It's Draft Day. Some may think that's the day when NFL teams choose their next superstar. Nope. Today is the day you pick out which type of tomatoes you're going to plant this year.
First of all you need to assess your current team. You shouldn't plant tomatoes in the same spot each year, so where are the holes in your lineup? You'll need a 3' x 3' space for each plant; do you have room? Do you have at least 8 hours of sun? If you're using pots, are they at least 8 gallons? And is your equipment cleaned with a bleach solution? Ready -- hike.
First you need to pick neonicotinoid-free plants. Neo-nics are fodder for another blog – they kill beneficial insects and stay in your soil for years. Let's just say that if you buy plants using neonicotinoids, you are getting a player that's on life support.
Second, do you choose heirloom tomatoes or modified? That's another big choice to make. I have blight in my soil and overhead sprinklers, so I need to go with plants with lots of V's and F's after them.
Third, how are you going to eat your tomatoes? Do you want the perfect tomato for a BLT? Are you canning? I do both, so in my lineup are Better Boys, Romas and Mortgage Lifters. Better Boys are for the BLTs and to impress my neighbors. Romas are a determinate plant (all the tomatoes come due at once – easier for canning). I also like Mortgage Lifters. They are huge prolific tomatoes that are great for canning – ugly and huge.
And don't forget about 'days to maturity.' You don't want and unripe team on playoff day. What are your team colors this year? Cherokee Purple? Aunt Ruby's German Green? (can those two plants be on the same field together?
What's your favorate draft pick?
