Puppy Proof Vegie Boxes Round 2

This is what Lloyd thought of round 1:

So ugly chicken wire it is. Hopefully it’s not forever.. 

I may be able to improve this. The way the corners sit means I had to cut off the edges. I could get around this with more stakes but they cost $7 each. Getting a bit pricey to make an ugly fence! At least I finally have some vegies growing again! Here I have Cherry Tomatoes and Black Russian Tomatoes. I also planted more herbs. 

And a Habanero Chilli plant. 

I’ve grown chillies before and they weren’t spicey. I blamed the Melbourne climate. But we have friends 20 minutes away who have grown various hot chillies and made them into the most awesome hot sauce. So I’m trying my luck with a couple of different types of chillies this season. Bring on some home made hot sauce! 

Summertime!

It’s like having a lolly tree in my garden.

First Cherry Tomatoes

They’re starting to turn red! 😊 🍅

To Prune Or Not To Prune

That is the question.

After two years of messy, out of control tomatoes, I’ve tried to be extra diligent this year, pinching off the laterals and keeping the fruit airy. But, man they grow fast! There are a couple of laterals that I’ve missed, little suckers! (which is funny cos laterals and suckers are synonyms. Ha).

So, here is my question: should I prune the little (big) suckers that have escaped my pincers and matured, or just leave them?

For example, the shot on the right is a lateral. It already has buds on top. It’s not in anyone’s way. Should I just leave it and let it fruit? I’m guessing the answer is yes but I love tomatoes so much I want to be sure I’m doing the right thing!

It Begins

Tomato time!  🙂

Nipping Laterals In The Bud

It’s my 3rd year of tomato growing and I’ve finally learnt to get onto pinching off my laterals early before I lose track of what’s what! So proud of my babies flourishing amongst the chaos of our backyard. A relative of mine brought me these a couple of weeks ago. They’re cherry tomatoes. I’ve never grown cherry tomatoes before so I’m looking forward to some sweet summer salads this season!