Season begins to crank up

[Paradajz]

even my eyes get hungry when looking photos so beautiful as this one... nice nice nice

[KathyDC]

What percentage of those was the cat's share?

Beautiful!

Kathy

[LDx4]

Beautiful harvest Steve! And baby Fauxskunk is quite attractive also -- does he/she like to eat tomatoes?

Lyn

[VC Scott]

Steve:

As you know, I am just east of you across the freeway. Last year I lost all but one plant to tomato russet mites. The sole survivor was a red brandywine that volunteered in my rose garden. It was about 50 yards from the tomato field. In September the red brandywine got a double whammy of horned worm and tomato russet mites. I thought it didn't have a chance, but I picked off the horned worms and fed them to the chickens. Surprisingly, the russet mites disappeared, so we may indeed have a natural predatory mite. I picked fruit off the red brandwine until December when the cold finally did it in.

[Heritage]

Kathy and Lyn, the cats don't eat the tomatoes but they are pretty handy keeping the mice out of the barn where I store seeds I didn't really want another cat, I already have four, but someone recently dumped these two kittens here so looks like I have two more. I'm starting to get a little worried that, when I die, my obit will read: "He was a crazy tomato guy with 100 cats."

Scott, send some of those predators across the freeway. Usually, it is the two-spotted mite that does the damage here - this unseasonably hot weather is their favorite dining/dating temperature.

[kath]

Wow, Steve- such a beautiful bunch of tomatoes! Hope you'll be offering these next year...and I love the looks of baby Fauxskunk, too.

kath

[clara]

Steve, do you know how much you are torturing us poor Europeans by your photo who are far behind a "normal" year (4 -5 weeks probably)? Actually I have 5 ripe cherries...

Good luck for saving a lot of seeds! clara

[Heritage]

Originally Posted by kath

Wow, Steve- such a beautiful bunch of tomatoes! Hope you'll be offering these next year...and I love the looks of baby Fauxskunk, too.

kath

Thanks kath, I think there may be another trade in our future

[Heritage]

Originally Posted by clara

Steve, do you know how much you are torturing us poor Europeans by your photo who are far behind a "normal" year (4 -5 weeks probably)? Actually I have 5 ripe cherries...

Good luck for saving a lot of seeds! clara

Thanks clara, many of my new varieties are thanks to your generosity! I will be emailing you soon with a few questions
I hope Germany gets a late frost this year!

[clara]

Steve, I'm also hoping for a long season without frost - actually we're blessed with a real summer and to be honest, a bit of rain would be nice now to refill my rain barrels.

Btw, your varieties are doing very fine - lots of greenies! Many thanks again! clara

[kath]

Originally Posted by Heritage

Thanks kath, I think there may be another trade in our future

I look forward to it, Steve- here's to a productive season for both of us!

kath