planting monster tomatoes

For several years, the buyers who make decisions about plants Publix will receive have been contracting to with the growers for Huge tomato plants, growing in one gallon buckets: already so large they come shipped with stakes to hold them upright. The greenhouse workers put three plants in each pot, and obviously have their sprinkler system set up to feed them some sort of industrial strength fertilizer around the clock. Maybe some of that growth hormone the baseball players get in so much trouble about that congress feels compelled to question them about their personal habits.

I told Paul he should just slowly drive by the 'front porch' at the store and cast his gaze on the enormous tomato plants sitting out by the parking lot. I did not expect he would come in and ask how many of them I wanted: especially since I did not actually want any. I would be perfectly content not planting the first one - but he bought two of the big ones, and several of the smaller, more reasonable size. I knew he was really asking how many holes I was willing to dig, and how many plants I would agree to nurture over the next few months. His commitment, after paying $13 each for the two pots, consists of asking if it is time to get the mayo. out to spread on the bread. And honestly- it won't be long, since both pots had tomatoes weighing down the vines that were beginning to change color.

I hope the transplant shock will not cause them to loose the nearly-full-grown fruit that was on the plants when they were stacked on pallets to ship from the grower, as they would have had the vines falling on the sidewalk when they came off the delivery truck. If they survive, it won't be not long until he will be needing that loaf of bread and jar of mayonnaise. We've had a little rain in the past couple of days, so hopefully his plants will provide enough red, ripe, juicy fruit to drip off his chin for months to come.

The little ones (I picked out) wee small, in starter pots, are in the ground as well. Several years ago, I decided to plant tomatoes along the chain link fence, so I could just tie them up to the fence as they grow, get leggy, and out of control. All the dirt here is hard, red, tenacious clay, so I had to dig a trench along the fence line and replace all that clay with good rich hummus/compost I 'borrowed' from the garden, to make it worth planting in. When I got ready to plant the little ones, I put in more healthy soil, along with time-release fertilizer, and a shake of lime, then laid the little ones down in the trench, covered with good dirt and hope they will be producing after the big ones peter out.

I will be watering tomatoes, while stocking up on the Hellman's and light bread.