I learned two things in the last couple days. First, Roma tomatoes are a high-yield plant. Second, Tomatoes can turn on you in the blink of an eye.
My Brandywine tomatoes have been slowly growing and ripening. I had them covered in paper towel, but had recently uncovered them to let them finish up. Today I went out to my garden to find this:
I was so disappointed! I had been waiting so long for those two tomatoes to ripen, and they somehow tore out of their own skins! I immediately grabbed my phone to search for more info. Apparently, tomatoes splitting open isn't that uncommon. At that statement, I looked over to my Roma plants.
Yep, some of those were split too. At least I know that it wasn't due to some problem with the Brandywines as a whole. Upon further research, I found that when tomatoes go through a very hot period (the last week here was insanely hot), they protect their seeds by toughening the skin on their fruits. When that hot period is followed by a lot of moisture (in this case, three solid days of rain), their insides grow faster than their outsides will allow, causing the split. So, basically, tomatoes are the Little Red Hulk.
The good news is that the split didn't actually go very deep, and didn't change the taste at all. My wife sliced it up for a few tomato sandwiches, and she raved about their full flavor.
As for those high-yield Romas, check this out. That's a good first harvest!
The good news is that the split didn't actually go very deep, and didn't change the taste at all. My wife sliced it up for a few tomato sandwiches, and she raved about their full flavor.
As for those high-yield Romas, check this out. That's a good first harvest!
My Bountiful bean bushes are doing well, too. They are growing, and there are quite a few beans already ready to pull. I'm not really sure how to prepare these things. I'll have to look up a recipe.
My chives have also bloomed. Aside from the regular food stalks, they send up thick, stiffer stalks that open into lovely purple flowers. They are a beautiful addition to the garden.