Pictures that no one else can see don't seem worth as much now that the Internet makes them so easy to be seen. Not that I expect many people will care, but they're a record for me and people I know. Like Clippings but for pictures.
< Previous
Galleries |
|
Start
........................................ |
|
Next >
The Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, 2009 |
| 2015.01.13 |
Tomato Plants 2014 |
Comment
|
Tomato plants have never been far away in summer for my whole life. My Dad always had some growing up against our south-facing white-stuccoed garage. Nothing fancy, usually Beefsteak as far as I can remember. Sunday brunch after church when I was young always featured tomatoes in season, with bacon and toast mmmmm...
Since then I have been loath to buy tomatoes from the store. Even greenhouse-grown are still just red round things that look like tomatoes.
My Italian ex-father-in-law grew the largest tomatoes I've ever seen: easily larger in diameter than a slice of sandwich bread. He grew from seed from a "stud" plant in the worst place in his yard. All fruit, hardly any juice. Amazing.
Imbued with similar urban-farmer spirit, I've grown a couple plants on my south-facing balcony over the last 3 summers. Like my Dad, nothing fancy, usually whatever is available at a local big-box store. Put them in dirt, pour in water every other day and tomatoes come out. And out, and out and, as you'll see, out...
This is a gallery of my 2014 plants, mentioned previously in a Clippings post, but with much more history now.
June 16
Late, but that won't matter. | |
|
|
|
| Bottom-watering plumbing ($2 child's hockey net) and cloth planter lining (old shirt). | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hybrid Roma | |
|
|
|
Bush Early Girl II | |
|
| Now to wait. Pour water in, turn for even sun, keep out of strong winds, and tomatoes will come. I have refinements already in mind for next year but this setup should make keeping them evenly-watered much easier. | |
| |
|
|
|
July 25 | |
|
August 5
It starts... | |
|
August 5, half moon | |
|
August 6 | |
|
August 9, full moon |
August 12
already more than I can eat | |
| |
August 19 |
August 28 |
August 28 | |
|
August 28
lofty perch | |
|
September 2 | |
|
September 2 | |
|
September 4 | |
|
September 4 | |
| |
September 4 |
September 8
Enjoying a beer indoors on a chilly day outdoors | |
|
September 23 | |
|
September 23
Fall colours really showing |
September 23 | |
|
| October
The in-and-out season. Daytime temps are mostly OK, but at night they come in. With less daylight and a lowering sun they start to fade but still keep producing. | |
|
October 9 | |
|
October 17 |
October 20 |
|
| |
October 24 | |
|
October 24 | |
|
October 27
Snow-matoes today
| |
|
|
|
forgot some | | |
|
October 27
Almost half-moon |
|
|
|
| |
October 28 | |
|
| November Indoor season now. As the sun lowers in the sky the TPs get all of whatever daytime sun there is and plenty of heat - my place is like a greenhouse in winter. | |
|
November 2 | |
|
November 2 | |
|
November 4 | |
| |
November 4 | |
|
November 5 |
|
|
November 6 | |
|
November 6 |
|
|
| Snow-matoes again. This time the snow will stay.
|
November 8 | |
|
November 14 | |
| |
November 16 | |
|
November 17 |
| The little TP finally ran out of steam right after this picture, and one final crop. | |
|
November 20 | |
|
November 20 |
November 22
last TP standing | |
|
November 24 | |
|
November 27 |
|
| |
November 28 | |
|
November 30
lone tomato |
November 30
but wait... | |
|
November 30 | |
|
November 30 | |
|
November 30 |
| That's it for production, save for the loner remaining that I don't expect to be that good. The TP has flowered but none have fruited, maybe I should have helped. | |
|
December 13 |
December 18 | |
| |
December 18 | |
|
December 21 | |
|
December 21 | |
|
December 21 |
December 30 | |
|
2015 - January
Yep, still going. It's really just a houseplant now. I've been moving it to follow the sun and keeping it watered for a couple months so I'll keep it going as long as it keeps going. | |
|
January 1 | |
| |
January 4 | |
|
January 4 | |
|
January 5 |
| There's lots of straggly growth giving the TP a hairy look, suitable for the season. | |
|
January 8 | |
|
January 8 | |
|
January 12 | |
| |
|
Stayed tuned for more... |
| |
< Previous
Galleries |
|
Start
........................................ |
|
Next >
The Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, 2009 |
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)