Easter 2005

Another week of fabulous autumn weather. The only downside was that I had to water the garden a bit more often.

Last week I harvested eight more tomatoes from the original plantings. Since these plants are still relatively healthy, I won't be able to plant any crops for autumn/winter yet. But I don't mind much as long as they keep producing nice tomatoes :)

The first of "Costoluto di Marmande" tomatoes are almost ready to harvest. It will be interesting to see how the taste of these tomatoes compares with the others.

I harvested the first capsicum this morning, and look forward to making some peperonata tonight. If you're interested, here's a link to a peperonata recipe.

I also harvested an aubergine this morning. I'll probably use it later in the week.

On Saturday morning I resumed feeding the plants with seaweed solution. Depending on how the plants go, I will probably feed them with the solution once every three weeks, rather than each fortnight.

To view the latest photos, click on the links below:
The tomatoes (week 27)
The aubergines and capsicums (week 21 after transplanting)
A capsicum plant with fruit
The basil plants (week 20 after transplanting)
The "Costoluto di Marmande" tomatoes (week 11 after transplanting)

Third Week of March

This week we got some nice autumn weather - warm but not too hot.

While some of the tomato plants have lost most of their foliage, others are still holding up well. In fact some continue to flower. Last week I harvested six tomatoes. Also of note, I've started preparing seeds for next year.

As I mentioned last week, the "Costoluto di Marmande" tomato plants with fruit seem to be struggling a bit with their load. A couple of the plants had lost a lot of foliage. But this week they seem to have stabilised.

I'm still waiting to harvest the first capsicum, but it's turning a nice red colour, as can be seen in the photo (link below). The other three capsicum plants with fruit are still progressing well. I haven't given up on the fifth plant, which is stuck at the flowering stage.

I should be harvesting a second aubergine, this time it should be edible. Now I have to decide what to do with it. I've found some recipes on the net.

To view the latest photos, click on the links below:
The tomatoes (week 26)
The aubergines and capsicums (week 20 after transplanting)
A capsicum plant with fruit
The basil plants (week 19 after transplanting)
The "Costoluto di Marmande" tomatoes (week 10 after transplanting)

Second Week of March

A hot finish to the second week of autumn. Summer may be officially over, but it's effects are still likely to be felt for a while.

It's now been six months since the initial set of tomato seedlings were transplanted. Last week yielded another twelve tomatoes. But I doubt the plants will be producing fruit for much longer. Also of note is that a couple of plants are producing a different variety, similar to the "vine ripened" tomatoes I've seen in supermarkets. Meanwhile the "Costoluto di Marmande" tomato plants are making mixed progress. All the plants have fruit, but those that I transplanted to the general garden area are still quite small and are struggling to cope with their load. My plan was to have these plants producing tomatoes long after the first set had stopped, but the new plants may not last as long as I'd hoped. I probably left it too late to transplant them, so they haven't had enough time to grow properly. In contrast the two plants I've kept in pots are visibly bigger, and look more capable of supporting their fruit. If these plants produce lots of tomatoes, then next year I might keep more of the late season plants in pots rather than in the ground.

The first capsicum is almost ready to harvest. The fruit on the other three capsicum plants continue to mature. Another week has passed and still no sign of fruit on the fifth plant.

I also harvested the first aubergine. I probably left it too long on the plant, but it's skin was damaged anyway. It was an early starter so the fruit was touching the ground as it grew. I might keep it for seeds. The other plants are still doing well, and I should be harvesting more fruit over the next few weeks. Judging by the smallness of the fruit, I think they are of the "Lebanese" variety.

I ran out of seaweed solution and didn't get the chance to feed the plants this week. I may switch to three-week intervals, or even once a month feeds.

To view the latest photos, click on the links below:
The tomatoes (week 25)
The aubergines and capsicums (week 19 after transplanting)
A capsicum plant with fruit
The basil plants (week 18 after transplanting)
The "Costoluto di Marmande" tomatoes (week 9 after transplanting)

Start of Autumn

The first week of autumn has been mild, with some showers late in the week.

The old tomato plants are still producing fruit. Last week I harvested another ten tomatoes. Meanwhile the "Costoluto di Marmande" tomato plants continue to make good progress. All but one plant have started to produce fruit. Unfortunately some wind gusts on Friday night damaged a branch of one of the plants that wasn't tied up securely.

The four capsicum plants with fruit continue to make good progress. A couple of the capsicums are starting to turn red. Still no sign of fruit on the fifth plant.

There are now three aubergine plant developing fruit.

I've thought a bit about whether to plant anything new for autumn. I probably won't, since the existing plants will keep me busy. I also have various fruit trees to look after, including figs, mandarines, persimmons, feijoas and olives.

To view the latest photos, click on the links below:
The tomatoes (week 24)
The aubergines and capsicums (week 18 after transplanting)
An aubergine plant with fruit
A capsicum plant with fruit
The basil plants (week 17 after transplanting)
The "Costoluto di Marmande" tomatoes (week 8 after transplanting)
A potted "Costoluto di Marmande" tomato plant and more basil, with a bit of oregano in the other pot