July 12th Red Tomato

July 12th is traditionally Orangemens Day but for me it is the day I expect to pick a red tomato from my garden. Over the years I planted the tomatoes when I arrived home from Florida at the end of April. More recently we arrive home in early May and don't get the plants in the ground until about May 10th.

This year I fully expected to have red tomatoes as the weather was perfect. Hot days and nights usually signal a great growing time. My plants are almost 6 feet high and are loaded with green tomatoes but none appear the make my deadline.

While living in the Valley I used to plant from seed and kept the young plants in a sun room and set them in the ground in April, carefully covering them for the first month.Sometimes I was rewarded by a big red one in late June. They were 60 day tomatoes and forced to produce. I don't do that anymore and just let them grow at their own rate.

This year I planted the fewest number {16} in two locations. This will supply our kids and friends and make some spaghetti sauce which had been a tradition for the last 50 years. Needless to say I get great satisfaction with my tomatoes so the date of the red ones mean little to me at my age.