Seriously Good Tomatoes

Its no secret that growing heirloom tomatoes from seed is one of my favorite things to do in the garden. I refuse to buy already started hybrid plants from the big box garden centers. They just don't offer the variety that you can find from a good heirloom seed saving company.

This summer I started two different varieties, Prudent's Purple and Reisentraube. The first one being a large beefsteak type tomato and the other being an old German cherry tomato heirloom. By the end of September all six of my seedlings(three of each)were in the ground.

With absolutely ideal growing weather over the last several weeks I am on the verge of having one of the best tomato crops I've ever had. The plants are growing like rockets out of the ground and are loaded with blossoms. I believe the high number of blossoms I'm seeing is a direct result of growing buckwheat as a cover crop over the summer. Buckwheat brings phosphorous out of the soil for plants to use and is a key mineral in helping the plant produce fruit/vegetable blossoms.

Cover cropping and composting is an excellent way to grow organic and a practice I have been using for the last several years with very good results. I can't remember the last time I even bought miracle grow.

Hopefully our nice fall weather will keep on truckin' and give me enough time to get some really good tomatoes off the vine before the one or two frost we'll get this year arrives.