Summer Garden Waning.
Sep. 6th, 2013 05:48 amI'm planning the end game for my summer garden. Dozens of big bush beans are maturing and drying on the plants, and I have a big eggplant and a big yellow squash going to seed. I've already collected seed from the Roma tomatoes.
I could simplify gardening by not saving seed, but I like the idea of generations of my own seed, slowly adapted to this specific garden. It's also nice (when I do everything right) to have really vital seed for next year. Sometimes commercial seed is less viable.
The odd mystery of the year is why the Roma tomatoes have ripened slowly over the course of months. They are what is known as "determinate" and should have all ripened together, in a two week period. Roughly 25% are still not ripe, so I'll pick every four days or so, and freeze the extra. It doesn't make sense to go through the rigmarole of canning when you have just a few quarts. I do have 37 quarts of tomatoes already canned, and maybe I'll get some more tomatoes ripening in big groups.
I could simplify gardening by not saving seed, but I like the idea of generations of my own seed, slowly adapted to this specific garden. It's also nice (when I do everything right) to have really vital seed for next year. Sometimes commercial seed is less viable.
The odd mystery of the year is why the Roma tomatoes have ripened slowly over the course of months. They are what is known as "determinate" and should have all ripened together, in a two week period. Roughly 25% are still not ripe, so I'll pick every four days or so, and freeze the extra. It doesn't make sense to go through the rigmarole of canning when you have just a few quarts. I do have 37 quarts of tomatoes already canned, and maybe I'll get some more tomatoes ripening in big groups.