2 weeks ago these little son-of-sungold seedlings were retrieved from the greenhouse border. Strangely enough, all but one of the seedlings flourished, and that one was the largest. Maybe its roots were damaged in the great seedling scrabble? Look at them now! I can really believe I might get a truss of tomatoes from each this year and have my first chance to make a selection.In the next few days they will go 4 to a 12" tub and be nurtured until they produce their first truss of flowers. After that, it's "off with their heads" to encourage the plants to put all their energy into setting and ripening the fruits.
Things are starting to produce now. On Friday we ate Lady Crystl new potatoes (heavenly flavour) swiss chard and oregon giant mangetout. Tonight it's going to be a risotto primavera with mangetout and the very first shelling peas (markana), the first courgette and a few small but perfectly proportioned shallots and some broad beans. Some cheese added just at the end, and a handful of parsley and I wouldn't call the king me uncle!
The weather has been really windy - very unusual for June (but then so were the floods we had last June). I went to my half plot down a road covered in torn off branches and feared the worst. My little sheltered corner was as still as a millpond although the trees around the site were whipping about in a frenzy. Even the tall peas weren't moving. I did some watering and tied in and side-shooted tomatoes while chaos reigned around. Weird but nice!
3 comments:
Toms look wonderful. You are making me hungry, wish I was ner enough to pop over for tea!
Isn't it amazing that those volunteer tomatoes come up every year without our help! Sungold does seem to be prolific, I hope yours work for you. I also ate my first white new potatoes this week (International kidney) there is nothing to compare, is there?
They do come each year Matron, and up to now I have always weeded them out. However, since I have discovered that you can successfully 'unhybridise' an F1 I've got the wind in my sails! I will obviously do some actual F2s from this year's sungold fruits, but I know these must be sungolds because there was nothing else at that end of the greenhouse last year.
I haven't grown International Kidney - I believe it the Jersey Royal's pseudonym. They obviously didn't disappoint.
And yes, Bilbo, a bit far to come for tea. Sadly, yours would be cold. (Well, it wouldn't - we'd have eaten it!)
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