Monday, July 8, 2013

July 6, 2013: Chicago Rooftop First Ripe Tomatoes

After the rainiest spring on record and with some wild temperature swings, we had enough sun and heat to set up and ripen our favorite early tomato varieties. 
Matina
 
We planted out these seedlings on a warm May 6 day, several weeks before tomatoes have historically been safe from frost to plant in Chicago. And then, bizarrely, on May 20 it was 90 degrees F. People, this is not Chicago weather.

Stupice
We've found these relatively smaller, earlier varieties most able to withstand weather extremes. Larger tomatoes don't do as well on our roof these days.
Glacier

Black Prince

These ripening fruits need a blast of heat to boost flavor, and it looks like they'll get in over the next couple weeks.

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