This is Dad with the boys last Summer during our last trip to my parents home (the house I grew up in) in Grand Island, New York. They are in Dad's thriving garden admiring God's greatest fruit- the tomato.Heading in to a new week I have a very important task that is being threatened by the forecast of rain virtually every day.
It is of utmost importance that I get my tomatoes planted by this Thursday, my day off. As I write, lightning is striking and the ground is saturated. My garden sits waiting, even yearning, for tomatoes to be placed in it's soil. In Kansas, waiting to plant tomatoes much past the first week of May can lead to problems as it gets wickedly hot by late June. Your plants must have fruit before the hot spell or yield will be way down.
It is of utmost importance that I get my tomatoes planted by this Thursday, my day off. As I write, lightning is striking and the ground is saturated. My garden sits waiting, even yearning, for tomatoes to be placed in it's soil. In Kansas, waiting to plant tomatoes much past the first week of May can lead to problems as it gets wickedly hot by late June. Your plants must have fruit before the hot spell or yield will be way down.
Yield way down = inability to make many batches of sauce.
Inability to make many batches of sauce = one cranky Tony.
My father, with his wisdom and experience concerning such matters, planted his tomatoes (13 plants!) last week, so he is ready. Too much rain won't be good for his crop either, however, he has many years of experience in dealing with such conditions, he'll be able to nurse his plants through the excessive moisture. This is his first tomato crop in Kansas, having just moved here last Fall. He's excited because of the long growing season we enjoy in Kansas, compared to Western New York. He has done a great job quickly establishing a raised garden in his back yard. He is an expert at mixing a soil that grows massive tomatoes. Now that he lives close, I'll have a chance to learn from the master. He also grows his tomatoes from seed- no Wal-mart nursery for him. He has several "Italian" tomato plants that supposedly come from the Old Country- or so his best friend Jimmy Aronica says (can you trust a guy whose nickname is "The Fox").
Dad gave me some pointers on how to plant my tomato plants even if it does rain all week, however it's just not the best way to do it. A man must be serious about his tomato planting, or he ought not do it at all.
My father, with his wisdom and experience concerning such matters, planted his tomatoes (13 plants!) last week, so he is ready. Too much rain won't be good for his crop either, however, he has many years of experience in dealing with such conditions, he'll be able to nurse his plants through the excessive moisture. This is his first tomato crop in Kansas, having just moved here last Fall. He's excited because of the long growing season we enjoy in Kansas, compared to Western New York. He has done a great job quickly establishing a raised garden in his back yard. He is an expert at mixing a soil that grows massive tomatoes. Now that he lives close, I'll have a chance to learn from the master. He also grows his tomatoes from seed- no Wal-mart nursery for him. He has several "Italian" tomato plants that supposedly come from the Old Country- or so his best friend Jimmy Aronica says (can you trust a guy whose nickname is "The Fox").
Dad gave me some pointers on how to plant my tomato plants even if it does rain all week, however it's just not the best way to do it. A man must be serious about his tomato planting, or he ought not do it at all.
1 comment:
Pastor T, I am with you! The home-grown tomato has to “God’s Greatest Fruit”! I know yours and your dad tomatoes will be great, but O’ the unbelievable taste of a Moldavian Tomato! Can’t wait for our Redeemer mission team to feast on some of these red beauties, lovingly cared for by Pastor Daniel Aposti and those he is training up in the ways of the Lord at his Christian Farming trade school. But there is another fruit we will feast on that is just about as wonderful as a Moldavian tomato… that is their “arbuse”. Russian, for Moldavian watermelon. Makes my mouth water just thinking what is in store for us. This mission stuff is tough work, but someone has to do it!
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