Huerto Urbano Tijuanense 2016

[Gerardo]

Hello.

New year, new thread entitled Tijuana Urban Orchard.

My winter children sunning themselves. Some of them will move into their new homes this weekend.

rooftop.1.13.tv.jpg

rooftop2.1.13.tv.jpg

rooftop3.1.13.tv.jpg

[Hunt-Grow-Cook]

They look great Gerardo, really thick healthy looking stems.

[carolyn137]

OK, time for me to ask what may be obvious to others but not to me.

You live and garden at the tip of the Baha penisula near the Mexican border.

Your thread title refers to Tijuana.

So do you have two places where you grow your stuff or just one?

Sometime I want to get back to your comment about de Colgar varieties, I tried to find it but couldn't do so.

I don't want to mess up your NEW thread so perhaps via PM unless you are game for a de Colgar interchange here. Your choice.

Carolyn, who was just sent some OUTSTANDING turrone from Spain and wondering if it's also found in Mexico and that can be a PM as well,yourchoice.

[Gerardo]

Thanks H-G-C!

Sure Carolyn, I can clear it up. There are actually three places I tend to. First a little background.
As you may or may not know, the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848 settled the border that we have now, at least in this area. If I remember correctly, the official spot was chosen by measuring about 5 km south as the crow flies from the southern tip of San Diego Bay (1 marine league)
The line that divides the two countries is simply that, an imaginary line. There's no geographic marker to divide us, as is the case with the Rio Grande in other areas. Here urban sprawl is continuous from Camp Pendleton down to about Rosarito, a coastal town more or less 20 miles down the coast on the MX side. I'm one of those people with one foot on one side and the other foot, well you get it.

Garden 1 is where I live, an apt bldg with the rooftop you see in the pics above. I only do seedlings here . I may do an earthtainer this upcoming summer. Weather is a transition zone between coastal and inland. Have a few ornamentals too.
Garden 2, the main one, is at my parents' place, also on the MX side and further inland, it gets hot, the equivalent of Inland San Diego weather.
Garden 3, a strictly summer endeavor right on the beach. Watermelons mostly. This summer it will also be populated with dwarfs.

And I'm not a purist when it comes to threads, all info welcome. Here's the thread where De Colgar/ long keeper was mentioned http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...598#post524598

PS. I'm absent a sweet tooth....

[Gerardo]

Here's the info on it:

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Pearls_of_Wisdom

I was impressed by the stoutness of this plant, others around it were hit hard by a variety of ailments, and this one stood strong. Its ability to handle the disease burden in my garden is second to none, that alone earns it a slot or two for 2016.

pearls of wisdom.jpg

pearls of wisdom2.jpg

Taste is very good

pearls of wisdom3.jpg

Household survey produced "Hell yes" when queried as to it staying or going.

pearls of wisdom4.jpg

The inflorescences project quite a bit and produce a range of fruit sizes, with one dominating. Here's a pic from late Nov.

pearls 3 tv.jpg

Hope this helps.

[Cole_Robbie]

Is Tatiana the one who named Pearls of Wisdom? Maybe she can explain her name choice, if so, just because I always wondered about it. I thought I had the wrong variety at first; I was expecting a white cherry by the name. If I were one of those unscrupulous people who re-named tomato varieties for their own benefit, I would call this one Purple Nips.

And I'm glad you liked it. It was one of my varieties that I was on the fence about due to the wet weather I had. I want to try it again now.

[peebee]

Beautiful healthy tomato seedlings Gerardo! When did you start them, and how (under lights, or just out in the sunshine after harding off, etc)?
I just sowed some seeds last week but I'm gonna have to rethink my timing next season. I might start in late fall. My winters are mild but not as warm as your area but I think they could survive. Worth a try.

[Worth1]

The plants look great.
In the pictuer on your roof top is that downtown San Diego way off in the horizon?
It seems about right.
Worth

[Gerardo]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Is Tatiana the one who named Pearls of Wisdom? Maybe she can explain her name choice, if so, just because I always wondered about it. I thought I had the wrong variety at first; I was expecting a white cherry by the name. If I were one of those unscrupulous people who re-named tomato varieties for their own benefit, I would call this one Purple Nips.

And I'm glad you liked it. It was one of my varieties that I was on the fence about due to the wet weather I had. I want to try it again now.

The name is a bit baffling, I agree. Purple Nips is appropriate. Definitely give it another shot.

Originally Posted by peebee

Beautiful healthy tomato seedlings Gerardo! When did you start them, and how (under lights, or just out in the sunshine after harding off, etc)?
I just sowed some seeds last week but I'm gonna have to rethink my timing next season. I might start in late fall. My winters are mild but not as warm as your area but I think they could survive. Worth a try.

The bigger ones sprouted way back in the middle of november. December was a bit unkind with the cold. No supplemental heat or lights, just what they get from the sun. For next winter I'll be sowing some cold tolerant varieties in sep to time it just right.

Originally Posted by Worth1

The plants look great.
In the pictuer on your roof top is that downtown San Diego way off in the horizon?
It seems about right.
Worth

Your bearings are correct, just the location is a bit off. These will help.

Garden sites with numbers 1, 2, 3, arrow shows pic direction
garden 1 2 3.png

What you see in the pic is more or less the colored rectangle
view from pic.png

[Worth1]

Thanks for the orientation some how I had your area of growing pegged dont ask me how.
If I am not mistaking the hill you see in the map is Cerro Colorado which is an extinct volcano?
We have one in Austin people drive by every day and dont know it.

Worth

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Gerardo

Thanks H-G-C!

Sure Carolyn, I can clear it up. There are actually three places I tend to. First a little background.
As you may or may not know, the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848 settled the border that we have now, at least in this area. If I remember correctly, the official spot was chosen by measuring about 5 km south as the crow flies from the southern tip of San Diego Bay (1 marine league)
The line that divides the two countries is simply that, an imaginary line. There's no geographic marker to divide us, as is the case with the Rio Grande in other areas. Here urban sprawl is continuous from Camp Pendleton down to about Rosarito, a coastal town more or less 20 miles down the coast on the MX side. I'm one of those people with one foot on one side and the other foot, well you get it.

Garden 1 is where I live, an apt bldg with the rooftop you see in the pics above. I only do seedlings here . I may do an earthtainer this upcoming summer. Weather is a transition zone between coastal and inland. Have a few ornamentals too.
Garden 2, the main one, is at my parents' place, also on the MX side and further inland, it gets hot, the equivalent of Inland San Diego weather.
Garden 3, a strictly summer endeavor right on the beach. Watermelons mostly. This summer it will also be populated with dwarfs.

And I'm not a purist when it comes to threads, all info welcome. Here's the thread where De Colgar/ long keeper was mentioned http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...598#post524598

PS. I'm absent a sweet tooth....

Actually I had a big grin on my face when you said the dwarfs were on the beach and I'll add,presumably eating watermelons.

First I looked up Rosarito and found it was so very close to the border and then I said to myself,self,you HAVE been to Tijuana but when and why and then it clicked and here's the short version which may not be short for you.

When I lived in Denver before I bought my home I lived in an apt,two floors,ell shaped,pool in the ell,,ground floor and the young lady who lived next to me was Vicki.

I got to know her very well and so well that when I heard explosions coming from her apt I ran in to see what it was. She was trying to fix a delicious meal for her then male friend,had 4 Cornish game hens and just poured in dry rice, The rice absorbed the moisture and the birds blew up.

I think she was maried in San Diego where she was from, but the wedding reception was near Denver and it was there I met her mother who had flown in for the event.

Vicki introduced me to her told her about the blown up birds and she invited me to go to San Diego with Vicki and stay with her at her home.

She met us at the airport and then we took a freeway and got off and it was winding roads to the top of that bluff. The home was at the top with gorgeous views to the valley below. HEr father was an Admiral for some fleet somewhere and he died when Vicki, the only child was very young.

A few memories of San Diego and this was in the 70's, it didn't take that long to drive down to the freeway back to downtown and we did that almost every night to eat even though there was a cook and several maids at her home. There was one restaurant on the wharf, it was painted blue and oneof the best meals I'd had, the theme bein fish, but much more,

Ok,here we go. Her mother said lets drive Carolyn to Tijuano and show her what it's like, we did.

What I rememebr was flashing lights of many colors everywhere and LOUD music coming out of doors and windows everywhere.Also an excellent place to pick up liquors such as Drambuie and B an B, etc, b'c they were half the price if bought in the US and I don't remember any customs agents at the border checking anything as happened when I flew back to the US from MExico or other places.

Thanks so much for the history lesson and letting me know where you live and garden,from time to time.

I'll get to the colgars eventually,and thanks for the link.

Lastly, I'm so sorry Ithink, to find out that you are sweet tooth negative,if only it were the same for me.

Carolyn

[Gerardo]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Thanks for the orientation some how I had your area of growing pegged dont ask me how.
If I am not mistaking the hill you see in the map is Cerro Colorado which is an extinct volcano?
We have one in Austin people drive by every day and dont know it.

Worth

Quite a few interesting geological formations all around here. The continuation of the Mt. Laguna formation as it heads down the Baja peninsula is chock full of beauty, it's called Sierra de Juarez. It continues pretty much all the way down. Lots of volcanoes both as islands in the Gulf of Cortes or as formations on the peninsula. if you have some time type these in as search strings for images. You'll get some beauties.

Playa El Requesón (one of my favorite spots)
La Lobera (sea lions chilling)
La Bufadora Ensenada (blowhole)
Valle de los Cirios (if you like succulents, this place is heaven on earth)
Bahia San Luis Gonzaga (hard to beat landing a plane at low tide on the sand)
Playa La Gringa (good fishing from the shore)
Isla Ángel de la Guarda (a huge island, with lots of cool stuff on it)
Isla Coronado (an even prettier island)
Sierra de San Francisco (views, hiking along old indian trails, rock art)
Sierra de Juárez (Laguna Hanson, observatory, lots of pine trees)
Eiffel-Santa Rosalia (one doesn't expect to find a piece of Europe here, they shipped it out piece by piece and it's a legitimate Eiffel design)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanis...aja_California
and finally one of the coolest spots to camp for the night.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_P..._San_Francisco

Some people say the biodiversity of Mexico is down in the rain forests, I say they're crazy. Chiapas and Yucatan are more or less continuations of central america vegetation. What you get here is unique, the Baja Peninsula and the Sea of Cortes have a few spots that can hold their own against the Mediterranean. At least in regards to breathtaking arid landscapes going all the way to the ocean, similar to Ios.

[Gerardo]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Actually I had a big grin on my face when you said the dwarfs were on the beach and I'll add,presumably eating watermelons.

First I looked up Rosarito and found it was so very close to the border and then I said to myself,self,you HAVE been to Tijuana but when and why and then it clicked and here's the short version which may not be short for you.

When I lived in Denver before I bought my home I lived in an apt,two floors,ell shaped,pool in the ell,,ground floor and the young lady who lived next to me was Vicki.

I got to know her very well and so well that when I heard explosions coming from her apt I ran in to see what it was. She was trying to fix a delicious meal for her then male friend,had 4 Cornish game hens and just poured in dry rice, The rice absorbed the moisture and the birds blew up.

I think she was maried in San Diego where she was from, but the wedding reception was near Denver and it was there I met her mother who had flown in for the event.

Vicki introduced me to her told her about the blown up birds and she invited me to go to San Diego with Vicki and stay with her at her home.

She met us at the airport and then we took a freeway and got off and it was winding roads to the top of that bluff. The home was at the top with gorgeous views to the valley below. HEr father was an Admiral for some fleet somewhere and he died when Vicki, the only child was very young.

A few memories of San Diego and this was in the 70's, it didn't take that long to drive down to the freeway back to downtown and we did that almost every night to eat even though there was a cook and several maids at her home. There was one restaurant on the wharf, it was painted blue and oneof the best meals I'd had, the theme bein fish, but much more,

Ok,here we go. Her mother said lets drive Carolyn to Tijuano and show her what it's like, we did.

What I rememebr was flashing lights of many colors everywhere and LOUD music coming out of doors and windows everywhere.Also an excellent place to pick up liquors such as Drambuie and B an B, etc, b'c they were half the price if bought in the US and I don't remember any customs agents at the border checking anything as happened when I flew back to the US from MExico or other places.

Thanks so much for the history lesson and letting me know where you live and garden,from time to time.

I'll get to the colgars eventually,and thanks for the link.

Lastly, I'm so sorry Ithink, to find out that you are sweet tooth negative,if only it were the same for me.

Carolyn

Sounds like you had a good time. Tijuana has gone from being an epicenter of gambling/drugs/prostitution, to an epicenter of gambling/drugs/prostitution + industry (healthcare manufacturing, aerospace parts, TVs, heavy machinery), a culinary revolution, and a source of cultural blending to the extreme. It's a big city, with 2+ million people, lots of jobs, lots of opportunities. The underbelly, however, is quite ugly. People are deported every day and there are few safety nets for them, homelessness is rampant. Many of them have substance issues. The majority are good people in a bad spot. There are, nonetheless, a good percentage of them that are up to no good regardless of where they set up shop. We'll just say those things are for another forum that handles public policy and immigration issues.

This place here is about tomatoes and positive things. So here's a pic of today's carnage in preparation for the new tenants!

carnage.jpg

PS had Cornish Hen yesterday

[Worth1]

Thank you for the information it is a place I have always wanted to go to again but I need to apply for a passport now.
Sometimes I like to spend time looking on Google earth and all of the mountains and old volcanoes.
I have to ask, you have no problems with the roof top tomato plants being bothered it looks like you have the roof to yourself.

Worth

[Cole_Robbie]

What's it like crossing the border back and forth often? How long does it take by car?