Bulb Planting Time

Jen planted 80 Daffodil bulbs and about 90 Grape Hyacinth (Muscari) in the backyard this afternoon. We still about 30 more Hyacinth to put in. Hopefully, the raccoons will leave them alone - last time we planted bulbs the raccoons thought they were their dinner instead.

Sadly, about time to call it a wrap

Well, they're calling for frost tonight, and the inevitability of cold weather is in the air. Our tomatoes vines have all but dried up. Amazingly, though, we have more ripe tomatoes now than ever. The Peace Vine, Resientraub, Yellow and Red Pears and Isis Candy varieties are literally polluting the ground right now with ripe fruit. Unfortunately, none of them tast very good right now - I think the sugar content in them has suffered because of the shorter days. They look great, but their taste has a little bit of funk to it (dirty laundry anyone?), and the texture is generally a little on the mealy side.

So, we bid goodby to our fresh, sweet juicy tomatoes, and farewell to the sun and warmth that brought them to us day after day this summer and fall. We've learned a lot from them this year, and can't wait to use our experience next spring raising a new crop.

Fall Weather Doesn't Stop Production

It's early October and we're well into Autumn, and we are still getting huge amounts of tomatoes off the vines. The plants themselves are looking very old and tired, with lots of dead or yellowing leaves. However, the quantity and quality of the fruit are still very healthy. Although I had written the Sungolds and Snow Globes off for done earlier, they have rebounded with more fruit than ever. Other good producers right now are the Black Cherries, Peace Vines and the Green Grapes. Each of these is producing more than we can eat, and the ground below is starting to get littered with over-ripened tomatoes.