It was supposed to rain today. We haven't had any rain for two weeks and the rain barrel is empty. The tomatoes just couldn't wait any longer, so we watered them by hand. We've got a good crop of tomatoes coming along. It's the middle of July and already some of the plants are six feet tall. There are lots of green tomatoes and even more blossoms. The first ripe tomatoes will be ready before the end of the month. I can hardly wait to eat that first tomato sandwich! Every year we increase the number of tomatoes we plant ... and every year we find more people willing to take a few home with them. Supply and demand seem to stay in balance.
We need a better system for staking. We started with three foot tall cages, then four; then we went to four foot cages with eight foot tall stakes. What we really need are seven foot tall cages about three feet in diameter. I saw a plan in Mother Earth News or Countryside for a cage - made out of rolled wire for concrete work - that should fit the bill. Maybe I can make some cages over the winter when things slow down. If someone told me ten years ago that I'd be growing tomato plants seven feet tall, I would have laughed.
If you're ever at Disney's Epcot Center in Florida, be sure to take the ride through the greenhouse of the future. Buried deep inside you'll come across the "tomato tree"; this plant has been growing for years and has produced thousands of tomatoes ... all from one plant. I wish I could keep my tomatoes growing all year 'round. Then again, maybe a tomato sandwich wouldn't be so special if I could have one any time I wanted.
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