What I came home to after a Vacation

[gixxerific]

Just got back from California for a week to find a lot has changed. Glad everything made it in fact they are all much bigger. Still some more out there I was just getting overloaded. I will busy seeding and eating.










Here is what I picked the day before I left, I put them in the fridge. I will seed or freeze these for sauce.



The layout pic goes like this: Left to right front to back.

The very front, the teeny fruit are Anmore Dewdrop and a mystery one that squirrels relocated. If I had to bet I would say Sgt. Peppers but I am not a betting man.
First Row: Bushy Chabarovsky, Donomater (Counselor), Donomater (Apple), Dwarf Jade Beauty, S612 F3, S312 F3, BWT-212.
Second Row: Peter Glazebrook Special, Cherokee Tiger F6 Striped Plum, Coastal Pride Red, Siberian Tiger, Sgt. Peppers (Non Heart),Indigo Apple Coorong Red F5.
Third Row: Big Cheef Stripes, Tasmanian Chocolate, Tasmanian Pink F4, Shadow Boxing, Balkan Tiger F3, Roughwood Golden Plum, Orange Tree.
Back Row: Coastal Pride Orange, Lime Green Salad, Dwarf Stone, Kecksmeti Jubileum, Balkon Star, Victorian Dwarf, Perfekta

[digitS']

Well!

I'm glad it wasn't some sort of tragedy that you are reporting on, Dono!

What are you doing taking a vacation during the garden season, anyway? I suppose if leaving always had results like this, I'd be tempted to head off in some direction, too . . .

Steve

[imafan26]

Looks terrific. I guess your garden was set up well to take care of itself before you left. Guess that means you can take more vacations.

[cynthia_h]

Taking a vacation during gardening season *may* have something to do with it being summer vacation for schools....

Just a wild guess, you know. But I would *love* to have enough heat to grow tomatoes like that!

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[gixxerific]

You can have my heat CH. It was awesome out in Cali for me. I don't like the heat. It never got above 80 with low humidity. Here it is 80 with humidity next week in the 90's.

Yes I did take good care of my garden before leaving. I had a helper come by and water my pots twice while I was gone. Though my main garden didn't need any I super watered before I left. Banking on a mid week thunderstorm it all worked out. The pots though need special care.

[applestar]

Looking great! So many maters!
...now post your seed saving station -- is that downstairs?

Is the Donomater from me #4? That had the the larger somewhat sweeter fruit than the other three plants, and earlier... I think somewhat wispy or at least narrower foliage. All of the Donomaters grew wide stretching leaves that wanted to take over the area though.

[gixxerific]

Yes Apple those are from you. I will take pics on that and post a thread soon they were not quite done and there may be more now. I still have a bunch to go through just stored 27 plates of seeds yesterday about 24 variety's that have been sitting for a while. Got a bunch more upstairs fermenting I need to do some more but I am running out of cups to put seeds in without leaving the family with no cups.

[applestar]

I have no room for cups -- I've switched to snack size ziplock bags. Ice cream tub is just the right size to hold the unzipped bags and kep them from spilling out their smelly contents:

[gixxerific]

I was thinking of another way. Thanks

[RogueRose]

Love the variety! It looks like a magazine!

[RyNJ]

WOW! Wow. Amazing.

[gixxerific]

It's like this or worse every day now. Loving every minute of it too.

Every day I have a huge pile of tomatoes on the counter, downstairs, still on the plants etc. This won't go on forever but it's cool while it last. Busy Busy Busy. What doesn't get eaten or frozen get's seeded so there is always something going on trying to weed them out.

Here is to a great season for all!

[cynthia_h]

Do you ever dehydrate your tomatoes? Dried tomatoes are incredibly intense and rich-tasting. You can chop them up into almost any raw or cooked dish, put them on pizza, add them back into spaghetti/pasta sauce, or (guilty pleasure) just eat them as they are.

Cynthia