I love growing tomatoes. When I first started growing tomatoes, I bought only heirloom plants, not because I wanted to, but because that is what was for sale that day. I got them home and started looking around the internet and foudn that there were entire discussion forums devoted to tomatoes - and I was hooked.
Several years have passeed and my tomato growing prowess has improved, and my ability to turn down a variety has all but disappeared. So when I started seeds in February, I knew I would have lots of extra plants. In mid-march, I planted my tomatoes, and carried the rest to work, and sold every plant. Made a nice profit too...
In order to get people excited about tomatoes, I developed "The Great Tomato Race." I gave them a detailed description of each variety, the expected days to maturity (DTM), and offered big prizes for the first early season, mid-season, and late season tomato, as well as the biggest tomato.
Today, at staff meeting, I'll be giving out the prizes. The early tomato winners (there was a tie) will get:
- One basill plant
- One oregano plant
- One clove of garlic
- One small bottle of EVOO from Whole Foods
I am hoping they enjoy the prizes, I had fun thinking of them. Mid and late season winners will get either basil & mozerella, or basil & a nice hard Italian sausage plus the olive oil.
The biggest tomato winner will get all the makings for a BLT.
The upside of all of this is that my co-workers became interested in heirloom tomatoes. They talked about the tomatoes they had when they were kids, many bought plants so their kids could try growing them, and they are now learning just how long you have to wait to get a tomtato - cuz it is a slow process.
Ann Zuccardy, of Vermont Shortbread has expressed an interest in my tomato garden at home. Here are the varieties I am growing:
- Earl of Edgecomb
- Aunt Gerties' German Green
- Akers West Virginia
- Mortgage Lifter
- Jaune Flammee *
- Korney's XXX *
- Sungold - hybrid *
- Elfin
- Riesentraube
- Mexico Midget *
- Brandywine Suddoth
- Brandywine OTV
- Early Wonder - hybrid
- Jetsetter
- Bloody Butcher
- Mystery Tomato - probably Wes
- Silvery Fir Tree *
- Black Krim *
- Noir de Crimmee *
- Gregor's Altai
- Rutgers
- Hillbilly
- Chadwick's Cherry *
- Andrew Rahart's Jumbo Red
- Omar's Lebaneese
- Persimmon
The ones with a * are ones I have grown before, the rest are new. My Bloody Butcher actually damped off and died, but some of the folks at work have plants that survived, so I might get to taste one.
Check out these tomato websites: TomatoVille and Growing Tomatoes Forum @ Garden Web
If you are into heirlooms, you have to visit (and join) Seed Saver's Exchange
That is your tomato update for today.
Cynthia McKenna LPC, NCC ~ The Tomato Queen
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