My Tomato Patch in N. California Jan. 17 WARNING - GRAPHIC PHOTOS

[rnewste]

Well, my weather "luck" ran out about 4 weeks ago when we had 3 straight days of a freeze here. My bountiful Carmello went from lush production - - to this:



I was able to protect my Goose Creek plants by bringing them inside for a few nights, and they are making marginal progress outside again:



Tomatoes are beginning to blush on the 2 plants:



Six of my Pepper plants continue to do fine. I am just hoping they will survive, irrespective of producing anything now, so that I can hit off the Spring with them healthy for an early crop:



The Oregon Snow Peas survived the 3 days of nighttime freezes:



Here are a couple of tomatoes still on the vine I picked today:



So, in spite of the disappointing weather, we were able to slice a few on January 17. Taste is probably 70% of the Summertime tomato, but still far better than anything at a Supermarket:



"Cycle-of-Life" kind of thing, as the new seedlings for 2010 are coming along nicely:



Some are even developing their true leaves (Berkeley Tie Dye):



Life is good.......

Raybo

[Zana]

Colour Green with envy......sighhhhh.....and I'm not sure for which I'm more envious...that you got eat fresh picked, that you have plants growing, that there is something green in your yard that isn't a coniferous tree or bush or that you have seedlings looking so fine. Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Looking Good Ray!

[SunnyK]

I am sufferingwith envy myself....well Summer is not too long off, and there are only 6 more months or so til I can eat a fresh mater.
Truthfully tho....the tomatoes on the dead vine look delicious to me at this point in the year LOL!

[rnewste]

SunnyK,

Most of the folks out here in the San Jose area throw in the towel on trying to grow tomatoes by about November 1. I have always tried to nurse a few plants on so that we have garden tomatoes on the Christmas dinner table. Any production beyond that date is a bonus.

And yes, the Carmello that I sliced today came from the plant in the first picture. Tasted just fine to me. I am hoping I have a Goose Creek or two by Super Bowl Sunday for the salsa!!

[matertoo]

Raybo:

Looking great!! I hope to start my seeds in about a month. I also plan on having 6 'Tainers ready for 2010. Your pictures look mighty fine.

Happy Matering,

Paul

[newatthiskat]

Ray those are grapic pictures. I am supprised you able to even post them here! It has been so cold around here that I am running behind even planting seeds this year. Will do it this weekend. But just to let you know I am jealous...Happy?
Kat

[mtbigfish]

Raybo
Does the foam planting form help keep your soil temp up? where did you get them ? do they have holes in the bottom and set on top of your planting medium?

The frost was down here is So Cal also - I covered the 10 plants I am nursing and cover blew off of one and lost it - leaves turned black and croaked - we later had another light frost that was not forcast or reported to occur and I didn't cover - didn't lose a plant but some plants dropped some of their fruit - still have fruit on all but one plant and picked about a dozen over the last few days for salad, one for a hamburger and one to eat sliced
yum!!!

[onegardengirl]

Evening rnewste,

I live further in towards Sacramento and agree with you comments about most folks throw in the towel with tomatoes around Nov 1. I try to keep my growing too. However, towards the end of november or into Dec. we will get a frost that does them in. I don't have my tomatoes in pots so at that point I just pull them up and bring in tomatoes. I applaud your work with yours and it is great that you have red tomatoes at this time of year.

Your pictures were great! Your peppers and peas look great too. We had sunshine a couple of days last week and I was able to do some prunning but didn't finish all of it. Still have grape vines to prune but can't get out there with all the rain and wind we have had this week.

Good luck on your veggies.

Lynn