Winter Tomato Fun
By Vanessa Richins
You don’t have to stop thinking about tomatoes just because winter is coming and the days are getting cold.
Here are some activities to keep you in the tomato frame of mind.
If you’ve still got some tomatoes on your plants, you can save some of the seeds for next year. This is true even with plants affected with late blight, since the seeds won’t pass it on. They will be viable for about 4-10 years on average.
Make Christmas decorations with tomato cages.
Tomato cages aren’t just good at providing support for tomato plants. They can also be transformed into a variety of Christmas trees and other holiday decorations.
Cook up tomatoes for the holidays.
The holiday season means lots of parties, which usually involve food. Bring one of these tomato dishes to your next shindig.
Order Tomato Catalogs.
I LOVE ordering new tomato catalogs. I get to open the mailbox and find a plethora of tomato options waiting for me. These are definitely a good way to combat the winter blahs.
This is especially important if you are new to tomato gardening. Many catalogs will give you details about the different kinds of tomatoes, and it’s good to know the different types and terms so you can ensure you are getting the right tomatoes for your needs.
Plan out your garden.
When it’s dark, dreary and snowy outside, you can amuse yourself by plotting out next year’s garden. Grab your garden catalogs and a scale drawing of your garden area. Use tracing paper laid over your scale drawing to try out different configurations. Make sure there are lots of tomato plants, of course! Why not try planting a rainbow tomato garden?
December 18th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Great ideas, Vanessa! Tomatoes should be a year-round obsession!!!!