I harvested my first watermelon yesterday...unfortunately, it was not ripe when I cut into it. How do I know when they are done? It was close, it was turning red on the inside, but a lot was still white. I guess I am going to have to let the vine dry up more before I pick them.
I also did my first tomato harvest. We were gone near Chicago for 4 days, and I had no red tomatoes, with the exception of a few cherry tomatoes before we left. When I came home, I found several large red tomatoes. You can see some of them are quite big. I think these are brandywine and cherokee purple. I pick mine if they are more than halfway ripe, and let them finish inside, because if I leave them on the vine, it never fails, some bug eats them, or I get busy and then they rot.
These are the la roma II hybrids that I got from my friend Erin. I didn't know they were going to be so stripey and attractive. They are extremely meaty.
I love this view down into the basket. It is so beautiful seeing all the shapes and colors of tomatoes. Dh laughs at me for thinking produce is so lovely.
More tomatoes, onions, a couple peppers and more monster zucchini. I have a whole day of zucchini shredding ahead of me I think.
While I was gone, my cucumber vines got so heavy that they pulled down the entire trellis. I had to stand it back up and hammer these black stakes into the ground to hold it up. I hope all these vines make lots of cucumbers!
Is your garden producing like you hoped this summer?
produce IS pretty! especially that basket of tomatoes.
ReplyDeletemy container garden is doing fine...my garden bed went to weeds while I was gone for a week in June. There are still carrots and peppers but the spinach all was eaten by bugs and the brand new strawberry plants didn't produce much fruit...and the birds or bunnies ate every single berry before we could get to them.
Oh well, I'm still learning.
That stripey tomato is amazing! I got lots more tomatoes today and I might try making my own salsa. Have any good recipes?
ReplyDeleteMy cucumbers keep turning yellow too soon, and the bunnies keep eating the peppers, but my herbs are still doing very well and the carrots look like they might be making carrots.
My garden is doing awesome this summer! Better then i hoped. Your garden seems to be doing Fabulous!!!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your tomatoes! I have only several green ones, and I am afraid that this summer won't bring me as many tomatoes as before. Cucumber are also slow. Well, it looks like everything is 2 weeks later than last year.Your cucumber plants are unbelievable! As for the watermelon, you have a good idea to wait til the stem gets dry.
ReplyDeleteOh how I envy your basket of tomatoes. Amazing haul!
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