The summer weather has made for interesting times for garden maintenance.  I am grateful for the past few days as the rains eliminated the chore of watering in the evenings.

The garden had a slow start this year.  After Hubby got the tilling done, including mixing in the fertilizers, I got to planting.  Our garden consists of tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, cucumbers, green beans, zucchini and yellow squash, and a horseradish patch which will finally be ready for harvest this fall.  I put in just a few cauliflower plants as an experiment as I have never grown it before. 

The only casualty thus far is the green beans.  I planted two rows of beans.  I have one lonely plant.  I am not sure if it was an issue of bad starter beans, or a bad chipmunk that found a way to do its own sort of early harvest.

The fence keeps out some of the critters, but not all.  Where there is a will, there is a way!

I planted several varieties of tomato, including my favorite… a hybrid that was nurtured by my maternal grandfather (Papa).  The plants grow tall…VERY tall.  Last year they were at least five feet or better.  That particular tomato is a cross between a beefsteak and a hothouse tomato, which makes them huge, and the flesh a lovely shade of pink.   The biggest tomato I grew last year weighed in at just over one pound.  My Uncle John has grown them larger!

My Uncle John reminds me of my Papa, sharing his gardening hints and passing on family history.  He grows a huge garden, does his own canning, and makes incredible wines.  As my family has done for generations, I experiment with ideas, and feel satisfaction in growing my own food.

Back to the tomatoes!

The biggest issue with tomato plants that big is keeping them staked, especially when they start to grow fruit.  With each plant producing several giant tomatoes, they get so heavy!  I have used a variety of wire cages, and reinforced the support with wooden stakes.  They fair well until later into tomato season, and then as they are top-heavy, they slowly start to droop towards the ground. 

This year, I asked for some assistance from Hubby.  I had an idea, showed him a picture, and asked, “Can you make this?”

“Of course I can.”

Good answer!

Hubby did some shopping one morning and returned with metal electrical conduit (pipe), connection boxes, and wire fencing material.  He has a pipe bender, and built a frame with the conduit that spanned the length of each tomato row.  Then, he used the wire fencing material to build a trellis in the framework.  It is sturdy!  I go out weekly, trim off the branches of the plants that do not produce blossoms, and tie up the remaining branches for growth support.

The tomatoes are climbing the trellis.  There will be more to share as the plants start to produce and we learn how well the new structure will take the weight.

In the mean time, the zucchini and yellow squash plants are monsters and seem quite happy with the weather conditions.   We have already enjoyed a meal or two with the squash, and look forward to enjoying them for weeks to come.  I know there will be one or two zucchini that will be hidden, getting too big, and will either be stuffed and baked, or shredded for a treat of bread or muffins. 

For now, I will keep cultivating the soil around the plants to encourage growth and allow the water to get to the roots.  It is likely time to add some liquid fertilizer to give a mid-season boost. 

This weekend, the tomatoes will be trimmed and tied to the trellis as they have grown over the last week.  That experiment is well underway.

I am looking forward to sharing the story of growth and a giant tomato or two as well!