I just wiped the crumbs and juice off the counter from yet another delectable BLT; with that perfect crispy/soggy toast to tomato-bacon ratio. While the memory, and taste is fresh in my mind, I'll give you the results of my personal tomato field trial for the summer.
Right off the bat, let me tell you the tomatoes came compliments of the plant people at Hort Couture; a variety called Black Krim, very similar in bronzy red-brown color to my favorite heirloom, Cherokee Purple. Of course, I had just planted the latter in that little wedge of shifting sunlight I deign to call a potager.
These free sample plants, ya gotta love 'em, but they always seem to show up right after you've finally made room for your purchased plants. Sometimes they sit around before you can locate a suitable site, to give them their due. In this case, Black Krim had to hang out on the porch with the succulents until I determined the right venue for their trial performance.
My garden is given to slivers of intense sunlight mixed with open shade, not the best conditions for tomato growing. The microclimates I used for the cherry tomatoes last year were taken by blooming pots for the garden tour. However I had been eying a place on the deck below the kitchen window; shaded in the morning and then blasted with hot southwest sun by noon and on.
Knowing I wouldn't have the watering discipline needed for the endeavor, I splurged on the Newbury Planter from Gardeners Supply; an attractive self-watering container with good looking Gothic Arch trellis supports. It's on sale this week I noticed, but at the time I justified it as an investment.
The following photos document the journey from plant plugs to sandwich:
Planted way late in the season, 6/10/2010. Assembly was easy (with father-in-law's help), note the water reservoir at the left. Holds two tomato plants, third one given to FIL destined for Illinois.
They are coming along nicely on 6/26, overtaking the companion superbells.
OK, I confess. I might have added some very diluted Fertilome 9-58-8 (that I had been selectively applying to certain plants before the garden tour) to the reservoir, to just help things along. 7/17/2010 I'm worried I may have all foliage and no fruit, not seeing many pollinating insects up on the deck. Consider hand-pollinating with a brush, but too busy.
Oh my. 8/18/2010
Meanwhile my Cherokee Purple harvest in total. No more fruit setting probably due to extreme heat.
We have green tomatoes after all, and a little green visitor as well. 8/27/2010
Coloring up! 8/29/2010
Black Krim grows in clusters of flattened maroon globes with green shoulders. 9/01/2010
While the majority of the crop ripened at the same time, here's a view of many stages of development from tiny to mature. 9/02/2010
Ready for slicing and eating!
Black Krim originated on the Isle of Krim on the Black Sea in Russia. So this one was a good fit for Minnesota! It has a distinctive salty smoky flavor that makes it a new favorite.
My average tomato weighed 8 oz., while my FIL's, grown in the ground was a whopping 1.1 lbs. There was cracking due to the hot site and extreme heat, I found I was watering (adding to reservoir) almost daily through end of July- early August. Some vine stems became so long they folded over the trellis supports.
Container growing of vegetables can be rewarding, although limited in yield. But for many, putting up bushels of produce is not the goal. For fresh eating for the here and now, it's an easy way to get a bit of that great taste of summer.
My total harvest so far is around 20 lbs, with little effort involved. I am anxious to see how many more ripen before frost, with the protected deck area helping this along. Did it work? The proof is in the sandwich.
