The tomato plants are put on the Garden Centre/Nursery shelves in late September till the end of the season. Hardening is required by putting the plants outside firstly under cover then gradually less cover until strong in their pots. Once done then after a few weeks plant them in the garden and watch them grow. It always has been considered the best time to plant these fruit after the Royal Launceston Show Day, (mid October) hoping that there wasn't a last frost. Of course there usually is one, so hence if the fruit is not hardened there is the chance that it will be bitten and more required to be bought. Sometimes it's hard to get what you want the second time.
We bought my dad some tomato plants and a couple for ourselves, so now we will have two small areas of tomatoes growing and hopefully will have them coming out of our ears in the summer.
Chutney will be made by my husband, I don't like it nor does my dad, however it will save wasting tomatoes. We don't make tomato sauce as we are not fans of it.
Dad enjoys watering the tomatoes, he can only guess where they are planted :) It's a hobby for him thus gives him an interest outside.
Hardening the tomatoes.
Tasmanian Tomatoes which were grown in a hot house for sale in our supermarkets.
Asparagus Fern which is growing in our garden.
All photos taken with my iPhone.
Oh M we harden out tomatoes here in Canada to but it is funny reading this today as we have just had a frost bringing us into the winter. You are starting to plant while we are hoping we have ours all in. I love seeing the difference. It is good for your Dad to have some outside garden to think about. xxoo G
ReplyDelete:) a big difference at the opposite ends of the world..xoxox
DeleteI agree with Buttons - it is strange to think of you just putting your tomato plants in whilst we are gathering the last of our tomatoes to have with our supper tonight.
ReplyDeleteSure is strange, it's hard to believe that all is opposite.
DeleteI have never heard of hardening tomatos and when I first read the title of this post I read Tomato Hoarding and wondered what you where doing hoarding tomatos when they cost and arm and a leg to buy.............lol
ReplyDeleteJo-Anne, you wouldn't have to do that where you live.
Deletelol...tomato hoarding, must be the font.
They are costly and tasteless at he moment.
That sounds like a lot of work but very rewarding in the end. Our problem is keeping them free of bugs and diseases.
ReplyDeleteWe don't seem to have much trouble with bugs or disease on our tomatoes, guess we are lucky, nothing like a new tomato you grow yourself.
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