Before I get to the main point of this blog (assessing fruit set on the tomatoes), I want to extend an invitation to stop by and have a garden tour and chat at a time we agree to on Saturday...just shoot me an email and let me know when - any time between 9 AM and 3 PM will find me out in the driveway and available to talk. There is lots to see - the peppers, eggplant, tomatoes and all that is in the side garden straw bales all have interesting tidbits to share.
And so we get to fruit set. As of today, there are small to medium tomatoes on 27 of the Straw Bale Dwarfs, 6 of the deck grown indeterminates, and 20 of the mid driveway, grow bag indeterminates - a total of 53 plants.
Of those yet to set fruit, there are open flowers on 9 of the Dwarfs, 1 of the deck indeterminates and 11 mid driveway indeterminates - total of 21 plants.
That leaves 2 Dwarfs and 17 indeterminates with yet to open buds - total of 19 plants.
Random observations: Some of the dwarfs are suffering from blossom drop on the first cluster - they tend to be the ones with larger flowers, with many buds in the spray - all are reblooming higher up the plant. Clearly they were not happy with the temperatures when the flowers opened. A few of the indeterminates are putting out incredibly large, complex initial flower clusters from the center of the stem - among them Indian Stripe and JD Special C Tex.
Check out a few pictures below taken today, just various views of the driveway garden - and the first real sweet pepper sighting, a Red Belgium - always the first, very early, but prolific...we love it!