RKayne's Blog
RKayne's posts about: Black Prince Tomato
Oct 3, 2007 | 11:11 AM PST
Tags: Tomato , Brussels Sprouts , Radish , schefflera , spinach , lettuce , Purple Kolhrabi , Walla Walla , garlic , Sugar Snap Peas , Jade , Black Prince Tomato , Brandywine tomatoes , jalapeño , Cold Stratify , Rain
So, we have a new cam, so pics will be forthcoming. We have been getting rather a bit of rain (about time) but it is finally the end of the 'real' gardening season. If I can figure out a way to do it with minimal dirt (I know I should use at least a 5 gallon container but am willing to take a risk) I may cold stratify some of the tomato seeds I saved and start them up here in the office. That would be kind of cool, having some fresh tomatoes here. I kept some Black Prince and Brandywine seeds, although who knows what they will end up being as there were a few different varieties of tomatoes out there and I did not bag them so they are no doubt cross pollinated. I really don't mind, as long as they are fresh! I am planning on starting up some of the Jalapeno seeds I saved, I know it will do fine in a relatively smaller pot. I have all this sunshine here at my desk so I might as well take advantage of it, right?
On another note, my wife just started her new job (she actually is going to get paid to learn, and sign language at that, I am stoked as I have always wanted to learn to sign so she is going to have to teach me...and several other people in my office LOL) and she does have her own office so I have another project. Nice pots and some plants for it. She wants to take the Jade and I am all for it, but we will have to get a full spectrum bulb and lamp as she doesn't have any windows and that bugger needs some light! I have some cuttings I have taken from my office building and her old one of this corn looking plant that I still don't know what it is, but do know that bugger will grow in the dark, haha and some Schefflera cuttings I took from her old building that have all rooted up nicely.
My favorite story about Schefflera's...A pal of mine owned a hotel on the NC coast and the hurricane wall they had put in was coming down after a particularly nasty storm so the hotel had to come down. The people who were hired to take all the furniture and whatnot out and put it in storage really were not all that smart as they put all the plants in the storage unit as well. Three months later we opened up the unit, having already assumed the plants were living in the movers homes (nothing to quibble about, this all had to be done fast so the owner just figured a home is a home) and there they were. No water, no sun, three months...they were fine. They were Schefflera.
Time to get going on some winter gardening. I got seed for Walla Walla sweet onins, Garlic cloves, Purple Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprouts and Spinach so far. I have cleared the sugar snap pea bed so now all I need to do is take down the trellis (I used screws so it is basically collapsible) and recondition the little plot o'dirt and wait for the maters to finish up, collect the radish seeds from the early radish's that I let bolt and do that soil as well and I figure that I will let our youngest help (he will love to) since I already told him the one side is all his! He gets to plant the garlic, onions, (he wants them now but I had to explain that they will be in spring!) Brussels Sprouts and Kohlrabi. I thought that he would get a kick out of being able to not only garden while it is cold, but they are very neat looking plants. He and I are the only ones in the house who will eat Brussels Sprouts so we will be having plenty of them, haha.
I will plant the spinach and plan on several lettuce varieties for this fall and come early spring in my tomato and radish bed, yum!
Pictures will be soon, I promise!
ps~ this blog post has been Cut and Pasted!
Jul 20, 2007 | 11:18 AM PST
Tags: Black Prince Tomato , Farmers Market , saving tomato seeds
Isn't it beautiful? The first one...all pretty, and smoky...this is fully ripe, oh so fully ripe. I cut it in half, I drizzled on some Olive Oil, some garlic...mozzarella and a tad of italian breadcrumbs...broiled....yum. Why do people insist on the standard sterile taste of commercial tomatoes? Why can they not 'think outside the box' and realize the best, tastiest tomatoes are not the 'pretty' orange beasts that is all you can find at the supermarket? Get yerself to the local Farmers Market this weekend and find some heirloom tomato, the weirder or uglier the better and treat yourself to a wonderful taste! Here is my article on how I save the seeds (next one, I promise!) SAVING TOMATO SEEDS
Jun 11, 2007 | 12:52 PM PST
Tags: Black Prince Tomato , Brandywine , tomato , Farmers Market
I got two new family members and am so excited! My honey let me get a....wait for it...BLACK PRINCE TOMATO!!! WOO HOO!!! Not just that, but I got a Brandywine! She didn't quite get why I was all crazy when I saw them, so first chance I got I showed them (the actual tomatoes) to her (we were at our Farmers Market, the one in West Seattle ROCKS!) and then she got it. They are not the most attractive things but damn sure are when you are eating them. We bought a couple of Black Prince that were so wonderful, and I introduced her to a guily pleasure of mine for dinner, tomato sandwiches. Next it will be drizzled olive oil and herbs on halves, covered in mozzarella and a bit of breadcrumbs then Broiled, hehe...oh it is going to be grand to have REAL tomatoes this year!
While we were there I picked up a few things and our non veggie teen age boy is going to have a hissy fit tonight. I stopped and noticed I was arranging our dinner around His Tastes...oh dear, can't have that! So, we got garlic curls, sugar snap peas, baby bok choy and some broccoli and going to stir fry them up, hehe...
