April 17
It looks like we're going to have a much better spring for tomatoes this year than last, which was the worst in the 30+ years I've been growing them. I purchased and planted the usual kinds best suited for our Zone 17 yard. We get less fog than the City but not as warm as Oakland or Pinole as we tend to get quite a bit of fog in June and July.
Plants this year are Better Boy (the closest thing to a Beefmaster we can grow here), Costunuto Genovese (an Italian heirloom), Early Girl, San Marzano (a plum/paste), Sungold (cherries) and a Russian variety new to me.
I've been using reinforcement wire as cages since the 80's as the cages I see in nursery centers are close to useless as far as I'm concerned. I added a lot of well-rotted steer manure to the beds and planted the plants in fairly deep bowls as I only water 2-3 times a week but spend about 20-30 minutes doing so to make sure the deep root system gets the water it needs in the height of the growing season.
I'll keep posting updates on the tomatoes and the other vegetables I grow throughout the season. I just seeded some arugula (which always does fantastic here any time of year), lettuce, mesclun, chard, Loscinato kale, and rainbow beets so I'll have photos once they start coming up.
