First Ripe Tomato

Y

The variety is Sasha's Altai, a Siberian potato-leaf variety, all of which seem to do better in Saint Plotniko than the normal varieties. It was planted on March 21 so that means 10 weeks from planting to first fruit, and that's very good.

You sharp-eyed gardeners will notice that Comrade Tomato is posing in front of his neighbors, the padrón pepper plants, who appear to be two or three weeks from harvestable fruit. The other two potato-leaf tomato plants, a Japanese variety called Trifele, are a good month away from ripeness.

Meanwhile, these babies, two plants who just volunteered in the pot they are in, appear to be a traditional cherry variety, perhaps a Sweet 100 clone. There are tons of little green tomatoes on the vines so we'll just have to waIt and see.