And then there was one...

It is out there right now.  The last tomato, along with the last cucumber and the last bean.  At first there were countless numbers, swarming in the garden, demanding to be picked.  They teemed in vast numbers like the passenger pigeon.  At first their numbers blotted out the sky, but then there was just one left.  One alone, sitting in a zoo.  The last one.

Thank goodness my crops just sat in my yard.  I hate to think how much harder it would have been to shoot the vegetables out of the sky.

I never quite expect it when it happens and believe me, it happens very fast.  One day you are up to your elbows in picked produce with pounds of other vegetables waiting on the vine to be harvested.  The next day you are looking out over what the heat and lack of rain has wrought.  Spring has gone.  That ship has sailed.  It is summer and your plants are failing fast.

In years past we would fight the inevitable by watering more and pruning and hoping against hope that the plants will set more fruit.  That is called investment in loss.  Sure you might get a few more tomatoes or cucumbers, but they will be pale copies of earlier versions - blighted and bug shot.  Better to start over in the fall.

So, here we are near the close to the banner year of the tomato harvest.

Here is what I learned this year:

1. I learned that indeed, planting your tomatoes in pure compost does lead to high production.  Along with the compost I also added a big scoop of bone meal as outlined in Rodale's Organic Gardening book.  I will definitely be doing that again each time I plant tomatoes.

My little green friend...

2. As far as regrets, I can think of only one.  I never got to try out my 'put the assassin bug near the leaf footed stink bug nymphs' to see how it would work.  I was an organic gardening warrior this year and many pairs of adult leaf footers met their end under my feet.  I found only one hatching of the little red leaf foot nymphs and they were all congregated on a single tomato leaf.  Unluckily for them I had my gloves on.  Without a moments hesitation I crumpled up them and the leaf.  I won't say I didn't feel some remorse for having to end their lives, but at least it was quick.  Ah well, there is still time for my experiment.  I will hold back on my ninja like reflexes the next batch of babies I see and send in my hired assassin... bug that is.

Ah, a leaf footed stink bug family.  Dad, Mom and babies.  Looks like I broke up a lot of happy innocent family time.  But on closer inspection, maybe not so innocent at all.  I think Mom is wielding a knife!

3. I learned that the Creole tomato is indeed a great tomato for hot humid conditions and it wins the spring 2012 award for greatest production.  Corny Creole gets a special award for setting over 70 fruit and bringing almost all of them to ripeness.

4. The BN444 tomato is awesome in big beautiful fruit.  I will be looking for it again for sure.  It was my first venture with a determinate type and I have got to say I will be trying more of that style again.  With determinate, all the fruit sets about the same time so the harvest is not stretched out.  That is perfect for the spring around here since it gets so hot so fast.

5. The Top Gun tomato is still looking good.  It had fruit around the half pound size.  Beautiful fruit and quite productive.  Although the plant still looks good, it seems to have stopped growing, which makes it a determinate variety. 

6. The Big Boy tomato started off poorly.  It was suffering from something that I could not figure out.  It set a lot of fruit but they were dwarfed by the whatever.  Then it just rebounded and right now it has quite a bit of good looking fruit remaining an seems to be still setting.  This is great because I chose it due to how well it performed last year and this second wind has justified my choice.

7. Of cucumbers I learned that there is not a cucumber worthy of my affection other than the Burpless Hybrid.  Sure the pickle cucumber tasted great but I prefer the plant that is impervious to powdery mildew and produces tons of fruit.  I am pretty sure we will get a couple more cucumbers before the plants are completely gone.

8. What I learned about the beans is that I need to get them in a lot earlier and do second and third plantings a lot earlier as well.  The harvest was good and the second planting still looks great.  The problem is they don't seem to be able to set fruit in the heat.  Maybe there is a variety of bush bean that does better in hot humid climates.  I am sad to see this bean harvest end. 

9. The 3/4 circle tomato cages worked better than any other I have tried.  Although I could have tied them up better within the cages, the wire gave them plenty of support.  The open space allowed me to get to the plants and the fruit with ease. 

10. Sweet potatoes are the salve to the decimation the hot weather brings to the garden.  Those guys are perking along with very attractive vines and beautiful leaves.  I put them in as I removed the finished crops or where I knew things were going to be finished soon.  The sweet potato does not need anything from me.  It is the aloof cat of the garden plants. "Leave me alone," it says, "Come back in October and see what I have made for you."  Okay. 

So the spring of bounty is drawing to a close, but that does not mean an end to the garden harvest - oh no, no, no, no, weary sigh, no.  Now it is the passing of the torch.

Now it is time to dance with the fig and okra.