We are FINALLY getting decent weather.
This year was so weird.
Snow right up until the end of April and then within two days, it was up to 80 and that was apparently, the date of the last frost. We were near to one only once since then.
I got my tomatoes and peppers in this past Tues, which is early for us. Usually, it’s not before Memorial Day. Even that extra week is a big help in getting them established and getting a good crop a little earlier than usual.
I have sauce tomatoes and have 454 plants and six beefsteak.
I hope to get a lot of canning done this summer.
454 tomato plants? Yow!- I find it hard to find enough time* to maintain a couple dozen! Plus I put in 8 assorted pepper plants, and I’m attempting to grow onions and garlic this year. Then there’s the “worm bed” - that generates worms for fishing (a quasi-garden activity?) The problem there is supplying enough “garbage” organic matter to keep the worms happy and plentiful (plus keep it moist during dry weather). We start off with big piles of leaves in early spring, which nearly disappear by July, even though I add more grass & leaves, etc. The “Alabama Jumpers” (night-crawler size, very active earthworms) are voracious (even tho’ we are well north of Alabama.)
*Ok, granted, we also have 9 free-range chickens, plus one adolescent chick. That’s more time I don’t have, but they’re my daughter’s pets that my wife and I mostly end up taking care of. That last should be 3 chicks, but my wife thought the chicks were old enough to free range, and a medium-small hawk got 2 of ‘em. I was heartbroken - such cute sweet little critters the chicks are... The hawk came around again today, but #3 stayed hidden, and the other chickens are too big for a hawk that size to mess with - I hope! It may be time to put the new scope on the .22 pellet rifle...
I concur on the weather: Winter hung on and hung on, and then all the sudden we are in the upper 80’s, even a few days 90+, with plenty of days with t-storms. All plants took off like crazy: There’s more mowing that must be done, than gardening that I wish to get done!
Yes, we had the same thing BAM the heat is on. Nights thankfully are still cooler and comfortable.
I can’t imagine having to can that many tomatoes! Last time I had a lot, I canned a couple of batches, and froze the rest.
Pretty easy to thaw a bit and turn into sauce or whatever.
Just take them and chunk them up and put into a pot of chili or soup works too.