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Starting to think about tomatoes…

Last year was a very weird tomato year for me. I planted heirlooms and hybrids and everything was late to fruit, if they fruited at all. Some of my biggest tomatoes came from a Russian heirloom called ‘Azoychka’, but they mostly failed to ripen until fall and were a bit tart for my taste!

I did feel like we didn’t get as much heat as usual. Those mild days were pleasant, but perhaps not tomato-friendly. Lesson learned? Plant an ‘Early Girl’ just in case. ‘Sungold’ has been good to me too, though I may give ‘SunSugar’ a go because of its reported crack-resistance.

Last summer’s best-tasting and most prolific tomato? A volunteer seedling near where I grew ‘Sungold’ the previous year. It resembled a large red cherry tomato and was super sweet with just a little tang. Yum… and so much for all my planning.

Another disappointment was the size of my ‘Jelly Bean’ grape tomatoes. I pictured tiny and sweet and got big and bland. Almost crunchy.

I’m very interested in seeing what this year brings. More to follow on what varieties I’m gambling on this year…

On a side note, summer of 05′ was a great year for hot peppers in my garden.

Backyard Orchard Culture

I’m finally delving into the world of growing my own “fruit shrubs”. The empty bed where I’m planting these trees is a bit undersized according to Dave Wilson Nursery’s spacing suggestions, but I selected dwarf trees and will just do my best with the space I have (or don’t have).

Three trees in one hole, spaced about 18 inches apart:

(Photos from Stark Bros. online catalog)

Spring Satin Plumcot Dwarf

Shiro Plum Dwarf

Redheart Plum Dwarf

And in the same bed, but in its own hole, I’ve planted another ‘Stella’ Cherry.

The trees I ordered came from Stark Bros. and they looked great upon arrival today. I cut the whips to “knee height” according to DWN instructions so branching will be lower– and more accessible– than your typical orchard tree. We’ll see how it goes!

If you have a chance, check out the mature fruit shrub specimens at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. Pretty impressive.