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The First Ripe Tomato of 2010

July 23rd, 2010

On Wednesday evening I picked my first ripe tomato of 2010. Well at least the first official ripe tomato, I had a few that ripened earlier but they had blossom end rot, so they don’t count. Oddly enough these little tomatoes came from a volunteer plant that is growing in with some of my potatoes. I saw the plant sprout early and was wondering what kinds of tomatoes it would produce. They’re small, but not cherries, in between a cherry and a regular tomato. They grew well in the cool spring and didn’t freeze out with the frosts we had early in the season. If I like the flavor I may save some seeds and try planting in outside earlier than the others next spring. Perhaps this could be the ‘Chiot’s Run’ tomato.

Are you harvesting any ripe tomatoes yet?

38 Comments to “The First Ripe Tomato of 2010”
  1. Rose on July 23, 2010 at 5:00 am

    I’m harvesting a few pear tomatoes, in ones and twos at the moment, they need a bit more fertiliser so I’m working the nettle tea and pea-pods on earnest at the moment. Hoping the hungarian hearts start to ripen up; they don’t produce a whole lot, but they’re huge.

    Reply to Rose's comment

  2. Julia on July 23, 2010 at 6:29 am

    You are about two days ahead of me! I had the same thing — last week, 2 ripe tomatoes but that had blossom end rot. Today or tomorrow I’ll have the first tomato. YAY Summer!

    Reply to Julia's comment

  3. Teresia on July 23, 2010 at 6:33 am

    I will be picking and canning about a half bushel this weekend.. they seem to all be ripening at once. Our weird weather must have something to do with it.
    Its officially “Mater Season” here!

    Reply to Teresia's comment

  4. Corrie Carswell on July 23, 2010 at 7:40 am

    I have picked a few ‘Jaune Flamme’ tomatoes. The flavor lives up to everything I read about it. I also picked a huge, gorgeous ‘Pineapple’– it was beautiful! But the flavor was… boring. Just like sugar water.

    I’m glad the tomato season is a little slow this year because I have cucumbers, beets, beans, carrots, and corn to can/freeze right now.

    I let a few volunteer tomatoes grow throughout my garden too. I’m interested to see how they turn out! Let us know what yours tasted like.

    Reply to Corrie Carswell's comment

  5. Andrea on July 23, 2010 at 7:49 am

    No

    I’ve got about 50 tomatoes planted and nothing is even starting to turn.

    Reply to Andrea's comment

  6. kristin @ going country on July 23, 2010 at 8:11 am

    Yes, FINALLY. Thank you, Stupice!

    Reply to kristin @ going country's comment

  7. MAYBELLINE on July 23, 2010 at 9:07 am

    Mercy! Harvest is in full swing. I’m looking forward to fall. Yesterday I discovered that tomatoes could be preserved by freezing them. What a time saver this will be.

    Reply to MAYBELLINE's comment

  8. Sense of Home on July 23, 2010 at 9:31 am

    We picked our first Beaver Lodge Plum tomato on Tuesday evening this week. So good to have tomatoes again.

    Reply to Sense of Home's comment

  9. Rhonda on July 23, 2010 at 9:36 am

    I’ve got SEVEN volunteer tomato plants! I would have more but I kept pulling them up. They sprouted from where I had tossed rotted tomatoes, vines, etc. last year. The funny thing is, I only left that pile there for a few days before picking it up and carting it off. I guess that was long enough to drop a bunch of seeds.

    Looks like I’ve got Cherry and Romas coming up. These Romas are bigger and better looking that last years!

    Reply to Rhonda's comment

  10. Paula on July 23, 2010 at 9:39 am

    I had several volunteers this spring and they produced just as much as the others that intentionally started.

    I pulled my plants up yesterday, our season is over. Even though I had blossom end rot, too many stinkbugs to count, way too much rain at one time, I still had an ok harvest. Plenty for eating out of hand and 4 gallon ziplocs full of whole romas.

    Reply to Paula's comment

  11. Dan on July 23, 2010 at 9:50 am

    I’ve picked two siletz so far this year. It is a full size red tomato, 52 days to harvest. Looks like the rest are a ways off still though.

    Reply to Dan's comment

  12. Turling on July 23, 2010 at 9:56 am

    HA! The one thing we actually have been harvesting for about three weeks now. Delicious.

    Reply to Turling's comment

  13. Justin on July 23, 2010 at 10:00 am

    Congrats! I have three San Marzano’s that should be ready in a couple days. I’m pretty excited. I’m really hoping the canning tomato plants produce a lot at a time so I can get some jars stashed away in volume.

    It’s hard to judge size from the photo (no reference item) but yours look an awful lot like “Early Girls” or similar. I grew those last year in my rather shaded container garden (quite by accident…I grabbed the wrong seedling off the shelf) and they did surprisingly well.

    This year, I picked-up another single plant–as insurance against my other efforts, and put it in my sun-filled “picket fence garden.” It’s managed to overgrow the tomato cage and push it over (I had to stake it) and is loaded with fruit (though none red yet). According to the label, they’re one of the earlier varieties and seem to be very tolerant of early planting, container growing, crappy conditions, and low sun. They supposedly get as big as tennis balls but I haven’t seen any quite that big yet. Most are no bigger than a wintertime plum tomato (though perfectly round).

    If anyone with a really experienced green thumb is reading this, I do need a bit of advice. I have a number of acorn squash and pickling cuke plants that are growing so well they’ve literally over-taken the garden. The leaves are huge and they flower daily but I’ve yet to see the signs of any fruit. They were planted a bit late but not terribly so. Should I be concerned or just be a little more patient?

    Reply to Justin's comment

    • Susy on July 23, 2010 at 10:08 am

      They’re bigger than cherries but smaller than golf balls, some sort of mutt tomato I suppose, but maybe an ‘Early Girl’. I’ve never grown this type, I usually grow ‘Sub-Arctic’ as a cold early season tomato. At first I though they’d be cherries, but then they got a little too big. I can’t wait to eat them today!

      I picked a ripe ‘San Marzano’ from my mom’s garden on Wed. Mine aren’t ready yet, my canner is waiting though.

      I’d say perhaps your cukes/squash might have too much nitrogen. Usually lots of leaves and no fruit is a sign of this.

      Reply to Susy's comment

      • Justin on July 23, 2010 at 7:27 pm

        The nitrogen makes a lot of sense. That bed sat for at least a year and a half (while the house was vacant) with brush, packed leaves, etc. that probably composted. Once I cleaned it out, I tossed in some homemade compost to boot. Is this something that’ll probably work itself out or are there any corrective actions I can take?

        Incidentally, the vines are so prolific they’re finding their way around other plants, climbing up other plants, climbing through the fence and outside the garden, and just about anywhere else they can go. It’s like jack and the beanstalk meets acorn squash and cukes. They’re rooting wherever they can. I tried trimming some back–mostly because they’re taking-over the lawn, which must be mowed soon. In the process I found one lonely cuke starting, outside the fence no less. :-)

        If nothing else, it’s quite the adventure…

        to Justin's comment

      • Susy on July 23, 2010 at 9:25 pm

        Yes, it should just correct itself after a while.

        to Susy's comment

  14. Seren Dippity on July 23, 2010 at 12:00 pm

    All done. I have one or two hardy plants that are still producing a cherry tomato or two. And three final ones on the vine waiting to ripen. They stopped setting fruit when the night time temperatures hit the 90s. I harvested about 30 lbs of slicers, 20 lbs of sauce tomatoes and just under 4 lbs of cherry tomatoes. This is my first year of tomato success! I actually had so many coming in at once I made up sauce to freeze.
    I’ll be planting new tomato plants this weekend and if I’m lucky we’ll have a second crop for fall before things get too cold.

    Reply to Seren Dippity's comment

  15. Kjirsti on July 23, 2010 at 12:04 pm

    Beautiful! What a treat! We noticed one yesterday as well, we’re giving it one more day in the scorching 90 heat to red up. We’ll harvest it tomorrow.

    Reply to Kjirsti's comment

  16. Kjirsti on July 23, 2010 at 12:05 pm

    P.S. I’ve always read that you should pull out volunteer tomatoes, because they can carry disease? Now, I wish I would have let one grow!

    Reply to Kjirsti's comment

    • Susy on July 23, 2010 at 12:10 pm

      I only pull them up if they’re growing in an inconvenient location.

      Reply to Susy's comment

    • Tommy on July 23, 2010 at 1:00 pm

      I’ve never had a problem with volunteers and their fruit. They’ve all done well, and I love when I get a volunteer that grows. In fact, they seem to be stronger and better producers than the ones I coddle and nurture along—-maybe they’re tougher plants since they made it through the winter and weather and hardships, and still managed through all that to sprout, grow, and fruit.
      Nature is amazing!

      Reply to Tommy's comment

  17. megan on July 23, 2010 at 12:20 pm

    Enjoy the trickle before the flood! I’ve got over 40 pounds of them on my kitchen table and now they’re spilling over to all of the counters. We’ll be canning salsa tonight. I love tomato season!

    Reply to megan's comment

  18. Chandelle on July 23, 2010 at 12:21 pm

    I picked a single Black Zebra tomato almost two weeks ago, which I sacrificed to the chickens. Been waiting since then. Today I noticed a handful each of Isis Cherry and Sungold ripening. There are plenty of tomatoes, just not much color yet.

    Reply to Chandelle's comment

  19. Lisa on July 23, 2010 at 12:23 pm

    nope, not yet. Although I do have some blooms on a few plants. If the deer would leave them alone I might get some fruit soon.

    Reply to Lisa's comment

  20. Jaspenelle on July 23, 2010 at 12:54 pm

    None yet but I have some yellow pear tomatoes that I am just begging to change color, Just when I think they have finished sizing up them grow a little more. Torture I tell you!

    Reply to Jaspenelle's comment

  21. Amy on July 23, 2010 at 1:00 pm

    Mine haven’t even set fruit! I planted 14 on June 7th, and with June being so cold and wet, I moved those to lesser spots and put new, bigger, healthier-looking seedlings in their places on July 7th. Well…no fruits on any! Even the newer ones don’t look like they’re doing much. I’ll live vicariously through your harvest, I think. :)

    Reply to Amy's comment

    • Susy on July 23, 2010 at 1:01 pm

      You can use wild grape leaves if you can find them, or I’ve read you can also use oak leaves.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  22. Tommy on July 23, 2010 at 1:01 pm

    Lots of fruit, all still green. Our summer has been abnormally cool this year in Southern Cal—just a week or two of really hot weather, but it’s back to abnormally cool now. I hope my tomatoes make it!

    Reply to Tommy's comment

  23. Jackie on July 23, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    Congrats on your first tomato of 2010. I’m still waiting! There are tons of green ones on the plants, but we’ve had such a cool spring/summer. Last year my first ripe one came on July 4, so we’re way behind schedule!

    Reply to Jackie's comment

  24. Kaytee on July 23, 2010 at 2:44 pm

    I’m jealous! I’ve been staring at green tomatoes for weeks! No sign of red yet, but they’ve got to start ripening soon. It didn’t help that I planted a bunch that grow really large fruit. I suppose they probably take longer to mature.

    Reply to Kaytee's comment

  25. Lisa on July 23, 2010 at 4:49 pm

    All of our tomatoes (besides the cherries) are still green. Back in the spring, we thought we might be moving from our rental house- either buying or moving to a new apartment closer to my job. I delayed and delayed on planting anything in hopes that we would move, but alas- it was not to be. Finally, I bought some sorry looking and very leggy tomatoes from the grocery store’s greenhouse, added some compost from our worm bin, and we’ve been lucky that they are thriving. Hopefully we’ll have tomatoes in 2-3 weeks.

    Reply to Lisa's comment

  26. Laura on July 23, 2010 at 5:27 pm

    I’ve had lots of grape tomatoes, several german johnsons and better boys and even a mortgage lifter.
    blessings
    ~*~

    Reply to Laura's comment

  27. Amy on July 23, 2010 at 5:36 pm

    Yes!!…..my paste, cherries, and Brandywines…….I am waiting on the Germans and some whites:) Now headed to the market for some bacon……For my first BLT of the season!!

    I think the “Chiots Run” Tomato is pretty cool:)

    Reply to Amy's comment

  28. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by mark mile, Susy Morris. Susy Morris said: The First Ripe #Tomato of 2010 and a Winner http://goo.gl/fb/zee8R #harvest #firsttomato […]

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  29. hillwards on July 24, 2010 at 5:19 pm

    Our first dwarf ‘Minibel’ tomatoes are just turning. We should be picking them in a day or two, beating our greenhouse crops to the finish line. I can’t wait to try them! Amazing photo, by the way.

    Reply to hillwards's comment

  30. Marlyn on July 25, 2010 at 7:55 pm

    Ours are coming in fast now — purple cherokees, black from tulas, german pink, green zebra, amish paste, and a few other varieties. And lots of golden globes that came up volunteer! I made a whole tray of caprese toothpicks (basil leaf, small mozzarella ball, cherry/grape tomato on a toothpick) for a party yesterday with my homegrown! And I also made some homegrown peach jam to go with the pulled pork sandwiches!

    Reply to Marlyn's comment

  31. gardenmis on July 31, 2010 at 2:36 am

    I can’t remember what day I picked my first ripe tomato of this year but today I picked enough red tomatoes that I will be able to get some canning done. Last year my tomatoes didn’t do near as good. I’m thankful to the Lord for a good harvest! :)

    Reply to gardenmis's comment

  32. First Official Ripe Tomato | Chiot's Run on August 5, 2010 at 4:47 am

    […] Friday I picked my first official ripe tomato of 2010, right before we left for vacation. Of course I picked a few earlier that were from a volunteer, but these are labeled “official” since they were from plants that I […]

    Reply to First Official Ripe Tomato | Chiot’s Run's comment

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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