Volunteer to be moved on.

Almost time to move the volunteer tomato plant from amongst the Zucchini's as they're starting to cover it with their big leaves now.

For those that don't know the term 'Volunteer', it refers to a self sown seedling.

Pruning today

I pruned the tomato plants that are growing in the garden bed this morning and couldn't get over just how much growth these plants have put on since they were planted. I started planting on the 10th October, which was 18 days ago and some of the plants from that first day are looking great at the moment.

Here's one from the first day of planting, a Black Cherry - my how it's grown.

More tomato plants.

I'd been promised a tomato plant from a Romanian family and today the "gift" was passed across to my wife to bring home for me. There are two pots, one with 7 small seedling tomato plants, the other with 6 small sweet Pepper seedlings which originate from Turkey. So now the dilemma, where do I plant them all as this will make 12 tomato plants with the 6 seedlings I picked up on Saturday.

I'd better start looking for some pots for the Peppers and maybe somewhere I can dig up and plant some tomato plants. More plastic tubs would be handy, so I'll add them to the shopping list.

I couldn't help myself

After a few messages passed back and forth, plans were made for a rendezvous at 10.30 a.m. today on the Burwood Highway, in Melbourne's east for the collection of none other than 6 tomato seedlings, not long pricked out and potted up.

The main one of the three types I really wanted were the Green Banana, although St Pierre and Purple Russian also had me wanting to add them to my garden, even if it is in tubs. With them only being small, it will give me time to find somewhere for them to grow.

I'll have to stop growing so many - maybe next year.

Happy Tomatoes

I now have my yard back to normal and my tomato plants are looking happy in their plot in the garden and growing madly. Quite a lot have got their first flower trusses, a lot have small fruit which seems to multiply daily. One small 'Lime Green Salad' plant in the hothouse is a mass of flowers across the top of the plant.

Another plant I'm watching madly is the first of my 'Little Heart' which is fruiting as well, hopefully these will be the same as last year, small heart shaped and flavoursome.

Lots of the plants in the garden are in active growth, some have grown over 15cm since being planted just over a week ago.

The Last Tomato Plants - Going

Wednesday 22 October will see the last of the ordered tomato plants collected for another year and we can settle back and grow this years crop without the need to stand up plants that have blown over in the wind, or water twice or three times a day because the mix had dried out.

Yesterday saw the sale of 200 Tomato plants and 50 Chilli/Capsicum plants at Tooradin Market. We had completely sold out and were packed up by 11.30 a.m. and managed to be at our Grand daughters 6th Birthday Party at Midday, so all in all a good day.

Next Market we go to we'll be selling Goji Berry plants.

Zucchini's in a Tub

We've put our Zucchini's in a tub this year as we have been cramped for room, having tomato plants spread around the lawned area.

Here's our 'Black Jack' Zucchini's with a volunteer Casey's Pure Yellow tomato seedling sharing the tub.

Goji Pot Up

I spent some time yesterday potting up some Goji Berry plants in readiness for a Market in December. Hopefully being in 75mm Supertubes (3") that they will now put on a bit more growth between now and then. As they enjoy a dose of Seasol, I think another feed will help spur them along nicely.

Here's a few of the potted results.

A Sight To Behold

This is what every Tomato grower looks forward to seeing each year, new baby tomatoes forming on the bushes. Here's a couple of different plants in the hothouse starting to load up, so looks like we'll get to try a November tomato.

Finally Done

Today I planted my last tomato plant. No surprises there, until you see how many we've got growing, both in the garden and in pots. I only hope they all don't ripen at once otherwise we'll be inundated with the things. With so many varieties, it pays to keep a record of what is actually where, be it in the garden or in the hothouse, so here is my list, so far.

UK2000
Grosse Lisse
Rainy's Maltese
Black Russian
Nicoleta
Greek Witness
Black Cherry
Grub's Mystery Green
Tigerella
Red Cloud
Country Orange
Mutant - Cuor di Bue
Cebrino
Polar Star
Casey's Pure Yellow
Vodar
Little Heart
(Rogue) Brandywine Pink?
Raff
Cherokee Purple
Monomakh's Hat
Kotlas
Picardy
Lime Green Salad
Papa Misco
Siberian
Prairie Fire
Siletz
Totem
Window Box Roma

This list doesn't include the likes of Tiny Tim, Micro Tom & Red Robin that Jan has growing amongst other plants. I'm also hoping to emulate the mixed varieties that grew from the Cuor di Bue seeds I had given to me, so I actually have 5 plants that should give me the desired effects, plus I have another 5 plants that I called 'Little Heart', scattered around the yard.

I almost forgot, but there's still one more tomato plant to go in, but I haven't been given it yet. It's another Romanian tomato from the same family who gave me the seeds for Nicoleta, who also gave me seeds for this second one but I couldn't get them to germinate this season as they are very old, bought out here by the father of the lady who gave them to me. Just recently the seed was successfully germinated within the Romanian family and I have been promised a plant when it gets bigger, so I can't wait to try it out this season. Nicoleta is a fabulous tomato and has a taste that would rival any other tomato here this year, so lets hope this new one also has great flavour.

I just need to get some ripe fruit now and I'll know - 'It's tomato season' ....

Don't forget.

When the tomato plants are in the ground, don't scratch your head and say "what one is that", instead why not just add a label as you go. I make my own laminated named labels for the tomato plants and they can be re-used year after year. This year I'm growing some different types, so I've just made up some more labels and I'm set.

There'll be 31 tomato plants growing in this one patch, so you can see why labels are important, can't you. So don't forget.

Tomato Plants Galore

Well, we've still got some tomato plants here and will try another Market and see if we can get rid of what's left. Surprising when you don't grow many of one variety, that's the type everyone wants, this year it was Black Russian. Some varieties won't be grown again and doubt anyone will want Marianna's Peace as the plants grew a lot bigger than any of the others.

Yesterday and again today, I managed to get some of this seasons tomato plants actually planted in the garden which gave me great satisfaction, I must say after all the work. I'll manage to squeeze in 31 plants in the vegetable garden plot, but will still have a lot in pots and tubs. We're using a big chunk of our bed this year on the mutant plants that we expect from some odd Cuor di Bue seeds. We're trying to uncover what else is hiding in them as last year we got all shapes, sizes and colours, so the luck of the draw I think this time.

Here's the work in progress so far, but have to wait on the last plants to harden off a bit, slower now with the warm days we're having.

Something that stood out while moving the pots to the garden was Kotlas, first one to fruit again.