Tomatoes are Rolling In Along with Lemon Cucumbers

Another week I think and I will be positively buried in Tomatoes. We are already getting more ripe ones than we can use and I will begin chopping and freezing my stew and chili Tomatoes tomorrow I think.

I found one today up under a particularly bushy Tomato plant that I had previously missed. It was a Black Krim I think and larger than the Wife's head. I damaged it a bit getting it out from in between the vines it had been trapped in and the thing was so meaty I swear it came in at well over a pound and a half. Mrs. PP claimed it immediately, snatched it outta my hand and went running inside with it so not sure what she had in mind for it.

I am noticing that when you plant a large number of Tomatoes the first few that come ripe are always the worst ones usually. I seem to get all the ones with spots, cracks and growth rings or cats eyes the first two weeks or so when they really start ripening. After the first small early batch the others start coming in more unblemished numbers. I believe this is true when you only have a couple of plants as well but you just don't notice it as much. When you have 72+ Tomato plants the first real harvest will fill a five gallon bucket and then some so the fact they are mostly imperfect is very noticeable and kinda depressing at first.

I am still getting some Cucumbers but they are quickly succumbing to the Squash bugs as well. I also noticed a bunch of bugs in the Musk Melon patch so they won't last long either and I haven't had a one of them ripen yet. Grrrrrrr.

However the Lemon Cucumbers seem to be holding their own quite nicely against the Squash Bug horde.

I have been growing these Lemon Cucumbers for years now. Not because anyone especially likes em but because the Bees absolutely LOVE their blooms. I suspect, or maybe I read somewhere, that these Cucumbers are actually closer to the original plant that today's more popular Cucumbers were bred from. They do kinda have a tough, thick skin on em. They are also much harder to get seedlings started from but once you get a plant going it literally goes EVERYWHERE. Once firmly established these seem to be the most hardy and pest resistant Cucumbers I have grown. I think they kinda just outgrow the pests more than anything else but as I am noticing this year the Squash bugs only go after them when there is nothing left in the Cucubit variety to attack. It could be the thicker skin and tougher vines make it harder for the vampire bugs to suck into em.

The Rams love these Cucumbers even more than the Bees love the blooms. The Big Ram closest to the garden will try and catch em in his mouth like a dog when I toss em over to him.

Lunch today consisted of more handfuls of cherry Tomatoes, both the little orange ones and now the little pear shaped yellow ones I always seem to have but never plant and a nice ripe yellow Melon that I have no clue what it is. I am assuming something the Wife mixed into the Melon seeds we started.

I should have picked more beans today but ran out of time. I also didn't get to water like I should have this evening so I guess that's also on the agenda for tomorrow.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!