Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Those self-seed tomatoes

On the other side of my backyard fence there is a reserve land. Sometime trucks or cars like to park beside our side of the fence and switch on loud music that my babies cannot take a good nap in the afternoon. I decided to plant something on the other side of the fence so no vehicles will park so close at our side. So here is the update on how the plants is growing with almost total neglect and no watering from us but the rain from the previous post about this public patch of ours. Last end of winter and early spring I found so many self-seed tomatoes ( I still found a few popping up recently) and not sure what I should do with them. Well I might have to ask Lenay help to collect them and transplant them at the other side of the fence. Back then, I doubt it will bear us any fruit or even survive after transplanting and negligence.  Words of encouragement from Autumn Belle and Kitchen flavours made me decided to keep this self-seed tomatoes and transplanted them at the other side of our backyard fence as at that time I don’t have any space to plant them at all.  I did not believe it at first when Lenay told me that the self-seed tomatoes are fruiting now because it is still officially end of Spring here. What a wonderful surprise these self-seed tomatoes gave me, I counted there is at least 4 different type of tomatoes variety.

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It takes about 10 minutes walk to harvest the side shoots of Italian Sprouting Broccoli from this “public patch”. The reason why all plants have produce flowers or seed pods. Looks like I won’t need to buy this broccoli seeds variety for several year as the 2 years ago bought seed packet I don’t even finish it up yet. Do you think we have good pollination for the tomatoes because the bees are attracted to the broccoli flowers? A bit confuse now with my theory, let see isn’t tomato self-pollinate.

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Our natural "Don't park cars here” signboard as takaeko from small vege garden in a suburb named it are growing taller and taller.  I hope these Evening sun sunflower will grow taller than the fence so we can see them greeting us from the other side of the fence.

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  1. Basil Thai (Mr. Forthergill’s)
  2. Sweet corn ‘Max” (Green Harvest)
  3. Cabbage ‘Bok choy’ ( Green Harvest)
  4. Snake bean (Phoenix seeds)
  5. Spring Onion (Phoenix seeds)
  6. Lemon Basil (Phoenix seeds)
  7. Apple cucumber (Phoenix seeds)
  8. Sunflower mammoth (Eden seeds)
  9. Zinnia Lilliput Mix (Eden seeds)
  10. Rockmelon-banana shapes (Eden seeds)
  11. Portulaca sunnybank double-flowered mixed (Eden seeds)
  12. Choy sum (Eden seeds)
  13. Leaf Amaranth (Eden seeds)

Links related to this post:

Part 1                                                                                   Part 2

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16 comments:

takaeko said...

Yeah, I remember that,Malay! I'm very happy to see your "natural signboard" grown well and I believe you'll see them bloom, prevent car-parking, and give you good sunflower seeds!

One said...

Diana, That's really nice to have self seed tomatoes. They are growing very well. Mine are not doing as good.

miruku said...

The natural 'Don't park cars here' sign is a very good idea. Your surprise tomatoes look like growing well even without your care.

fer said...

Is great to see your natural don't park here sign is growing well, and also to have so many nice tomatoes growing by themselves. I hope you get to harvest many ripe tomatoes at the end.

Sue Garrett said...

We have self sown tomatoes come up in the greenhouse and various other places. Filter beds often have lots of tomato plants growing that have passed through the sewage system - yuk!

Unknown said...

That is a great idea, for a "natural signboard", like Takaeko said.
I am sure, that it will be us also by many peoples, who have the same problem as you.
Have a great day.

PJ said...

What a great way to use up extra tomato seedlings and they look delicious. I hope it keeps the cars away because that is so rude that they park so close. People can be so inconsiderate!

♥peachkins♥ said...

I don't have a green thumb! I'm so jealous,look at those tomatoes!

kitchen flavours said...

I love your 'No parking' message! But it won't work in Malaysia! You have lovely gorgeous tomatoes. I'm really glad that you decided to plant these wonderful treasures over the fence. Wish one of this plants is in my garden! Ever since my tomato plant died, I have not tried again. Now you have really inspire me to try again! Thank you for the mention. I really appreciate it!

Malar said...

The wild tomato plants look so good! It's a wonder for me since i always have to really take care of them to get their fruit! Nature's wonder!
Can't wait to see your sun flower!

Malay-Kadazan girl said...

Takakeko, Milka, Fer, Ellada, Prue, Peachkins, Malar ~ Thank you I hope my natural sign board,sun flower will flower in 2 months time and survive the heat.

One~ I hope your tomato will bounce back soon.

GLA~ Really, Never knew that. I mulched my potato and now there is peas seedling sprouting on it and I wonder where that came from.

Kitchen flavours ~ do try again. Maybe tomatoes variety that can suit humidity.

Sue Garrett said...

We have all sorts of self sown things on our plot - lettuce, sunflowers, poppies, cosmos, foxgloves herbs etc etc. Things that wouldn't grow if sown before spring!

We also have a patch of front garden which hasn't had anything planted in it yet - you may remember the photo on my blog but we had foxgloves, california poppies, crocosmia and other flowers 'appearing' over summer.

Mr. H. said...

Very nice, I love that you have planted on the other side of the fence. Tomatoes and peppers are self-pollinating but one of the ways people in large greenhouses help them pollinate better is to tap the flower clusters with their finger so that the pollen drops from the flowers stamen onto the pistil thus aiding in pollination.

That said, while the bees cannot get at the tomato flowers they often will still try to and in doing so shake the pollen inside of the flower. So yes, I think your theory is correct and the broccoli is helping with tomato pollination.:)

Malay-Kadazan girl said...

G.L.A~ Yes I remember the front garden patch, have you decided what you going to plant there. I find self-sown thing very hardy, it can thrive even weather that is not usually for them. Our self-sown zinnia grow in autumn and provide us flower through mid-winter snuggle between broccoli plants this year. Looking at your list, I would like to try growing cosmos and foxgloves next year.

Mr. H~ Thank you for clarifying this theory. Very crystal clear.:)

Sue Garrett said...

Hi, Not yet decided exactly what to grow in the bed but will be cottage garden style - I hope - I'll post photos as and when I get started.

Malay-Kadazan girl said...

I like cottage garden style very much. Looking forward to see it.