Thursday, March 19, 2009

The annual tomato trek

It's March, which means it's time to plant tomatoes!

Let me just sigh and appreciate that happy thought a little longer.

Anyway, today is the first day of the annual Monster Tomato and Pepper Sale at Cal-State Fullerton Arboretum, so if you live in the Southern California area and you like to grow tomatoes, you have to go there, even if it's just to see the hundreds of different varieties they offer. If you're interested in buying, check out their online list in advance so you can go prepared to get what you want. The sale lasts through Sunday, but they will still have leftovers on sale as long as they last (but their hours are much more limited after this sale, so check times before you drive there).

Last year I was surprised at the long lines...I think the organizers were too. This year they had the paying line a little better organized, so we only stood in line 10 minutes to pay. But remembering last year (almost 30 minutes in line), I brought lunch for the boys to eat while we stood in line. Since I had to wait for Natalie to get on the bus before we could go, I think we arrived about 1 hour later than last year, so that could have been the reason we didn't wait so long to pay. In a repeat of last year, someone offered me their all-day parking pass again before I bought one...and I passed it on to another tomato fiend when we left.

We're planting the tomatoes in pots this year because we've had such a bad infestation of nematodes. And I still haven't purchased potting soil, so it may be a few days before the tomatoes find their real home. But we have them, and they're going to take off in no time!

4 comments:

angie said...

I'm jealous....and seriously thinking about moving to California:). It was a balmy 50 degrees today (which is seriously like a heat wave). However, next week we are supposed to have temps in the single digits again...ugh! The joys of living in Wyoming:). The tomato farm looks like fun!

Terri H-E said...

Ooh, thank you for this hopeful post. It is nowhere near tomato planting season her in WI, but I had sliced tomatoes for dinner. I was eating them, thinking they clearly taste like bland winter tomatoes, daydreaming about plucking the juicy reds from our own garden...5 months from now. But if someone I know is planting tomatoes this week, there is light!

Brandi said...

O.k., I read your blog yesterday and guess what I had a dream about last night?...Planting tomatoes. I thought that I was late and that they were never going to make it. But alas, I live way north of you and we still get into freezing temps. at night and rain, rain, rain, during the day!

Cindy said...

LOL Brandi! You can live vicariously through us. Let me know when you come down to visit!