Shortly after I planted my tomatoes in late May, temperatures took a nosedive into the 30s for several nights. Some of my basil plants were severely stunted, but my tomatoes—which also hate cold temperatures—appear to have escaped unscathed. The foliage looks healthy, and they continue to grow and get bushier.
The first flowers appeared on ‘Latah’ last week. One of my readers recommended this low-growing early-season variety (thanks, James!).
Latah is a county in Idaho, and that’s where this cultivar was bred. It’s a determinate tomato that tolerates cold and/or short seasons. ‘Latah’ produces 2-3″ fruit on plants that I’ve been warned can become a little unkempt.
My other tomato plant that is almost ready to flower is ‘Early Girl’.
I’ve grown ‘Early Girl’ before, but not for many years. I was too busy dabbling in the longer-season heirlooms. My in-laws have always had great luck with ‘Early Girl’, so I thought I’d give it another try. This early-season indeterminate plant bares medium-sized fruits that weigh 4-6 ounces.
It will probably be a few weeks before my favorite tomato starts blooming. I fell in love with ‘Chef’s Choice’ (75 days) last year, and I can’t wait to get my hands on some of those tasty, golden-yellow tomatoes again.
The tomatoes were thick, meaty and delicious. When frost finally threatened to put an end to the growing season in late fall, I was able to store the fruits blemish-free on the counter for more than 6 weeks. Wow!