Last year my goal was to have the first ripe tomato by my birthday, June 24th and I had this small tomato to celebrate with:
My actual first ripe tomato last year was June 15th and the birthday one was only the fourth or fifth tomato.
This year's early tomato production has been even better! My first ripe tomato was on June 5th, and today on my birthday we have these:
A whole windowsill full of garden fresh tomatoes!My daughters and I have decided to count how many tomatoes we pick over the entire season. So far we are at 40! The most recent ones are Orange Blossom Tomatoes. They are larger than the early girl variety and much larger than the 4th of July tomatoes.
They are delicious, a great birthday tomato! They are very meaty and flavorful. This year's garden birthday present will be orange blossom BLTs - colorful, delicious and salmonella free!
Happy birthday, Marc! Congrats on a great tomato harvest already this season!
Posted by: June 24, 2008 at 03:11 PM
Happy B'day!That is, by farm the best darn tomato I have seen in some time.
Posted by: June 24, 2008 at 03:55 PM
Happy Birthday Marc! So are you going to try for May next year? My tomatoes seedlings are doing terrible this year. I actually bought a few plants to make sure that I have some ripe tomatoes before August. :(
Posted by: Anthony | June 24, 2008 at 04:27 PM
Hey Marc, wishing you a very happy birthday and many more tomatoes from the garden!
Posted by: Kenny Point | June 24, 2008 at 08:09 PM
I'd say you have the trick mastered for early tomatoes.I look forward to trying to get my tomatoes early next year. You and I both garden 'right on the line between zone 6 and zone 5' but I am in Utah so just a tad bit drier. But, thanks to you, I am encouraged to try to get mine in earlier.I had not heard of Orange Blossom Tomatoes. They look beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: June 25, 2008 at 04:13 AM
Oh what a wonderful birthday. Happy Birthday. I have Orange Blossom tomatoes in my garden too, but they are only 1" wide right now. It will be a while before I get to eat them.
Posted by: June 25, 2008 at 04:27 AM
Happy birthday even if I'm a day late! Nice maters!
Posted by: Tim | June 26, 2008 at 03:39 AM
Happy Birthday!! What a great gift, fresh tomatoes...yummmmm!!!!!
Posted by: June 26, 2008 at 06:51 AM
Happy Birthday! what a great way to celebrate. I've just checked my blog archives and my first ripe tomato last year was June 18th. Everything is a bit later this year, I am just about to post my first ripe tomato today. Nearly 2 weeks later here but we had a cold Spring.
Posted by: June 26, 2008 at 09:55 AM
I am impressed with your early tomatoes...they are beauties! I have some green ones, but no sign of ripening yet, probably due to the cool wet spring.Happy Birthday!
Posted by: June 26, 2008 at 05:57 PM
That looks so delicious. I hope my tomatoes catch up soon!
Posted by: June 28, 2008 at 07:43 AM
Happy belated B-day Marc...sounds like you're the master of early tomatoes! I live in Utah and we had a very unusually cold late Spring early summer and then it skipped the 80's and went straight to the 90's and many nights in the low 70's, so many peoples tomatoes have had a hard time setting fruit. I'd love to know the varieties you planted this year. I have 25 different Heirloom varieties and all are setting alot of fruit unlike most people here in Salt Lake. Maybe it's the 5 different Organic soil ammendments I mixed into my soil and the Foliar fertilizing I've done that has helped the plants out? I would love to know some of your secrets to getting early tomatoes if you're willing to divulge. Have a great harvest...I'm sure you have more tomatoes than you know what to do with right now. Most people around here have only had their first or second tomato by now...that's how bad the blossom drop has been!-Christian Jankejankekona@gmail.com
Posted by: August 01, 2008 at 11:04 PM