tomato love

We love tomatoes. Not the almost white inside things sold in the grocery store at this time of year, but the many colored, tender skinned, delicious ones we grow here. Efforts are always underway to have fresh tomatoes as many months as possible. While we can and use those all winter, fresh is still best.

A volunteer appeared in the hoophouse. Nestled amongst the more winter hardy greens it is unlikely to survive and set flower and fruit in cold January days. If the plant produces flowers we will need to get out the paint brush on a sunny day and spread pollen for germination. While it seems unlikely, the double layer of the hoophouse and its own private additional cover will certainly help. If the winter low is after sunny days and the jugs of water stay warm inside there overnight we might just have a chance...