This is a journal of my vegetable gardens. Skippy was my first dog and he thought the garden was his, even though I did all the work. Now Suzie and Charley follow in his footsteps. We're located near Boston (USDA zone 6A). I have a community plot, a backyard vegetable garden, fruit trees, berry bushes, chickens, and bees. I use sustainable organic methods and do my best to grow all of my family's vegetables myself.
peas planted!
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Thursday, July 26, 2007
a first - finally
I suppose this counts as my first garden tomato. A tiny, split Chadwick's cherry tomato. The big guys are out there. But none are showing any color (but green) yet.
Hey, so when the tomatos immediately turn red do you pick them?? Or how long do you wait after they turn red to pick them?
Also, I picked a few ears of my corn the other day and cooked them, it was good!
I picked a pepper the other day to, my girlfriend cooked it and ate it and said it was ok (all that work for 'ok') anyways, how do you know when peppers are done, do you know much about them? I know garden fruit is generally smaller than the market stuff, but this pepper was about 5 inches and a yellow white, I don't know what type that is?? I heard I could wait a month after they get color to pick them, it's been about that.
Of course this counts! Here in northern NM (5a) the short season/cold nights really hurt us. I have friends that have had years with no ripe tomatoes. But the chile (note spelling) harvest is always good. I have been harvesting yellow pear tomatoes for a few days. A few my celebrities are mostly pink so only a few more days unless the hail gets them ... we had a bad storm today.
You can pick tomatoes anytime after they start to show some pinkish color. Leave them somewhere inside, out of sunlight, and they will ripen. Do this if it is cool out and you want them to ripen faster or if you worry about an animal getting at them.
In summer, I think tomatoes taste better (and look pretty) if they ripen fully on the vine. I've read that they can stay on the vine a few days after they are fully red, but I try to pick them just before or just at full ripeness.
Sorry I don't know much about peppers. This is my first year growing chile peppers. I just picked and ate a 5 inch long yellow one that was spicy hot. It was "OK". It added nice spice to stir-fried veggies. But I'd say peppers just aren't super veggies - not like a fresh garden carrot or tomato!
Scott- Thanks for the moral support for my sad little tomato. It makes me feel better that there are others out there with no tomatoes yet. I have to admit, I'm thinking I'm a bit of a failure about now. Certainly nice to have speliing help, too. ;)
Graeme- I don't' know why they split. My husband said it tasted real good though.
Hey, so when the tomatos immediately turn red do you pick them?? Or how long do you wait after they turn red to pick them?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I picked a few ears of my corn the other day and cooked them, it was good!
I picked a pepper the other day to, my girlfriend cooked it and ate it and said it was ok (all that work for 'ok') anyways, how do you know when peppers are done, do you know much about them? I know garden fruit is generally smaller than the market stuff, but this pepper was about 5 inches and a yellow white, I don't know what type that is?? I heard I could wait a month after they get color to pick them, it's been about that.
-Keith
Of course this counts! Here in northern NM (5a) the short season/cold nights really hurt us. I have friends that have had years with no ripe tomatoes. But the chile (note spelling) harvest is always good. I have been harvesting yellow pear tomatoes for a few days. A few my celebrities are mostly pink so only a few more days unless the hail gets them ... we had a bad storm today.
ReplyDeleteAnybody know why the tomatoes split and how to prevent it? I don't mind that much, but it does ruin the aesthetics a little.
ReplyDeleteKeith-
ReplyDeleteYou can pick tomatoes anytime after they start to show some pinkish color. Leave them somewhere inside, out of sunlight, and they will ripen. Do this if it is cool out and you want them to ripen faster or if you worry about an animal getting at them.
In summer, I think tomatoes taste better (and look pretty) if they ripen fully on the vine. I've read that they can stay on the vine a few days after they are fully red, but I try to pick them just before or just at full ripeness.
Sorry I don't know much about peppers. This is my first year growing chile peppers. I just picked and ate a 5 inch long yellow one that was spicy hot. It was "OK". It added nice spice to stir-fried veggies. But I'd say peppers just aren't super veggies - not like a fresh garden carrot or tomato!
Scott- Thanks for the moral support for my sad little tomato. It makes me feel better that there are others out there with no tomatoes yet. I have to admit, I'm thinking I'm a bit of a failure about now. Certainly nice to have speliing help, too. ;)
ReplyDeleteGraeme- I don't' know why they split. My husband said it tasted real good though.