Every  year I plan out the garden, start the seeds and try to get the garden in the ground before the middle of June.  Some years go better than others.  But unlike is often recommended for newer type gardeners, I…

Growing tomatoes can be a very rewarding and frustrating experience, especially for a northern garden with a growing season of around 100 days.  But with a moderate consumption rate of tomato products throughout the year, they are one fruit I…

When people find out that you grow your own food their typical response is that it is a “nice hobby” and/or that “you can buy it cheaper in the store” and/or that “it takes up so much time”.  Although I…

For years I  only planted tomatoes I could get in the local stores or  nurseries.   But I got tired of the same varieties and when I found something I  liked, they were not always available year to year.  So I…

Although I have been gardening for decades, it has always been viewed by folks as a lot of work that does nothing to save money. “You can buy it cheaper in the store” and “Once you include your labor and…

Tomatoes are a member of botanical family Solanaceae which make up a group of plants better known as nightshades.  Surprising to me, there are over 10,000  recorded tomato varieties with more being developed all the time as home gardeners breed…