Or maybe earlier? It’s not only possible, it’s the norm. The Siletz tomato plant
takes from 56-75 days to ripen with most sources advertising 65-68. That means if
you plant this fruit by March 21, it will be more than 70 days old by June 1. You
can surprise your out-of-town guests by serving them ripe tomatoes over the Memorial
Day weekend.
Of course, it is too early to plant it in your garden yet - that has to wait until
the middle of May or so, but this plant doesn’t need the garden - it grows well in
a large bucket or container provided it gets at least six hours of sun per day. For
the first couple of weeks, you can bring it inside if the temperatures are predicted
to be too cold. As the weather warms and freezing temps are no longer a major concern,
there is another easy trick you can use to protect your future source of vine-ripened
tomatoes - get a small tomato cage for it to grow in. If a killing frost is forecast,
you can drape a blanket or piece of plastic around it overnight.
There are some other factors that make this an ideal plant for those who do not want
to wait until the 4th of July for a ripe ‘mater. It is a determinate, some say semi-determinate
plant so it will not get overly tall. Expect about four foot under normal conditions.
It also sets fruit - that is, produces tomatoes, in cooler temperatures. As cool
as the upper 50s. Contrast that with the normal varieties that do not start producing
until the thermometer reaches the 80s. At the same time, it does not drop its blossoms
if the weather takes a turn from warm to hot. You can expect several bursts of ripe
tomatoes as the season progresses.
And if you want to grow this plant indoors, you can. It is parthenocarpic, meaning
you do not need to have birds or bees to pollinate the flowers. They do this themselves.
The fruits are normally 8-12 ounces in weight and about four inches wide. They grow
in clusters of 3-4 tomatoes each, have a thin skin, a sweet taste. As a slicer for
sandwiches or to use in salads, there are nearly ideal. Very few seeds and just enough
juice and gel for a great taste. They won’t soak your buns or make your salad watery.
Only 18 plants are ready this week, though I will have another 18 next week. If you
want one or two plants let me know: wordwiz@fuse.net. You can also buy them (if any
are not taken) at the office.
