Home-grown baby tomatoes are my favourite fruit!
Cherry, plum and the small long ones - together - crop more heavily than any of the larger varieties, with which I no longer bother. (and they’re a LOT more work!)
But, I have consistently tried and failed to get them ripe in time for Christmas. Even with large tall
green-houses and starting in late Winter.
I live right up the northern end of the Tuggeranong Valley in north Kambah.
Next year one of the two tall green-houses will move out a metre or so, of the north face of our long Northern deck in late Winter, into full sun, and I will see what happens!
Just in case I lose some of the seedlings - in that exposed green-house - to frost! I will double up the number of seedlings in the other green house.
Given regular watering/fertilising, with worm-castings tea, here in Canberra, it seems that these small varieties are much more resistant to pests. No, I don’t often spray in a given season. If the season IS a bit pesty, organic home made sprays are my first resort.
Since going down this path, I have often wondered if truly well-fed veggies have their own
pest-resisting capabilities.
Fertilisers matter! Way the best is worm-castings tea. So convinced was I of their value is that I now have two worm farms, the Bunnings branded ones, which come with a manual. I’ve looked at it a couple of times.
We do sometimes buy small tomatoes, but our home-grown ones taste better! I know this is NOT a double-blind test, but I accept the findings.
Apples and peaches come a close 2nd and 3rd. With plums a close 4th. Passion-fruit in season, too!
