[JRinPA]

of satisfaction.

I think I'll have enough for salsa this year.

I pulled out a whole plant today that got lost...well, it somehow fell into the center of the one double row, and before I noticed it I had tied a co-dominant leader (the split above the first fruit truss) from a neighboring plant in its place. Since it lost its spot on the wire, I pulled it. At this point, very healthy plants with zero, exactly zero leaf spots noted. That will change with this week with the heat, I'd imagine. It always shows up by July.

I grew like this last year but let them go a little wild in some spots. It worked so well I knew I'd do it again. The wire is a bear to put up, but once it is up it is solid and no worry about fruit weight pulling it down or wind knocking it over. Last year I didn't have as many tomato plants to start, and a different black mulch had wider spaces as well. I had a lot of Big Beefs that were weighing in at 17-18 oz each, in those first couple trusses, and we made plenty of pizza sauce and soup.

This year I carefully and precisely planned to plant a more reasonable single row of tomatoes and a single row of peppers in each double. But my pepper starts were terrible and I didn't have enough. So...all tomatoes. FOUR rows. In preparation I picked up 20 lbs of nice bacon ends for $2.59/lb from the local butcher. I sort of wish I was kidding about that. I haven't used bacon in tomato sandwiches much in years. Call it an impulse buy?

I couldn't stop at 4 rows of tomatoes. Not crowded enough yet. I had to transplant daylilys and zinnia seed along the outer row.

This year, though, I am being strict. One leader per upright wire...that is, one stem every 6" for ~20ft...times 4. Nothing will be tolerated to grow into the middle. It is strictly verboten. I filled every hole through the plastic to start, and some had twins I just left together for one leader from each. I lost a few along the way and pulled that whole plant today to show them how serious I am.

"Them" includes Cuostralee, Estiva, Big Beef, Sweet Ozark Orange, Costoluto Genovese, Moskvich, my stupice trade mixup "Fauxpice", Black Krim, and of course, returning from retirement for 2021, the crowd favorite, Stump of the World!