I planted some big tomato varieties (don’t know which row they ended up in) and one plant has a megabloom that set fruit. I removed the other flowers from the cluster leaving the big one. Thought I read somewhere that removing flowers could lead to a heavier fruit. My biggest worry is sun damage since it is at the end of my row. I want to grow a big tomato. Heaviest tomato from ‘23.
Interesting observation in my veg gardens this year: mini sweet peppers are growing really well in very little sun. Due to two trees growing in more than I realized, they have only 4 hours of morning sun, and it’s not all direct given they’re partially shaded by trellises or taller plants. They’re always billed as a full sun plant, so I hope this encourages others to try even if you don’t have good sun. They are mini sweet yellow and orange peppers from the grocery store that come in a bag of organic tri colored conical peppers. The 10+ of them are doing so much better than the peppers I bought as seeds and had in full sun last year. Although, arguably not a fair comparison given we had daily rain this year and last year we had higher temps and a drought.
When you save seeds, but don’t look up how to do it properly and find out the next year that they’re a sungold-black cherry hybrid…very large, redder, still has some sungold flavor but not my favorite. Thankfully over half of the plants look and taste more true to sungold.
I’ve noticed this too and I always chalked it up to being at 2k elevation in dry high desert, like “full sun” here is murder on plants but what would be “part shade” here is like “full sun” elsewhere.
my peppers are slow but steady, 6 or 7 varieties are going in ground; they could have used an extra week in the greenhouse heat. one that was a start someone gave me is very tall and pumping them out already, it’s in a grow bag.
my tomatoes are a similar predicament in being short but flowering now. I am not weeding as much as I should right now and I know it. ugh
tomato row in full sun is small,
but in part sun with a shade, taller -
there’s also eggplant, patio cukes and beans mixed in there. and chard, tomatillo, corn and sorghum patches at the ends. everything is in a confusing non-pattern this year, it’s ok, it’s jungle year.
What’s a good edible plant to grow during the summer heat? I have a packet of bunching onions. I’m thinking I might throw some in between the rows. I was going to try cilantro or basil, but I just know that it will bolt quickly.
Malabar spinach? Edit: Or Okra? If you didn’t want something slimy, for some reason, maybe bush beans?
If you have a long season still, you can grow roselle or seminole pumpkin. Culantro is similar to cilantro in taste, but doesn’t bolt nearly as fast. Genoese basil will bolt, but if you cut the flowers you will get new leaves, and they don’t get bitter like some herbs and leafy greens.