Li'l Green Tomatoes

Our thirty-seven tomato plants are all doing very well. Most are covered in blossoms and many actually have tomatoes. I planted so many because almost every seed I planted came up. I couldn't bring myself to toss the extra seedlings and I planted them all in the garden. So, of course, I thought I'd share. Photos, that is.

These may be plum tomatoes.

I have no idea which plants are of which variety. I took no special care to label them. I do know what there should be, however. As the fruit grows and ripens, things should be come a little more clear.

For example, there are cherry tomatoes, beefsteaks, super beefsteaks, fourth of July, yellow tomatoes from our friend Harriett, plum tomatoes, tomatillos, prudens purple, stupice, black cherry, ace 55, and rutgers, among them. We are hoping for a good crop this year for sauce and freezing.

Grow guys, grow!

I'm pruning them based on the method described by French food and garden maven Jean-Pierre Coffe. He says that, in addition to constantly pinching out the suckers, one should pinch out the top of the plant once it's got three sets of blossoms. Also, you should allow the two lower-most suckers to develop, but pinch out their growth once they've each got two sets of blossoms.

By doing this, the plant diverts its energy into the fruit rather than into growing more stem, leaves, and setting additional blossoms. So this is what I'm attempting to do. It's amazing how the suckers appear nearly every day. It's almost as if you can sit and watch them grow.

Cherry tomatoes? Only time will tell.

Of course I will update you as the garden progresses. And, as promised, we'll do another video garden tour very soon. Happy digging!