Wednesday, January 14, 2009

January 14, 2008

Well folks, this economy isn't getting much better anytime soon.  So while it's not time to panic and start hording food, it is time to start saving money, paying off debt, and above all, become more self sustainable.  I'm not going to run out and get chickens (though I would someday like to raise some layers), nor tear up my yard to plant enough food to feed an army, I am going to grow more food than we can eat in the hopes of feeding my family nutritious food.  Oh, and in the short term, don't worry too much about prices skyrocketing, deflation is more likely (prices dropping), but in the mid-term, the government is going to have trouble pulling out of all it's entered and that will raise prices.  Just enough time to grow a killer spring/summer garden.

To that end, I have decided on the tomatoes I'm growing this year.  Yes, most of you have not only decided, but you've ordered and received your orders.  So I'm slow.  The reason is, if I pick the "right" tomatoes, I'll never be buying tomato seed again!  The way I see it, I want to get it right the first time.  So I obsessed.  Sorry you had to witness it.  Anyway, here are the winners of the let's grow a tomato contest (along with where I'm getting them from, note that I've got amazing friends out there!)...

  • Black Cherry (Thanks Carolynp!)

  • Yellow Pear (Thanks Judy!)

  • Bloody Butcher (Thanks Carolyn!)

  • Sunset Horizon Redota (Tomatofest)

  • Legend (Tomatofest)

  • San Marzano Romas (Thanks Carolynp!)

  • Gardener's Delight (Thanks Cynthia!)


Ok, you may notice that that's seven varieties, and I've got room for 6.  Well, I have too many tomatoes to plant, so I may not grow Legend myself.  My brother's going to grow it and I was going to use the extra space for more big slicers/saucers.  However, due to the generosity of all my wonderful garden buddies, I may grow Gardener's Delight cherry tomatoes in it's place.  Can you imagine how colorful a salad would be with GD, YP and BC all mixed together!?!  I'm drooling already.

As you can see however, I'm only needing to buy two varieties.  That's $7 or so of my $15 minimum order.  I'm afraid I'm striking out on getting my gardening buddies to go in with me on an order (see above... they already have their orders, hehe you snooze you loose).  If I can't get an order split, my brother convinced me to buy extras of the Sunset since that's a proprietary seed.  That way I can use it to trade (read give away) or even grow and sell seedlings like my buddy EG may do next year.  Hehe, I'd give the person a few blocks away a run for their money (someone down the street sells tomato seedlings every year).

Anyway, I'm excited to get out to the store and look into SWC and light set-up materials.  Tomorrow's a late night for work, but maybe Friday.

Enjoy your garden and become more self sufficient... you just may need it.

7 comments:

  1. don't feel bad, I havent ordered tomato seeds yet either...or eggplant..or peppers...*sigh* How is it that its JANUARY and I feel like I've fallen behind? LOL I'm looking at heinz and san marzanos for sure...along with whatever I can get in trade, I'm planning on sending those seeds out to you tomorrow, made a post it so I don't forget!

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  2. I love all the tomato seed trading that I've been seeing. It seems a really good way to get a lot of different varieties and fun too.

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  3. I started to grow that San Marzano paste tomato, myself. It came down to it, and opalka. Of course, opalka won, because it is larger! Heh. Your selections sound really good, and you have chosen a good mix of things. Good job! I'll be posting my tomato blog tomorrow, so come check it out! Oh! How's your propagation project going?

    EG

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  4. Hey! This is my first time commenting but I've been reading your blog for a while now. Good stuff!

    You're going to love black cherry tomatoes. Our's are still growing and my kids (7 and 4) adore going out back and picking a few to pop in their mouths on the spot. They are delicious!

    I've started 17 different varieties of tomatoes for this spring. I live in AZ so we get to start a lot earlier than others (plus, my fall tomatoes are still going). I am really excited to get this garden going full swing though. Something just seems to have changed and I'm ready to jump in with both feet.

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  5. How lucky for you to have so many sources for your seeds! I might be attempting to grow mine from seed this year. I found a web site source for free seed from the Winter Sown Org. and I sent for six varieties. If they do send me the seeds, I have requested Stupice, Black Cherry, New Yorker, Amish Paste, Cherokee Purple and Brandywine. My second choices, in case some of these are not available, were Tumbling Tom, Green Grape, Marglobe and Kellogg's Breakfast. It might really be touch and go for me to get the seeds up and growing before time to set them out. I just can't get Mr. H to leave Arizona early enough in the spring!

    Granny

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  6. I'm planning on 16 varieties plus I have a few seed orders to place. I don't know where I'm planting them yet... I'm just crazzzy that way. =)

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  7. Yes, Interesting times for sure. The gold bugs have been waiting for times like this but even gold is not responding in the way it should.

    Looks like you have a good mix of tomatoes this year. I am going to have way to many for the space I have. I think I am going to try a couple of those Topsy Turvy Hanging Containers to grow some of the tom's on the wall. If you run out of space you could always start to use some of your wall space.

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