Tomatotastic and Pepperific!

You want to see me excited set down a vine-ripened tomato in front of me.  It’s good to be able to take enjoyment from the most simple of things. I've always gravitated to tomatoes' juicy, delectable goodness. Now peppers, I really didn't let them into my life until senior year of college.  A professor handed me a fresh bell pepper while on an organic vegetable garden tour, one bite into that fresh red bell pepper and my dietary world had been broadened.  Tomatoes are still my favorite, but its a good thing that they play so nice together.

The versatility of this most precious fruit is unmatched in my mind.  There are a few tomato based staples in my life; pasta sauce, barbeque sauce and of course salsa.  All of which I've made in the past and plan to once again.  Other great uses are out there and I love to eat, it goes hand in hand. But before we get to consumption there is a lot of hard work to get us to that point.

Ground preparation is very important, practices of rototilling, adding amendments; peat moss & compost. The unique structure of peat moss improves the soil's water & air holding capacity. Compost adds organic matter and nutrient holding abilities. Growing in the glacial outwash that is the Anoka sand plains soil structure becomes a big concern.  Trying to fix your soil in a single year could become an extensive and expensive task.  Instead practice good land stewardship and over time the dirt you started with can become the life giving soil you deserve. 

Peat moss and compost added to the soil, concentrated in where the rows of veggies will be planted.  

Last year I had a devastating run in with the blight, most everyone I know had a hard time with their tomatoes. The growing season was not conducive to tomatoes, my vines began to wither and it seemed like the crop was doomed. It was a scary sight and I began to panic and hoard the tomatoes I could.

This year I decided to do things a bit different, weeds and disease are two big concerns.  Many commercial growers have adapted to using plastic mulch as a barrier between the soil and the plant. I wanted to do something of the same, but also want it not to be wasteful.  By using landscape fabric I could reuse it from year to year and still have the weed and soil barrier.  Plastic fabric over plastic allows water and air to pass through, I don’t want my watering to be overhead and need it to be more efficient. (That will be tackled another day, I've got some ambitious plans for plant hydration).

A propane torch made the holes in the fabric for each plant, melting the plastic to prevent fray. 

I dug the hole with a post hole digger, filled each with water before adding the plant.  After placing the tomatoes I back filled the holes with soil and compost, then watered again.

That’s enough detail on the planting, what it is really about is the plants. Altogether on this day of planting I was able to plant 34 tomatoes and 34 pepper plants.  But I struggled even narrowing it down to these numbers.  Most of my tomatoes are heirlooms; 1) out of curiosity, 2) I have access to plenty of conventional tomatoes from work, and 3) The different colors, tastes and textures allow for a lot of tomato improvisation.  The variety of different uses of each of these will provide for some excitement this fall.  

This last year I saved some seeds from some unique peppers that didn't grow true to type.  From this seed I started plants for the garden to see if they grow into the same pepper. One was a purple bell pepper that grew long and twisted and the other was a lime colored Ancho hot pepper. I have always been drawn to plants that are different, something unique and perhaps even a new variety.  Whether I ever take the step further into plant breeding that would be a whole other venture, but would be quite fun. I also planted a few hots and some sweet peppers, a range of shapes and colors. 

Last few peppers to plant, the diagram shows the list of varieties chosen for the garden. 

There will be a rundown of varieties and uses to come. But I wanted to get this updated.  Thirty-four plants of each peppers and tomatoes are probably more than a man needs, especially when his only roommate doesn’t eat either.  I do love my fresh veggies but not everything needs too be eaten freshly, that is where my passion for preserving the harvest comes into play.  I’ve got my favorite recipes, but am always on the look out for a new or old recipe to try.