Vilma Tomato courtesy Sara’s Kitchen Garden
It’s been a tough summer for my garden. I had the best of intentions; in early spring I was going to broadcast organic fertilizer (Yum Yum Mix in native and xeric areas, Alpha One elsewhere) and top-dress with compost (EKO lawn topdressing). It snowed whenever I had time. I was going to amend and prepare the raised vegetable garden beds, but couldn’t get myself to tear out the self-sown alpine strawberries, miner’s lettuce, wild arugula and parsley that had proliferated and offered ‘free food’. So I missed my window of opportunity to plant my usual greens and onions, and planted only tomatoes (late), which I amended and fertilized only in their individual planting holes. I don’t recommend this approach! Those tomatoes are seriously sub-par, only Anasazi and Maglia Rosa doing well.
Maglia Rosa
But the tomatoes and peppers I grew in large containers thrived! They did get generous amendments from the start, and since I water them by hand with a watering can, I mixed liquid organic fertilizers in every couple of weeks. They’re also shaded both early and late in the day, which they seem to like. I grew four tomato varieties in pots, which I’ll detail in just a bit…
But first: How about those Tomato Trials? If you are taking part in our trials of (mostly) dwarf to micro-dwarf tomatoes, it’s time to report your evaluations! The Survey is Here…..
Tidy Treats
Tidy Treats, a prolific compact hybrid that provides a long season of delicious sweet red cherry tomatoes the size of Sun Golds. Bred for container-growing, I’ve grown it for 3 years, and it always excels, and is always first to ripen.
Native Sun, an open-pollinated, super-early, supposedly determinate, prolific producer of medium-sized, bright yellow salad/slicer tomatoes with excellent, well-balanced flavor, way better than typical extra-early varieties. Recommended for its heat-tolerance, Native Sun has really proved itself this year. My first full-size tomato to ripen this year.
Burrell’s Special, bred in Rocky Ford, CO, is another determinate variety recommended for setting fruit in hot weather. The fruits are large, scarlet globes, perfect for sandwich slices, and have excellent, full, sweet flavor. They ripen fairly late in the season – I picked my first one just a couple days ago. It’s a keeper, but I suspect Burrell’s would produce more if planted in the ground with more space.
Tasmanian Chocolate
Tasmanian Chocolate, a dwarf indeterminate from the Dwarf Tomato Project, is productive, beautiful and delicious this year, and undeterred by the heat. Rich heirloom flavor and beautiful color and shape have kept me growing it for 3 years.
Fragaria vesca ‘Yellow Wonder Alpine’ Strawberry