Tomato Update

Each of the three tomato plans we set out in September have at least doubled in size and are beginning to bloom. This is very encouraging for a gardener who has never grown fall tomatoes in Arizona. We usually plant enough that we can bottle what we need for the rest of the year, but this season we decided it would be nice to have fresh tomatoes for barbecued  hamburgers, salads, and braised with slices of zucchini in olive oil. There is a long way to go yet, especially with the zucchini which I just put additional seeds out that we sprouted indoors (see prior stories about birds). Tomatoes still need to set, grow, and ripen. For those in cooler climates, we can pretty much guarantee another 10 weeks before frost is a concern. In fact, I recall a year when our kids used the wading pool on Thanksgiving. It can be that warm that late in the year.