Vegetables

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Earthbox 2011

Saturday, March 19th, 2011

EB1: removed fertilizer strip, added the EB non-organic fertilizer, added 1lb dolomite.  Did not replace any of the soil.  I am guessing this is the second season for this box maybe.  Planted green bean seeds, clockwise starting at water tube: Roma II, Roma II, French Filet*, Provider, Blue Lake*, Contender (replanted 4/18), Royal Burgundy*, Pencil Pod*, 3/21.  (* planted these seeds 4/10, after the original varieties just kind of fell out of the soil or did not take off.  So far the Roma II is thriving, the others look iffy–curled leaves, very unsteady and flopping over to the point of falling out of the soil).

EB2: removed fertilizer strip, added the EB non-organic fertilizer, added 1lb dolomite.  Did not replace any of the soil.  I am guessing this is the second season for this box also.  Planted squash seeds, left to right facing EB with water spout on left: spacemaster cucumber, Johnny’s yellow multipik, black beauty zucchini, dixie hybrid yellow squash, 3/19.

EB3, first use of this EB: planted six peppers on 3/27: clockwise starting at water tube: Johnny’s Seeds Green to Red Bell Ace F1, Reimer Seeds Early Sunsation, Reimer Seeds Grande Jalapeno, Serrano (from nursery), Johnny’s Seeds Hot Ancho 211 F1, Reimer Seeds Poblano.

2010 Tomato Roundup

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

Summary of last season’s tomato varieties:

Sungold: Very good producer, lasted thru the summer, 3/4″ to 7/8″, orange cherries.  A favorite.  Aunt Carolyn says “good, sweet!”, and I have to concur.

White Currant: good producer, by far the most delicious of the cherries.  Super sweet, juicy, thumbs way up.  Only downside is they are difficult to pick–they don’t pop off easily and split often when pulling off (in which case you have to eat immediately, yum!).  Small 1/2″ to 5/8″ fruits.

 

Sungold and White Currant Tomatoes

Sungold on left, White Currant on right

 

Black Cherry: good prodcuer, 7/8″ to 1″ fruits.  Better if you wait until fully ripe, there tends to be some green that hangs on.  Flavor ok, but was not a favorite.  Aunt Carolyn proclaimed “skin tough”.

Black Cherry Tomatoes

Black Cherry

Bush Early Girl: “Early” in that they seem to ripen faster than other tomatoes.  Smallish non-cherry tomatoes, average 2.5 oz. Somewhat bland flavor, but not bad.  Decent production.  Plant seemed a bit leggy, but that may have been my growing conditions.  Survived the summer and produced into fall.  Was more productive in the fall.  Reliable.

Bush Early Girl Tomatoes

Bush Early Girl

Japanese Black Trifele: smallish fruits, teardrop shaped, meaty, good flavor.  Might do this one again, but fruits kind of small for a non-cherry.  Aunt Carolyn thought they were “too sour”.

Japanese Black Trifele Tomato

Japanese Black Trifele

Aunt Ginny’s Purple: this was the flavor winner.  Large fruits.  Very tasty.  The most “tomatoey” tangy flavor of all the ones I grew.  Definitely growing this one again.

Aunt Ginny's Purple and Japanese Black Trifele Tomatoes

Aunt Ginny's Purple on left, Japanese Black Trifele on right

 

Stupice: these were a fall-only planting, so only got a few from the plant.  I think overall they were ok, but smallish and nothing remarkable.

More Tomatoes

Saturday, November 20th, 2010

Today’s harvest, 2.5+ lbs, mostly Bush Early Girl, with a few Japanese Black Trifele (the darker ones below), plus the usual group of cherries.  The Bush Early Girl have proven to be quite productive.  They ripen much faster than the other varieties I am growing.

Fall Tomatoes in Austin

First Earthbox Tomatoes

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

Picked the first tomatoes from the two Earthbox plants today.  I am now thinking these are Stupice and not Aunt Ginny’s Purple, as originally thought.  I think they are too small to be Aunt Ginny’s.

Stupice Earthbox Tomatoes

Stupice Earthbox Tomatoes

Bush Early Girl

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

Typical Bush Early Girls picked this week.  Averaging 2.6 oz.

Bush Early Girl Tomatoes

Bush Early Girls