Micro Update and Tomato Plans 2021

   It is a beautiful, sunny, 10 degrees C here today.  This kind of weather makes me want to get my hands in the dirt and start seeds.  Alas, a tad too early!  

    The Orange Hat micros were the first to begin ripening.  I put the seeds from 3 of these tomatoes into a jar to ferment for saving.  (The tomatoes, by the way, were delicious!)

   Tiny Tim finally began ripening about 4 days ago.  Of the two varieties, Orange Hat seems more productive.

 That is rosemary in front of the tomatoes.

 

Marjoram on the left, and Pineapple Sage peeking through on the right, in front of the tomatoes.

 

 

   I will be away this Spring and for the gardening season, but will start some tomato and pepper seeds for R shortly before I head to Nova Scotia.  Why I continue to frustrate myself by attempting to grow peppers here, I'm not sure.  *L*  Hot peppers, like Hungarian Yellow wax and jalapeno, have done moderately well, but I have yet to have solid success with sweet peppers.  Maybe our season is too short.

   In any case, my choices for peppers this year are Sweet Chocolate and Shepherd (also sweet).

  My tomato shortlist is...

Repeats  

Bellestar  (DETERMINATE, Canadian, red, blocky oval, paste)

Early Annie  (DETERMINATE, medium red globes, juicy, slicer/canner, EARLY)

Black Sea Man  (DETERMINATE, black beefsteak, excellent flavour)

New

Ropreco  (DETERMINATE, small red paste, productive, sets well in cooler weather, EARLY, ~65-70 DTM)

EM-Champion  (Sprawling DETERMINATE, red, meaty, ~3’ tall, Russian, EARLY, can grow in large pots)

Azoychka  (INDETERMINATE, yellow beefsteak, Russian, citrousy/balanced flavour, EARLY)

Neves Azorean Red (INDETERMINATE, red beefsteak, good flavour, mid-season 75-85DTM)

Gary O’Sena  (INDETERMINATE, large black beefsteak, good flavour, Purple Cherokee & Brandywine cross, mid-season ~75DTM)

Valencia  (INDETERMINATE, vigorous plants, bright orange, 8-10oz globes, meaty, good flavour, 75-80DTM)

Mrs Schlaubaugh’s Famous Strawberry  (INDETERMINATE, red, large pointy heart, ~75DTM)

Kosovo  (INDETERMINATE, large, pink, variable heart, juicy, brought to North America by a former United Nations worker in Kosovo, ~75DTM) 

Andean  (Or "Cornue des Andes", INDETERMINATE, red, long, pointed, ~75-80DTM)  

Emalia  (INDETERMINATE, RARE, long pointy saladette, origin: France, Lucky Tiger & Orange Walk cross, mid-season) 

Maglia Rosa  (Semi-DETERMINATE, pointy pale pink cherry tomato, can be grown in pots, mid-season, best harvested as they just turn light pink, flavourful. Named after the mottled pink jersey worn by the lead racer in the Tour of Italy.)

Ripening Micros

I spotted the first ripening micro tomato ("Orange Hat") this afternoon!

Gold-Plated Grow-Light

   Okay, not literally gold-plated.  I just experienced a wee bit of sticker shock this week when I ordered a replacement bulb for the Lee Valley Grow-Light Kit I received for Christmas in 2015. This grow-light has worked out really well, and I have relied on it for starting my transplants in the Spring.  The replacement bulbs are not listed for sale on the website, and instead have to be purchased through Lee Valley's Special Orders department.  In any case, a new 18" Sunblaster LED strip light is on the way!

   A few weeks ago, a dear friend shared some of her Maglia Rosa tomato seeds with me. She enclosed them in this lovely card, which I have kept where I can see it every day.

 

    Check out this detailed list of Canadian small seed businesses that includes vendors of seed potatoes, garlic, and berries, fruit trees and nut trees. The blogger did a great job putting this resource together!

Ice Fog and Frigid Temps

   Brr!  It is -40 this morning (forecast to get as low as -45 today with the wind chill).  The ice fog at 7:00AM was thick and rolling.  This picture was taken ~8:25AM.  Less ice fog, but still hazy.  It's hard not grab a hot chocolate and just sink into hibernation mode.

 

 

 

An Uncanny Coincidence and A Talented Seed-Swapper

 

   Every once in a while, something happens that makes you sit up and think, hmmm... 

   Earlier today, I looked up from my laptop and outside the window were two large blue jays. They were nibbling at the remnants of the dried up crabapples on the tree and eating the bit of bird seed we put out a few days ago. I told R., who also noticed a third blue jay in the neighbour's yard. It was so wonderful to see them. We rarely get blue jays here - I see one or two a year, if I'm lucky. Some years, I don't see any.  

   R. spotted the flag on our mailbox was down, so he got the mail while I continued to watch the blue jays. Just before he came back in the house, they flew away. 

   I received seeds in the mail from a lady who shared a tomato variety I'd been looking for. Imagine my surprise when I opened the envelope: the card in which she had enclosed the seeds featured a picture of a blue jay eating crabapples from a winter tree.

   Is this an uncanny coincidence, or should I be reading up on spirit animals and messengers?

 

 

   Also in today's mail were pepper seeds from a member of an online seed swap group I enjoy.  When people send seeds, the degree of effort and 'extras' varies.  Some people simply mail a small bag or envelope of seeds. Others - most - add a little note, sometimes written in a card that also serves to protect the seeds as they travel through the mail.  Some enclose 'extras', whether than be extra/unexpected seed varieties, stickers, recipe cards, etc.

   This trader really is a standout, and receiving her mail is a special event.  In addition to sending extra seed varieties (in addition to the one I was looking for), she makes her envelopes from colourful scrapbook paper and paints her own cards!  This one is a "keeper".   I love the little bee.  :)

 

 

 

Micro Tomatoes - First Fruit

Here is what the micro tomatoes look like today.  Plenty of flowers... 

 

...and the first little tomato has appeared on one of the Orange Hat plants.

 

 

These two became too tall to fit under the grow light.  They seem to be doing alright on the cat tree, though.  :)

 

 

 

Micro Tomatoes - First Flower

  Early this month, I potted up most of the micro tomatoes that were sown November 22nd of last year.  A trip to Canadian Tire is in order; I need more potting soil for the remaining two.

  One of the Orange Hat micros has produced a flower, with more about to open any day.  :)  They seem to be ahead of Tiny Tim in terms of developing buds.

 

 Time will tell whether my grow light will adjust enough to allow room for these plants.  I read after the fact that some micro tomatoes aren't as "micro" as I thought!  I think these varieties will grow ~6-12 inches tall, but another 4-6 inches needs to be added to that, taking the depth of the pots into account.