Saturday, March 20, 2010

Good weather, Good tomato

tomato

tomato

tomato

tomato and flowers

Our Six tomato plants are doing well. Nice little fruits are appearing through the leaves. The smell of tomato plants is lingering in the air, so strong that grasshoppers and other little pests shy away. The nearby vegetables sharing the same bed, are reaping the benefit, growing happily, not disturbed even a minute by pests.

I just read    here, about  fruits.
Fruits are classified as simple, aggregate, or multiple.
Simple fruits develop from a single ovary.
They include fleshy fruits such as cherries and peaches (drupe), pears and apples (pome), and tomatoes (berries). Although generally referred to as a vegetable, tomatoes technically are a fruit because they develop from a flower. Squash, cucumbers, and eggplants also develop from a single ovary and are classified botanically as fruits.


Lately, the weather is exceptionally good. Light drizzle almost everyday, the temperature is mild not too hot, and wind is fairly tame. The condition is just perfect for delicate leafy vegetables to thrive. Tomato plants react positively by producing fruits, enlarging by day. I have not counted the number of tomatoes hanging from the stalks. At a glance, they are no less than 30, putting an average of about 5 per plant. Each plant grows with varying degree of exposure to the sun.The last row, which is slightly hidden by the front rows, does less sunbathing, resulting in slightly lesser fruits.

A friend blogger mentioned about bangchik being very fond of vegetables grown. An article I read sometime ago mentioned about regular conversation by the gardener towards plants, and the plants swell with enthusiasm. We don't talk to plants. As we are squatting in front of vegetable bed, fluffing the soil, adding fertiliser or watering them, we do talk about them. They must have heard and responded well.

But the true fact is, we are experiencing such a good spell of nice weather. That must be the major contributing factor to the excellent health of tomato plants.


~ bangchik
Putrajaya, Malaysia








9 comments:

  1. First, how wonderful to have the scent of tomatoes in the air. I didn't know that squash, cucumbers and eggplants were fruit as well. I am learning alot from you on this blog.

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  2. Well, admittedly, I talk TO my plants. I'm sure everyone in the neighborhood thinks I'm nuts, but that's ok. My son says it's because you're feeding them extra carbon dioxide when you breathe on them. Who knows? Regardless, your tomatoes look lucious and tasty already!

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  3. Salam,
    Bestnya ada small garden at the back of the house. Saya suka tengok buah tomato tu.

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  4. Bangchik, I am sure your plants sense your good energy... they are keenly aware of our energy fields according to 'Power of Plants' ... I forget who wrote it. The sun of course is an energy they can not do without. I love your green ... your veggie and 'fruit' photos! They always look so lush and happy. ';>)

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  5. It won't be long until those tomatoes turn red. My tomato plants are still only about 2 inch high.

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  6. Bangchik, this was both a charming and informative post. Does anyone know why most of us refer to the tomato as a vegetable when we know darn well that it's a fruit?

    I'm not much of a vegetable gardener, but maybe if I talked "about them" instead of "to" them, I'd have better results.

    When it comes to my favorite homegrown food, tomatoes are at the top of the list.

    donna

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  7. Salam Abg Chik,

    Blog still good looking, last I visit this blog was last year. What is the best tips to grow the tomato plant?

    http://agromasportal.com

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  8. Poetic Shutterbug ~ Thanks. Touch the stem and branches, and smell your fingers, Thats the kind of aroma lingering in the air.

    Kimberly ~ about CO2 and Oxygen, a lot of truth in it.

    hazila ~ kebun sayur kecil saja.., cukup untuk dua kami, dan anak2 jika berkumpul. Sebab kebun kecil lah, kami sempat meneliti dan faham ragam tanaman!

    Carol ~ Huh.., energy fields.. now we can be really scientific about gardening, and about getting our hands dirty.

    ~bangchik
    Putrajaya, Malaysia

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  9. Jo ~ yes, our tomatoes are way ahead. Of course we experience Spring earlier. Ours is forever summer or spring!

    donna ~ thanks for the visit and comment. Tomato is an interesting plant. I love their zest to grow.

    Agro Malaysia Portal ~ Huh, best tips? Good seeds to start with. Germinate in good potting soil. The gardening bed must be well drained, heavy with organic matter. Tomato is quite a drinker... feed them with H2O regularly. Fertilizing well, and in my case, I use both organic poultry pellets and liquid fertilizer.

    ~bangchik
    Putrajaya, Malaysia

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