I usually start my indoor seed sowing of tomatoes, peppers and cabbage around July 4th. I'm late this year, hopefully this weekend I'll get started. So, I think you're right on target. Six weeks to hardening off and planting out.

Today I did the equivalent by cutting back my tomato vines from my Spring plants. Vines laying on the ground have established roots, so now I have more "plants" to produce for the Fall harvest. If you cut back too much, you can kill the plant. If done properly, the plants will put on new growth during Monsoon season and bear a lot of fruit again when the weather cools a little. Learned this from George Brookbank's book on Vegetable Gardening in Tucson.

Thanks for that tip Art. I did kill three nice plants that I had started in early spring by over pruning. I found that Brookbank book at my local library so I'll check out the technique as he describes it and see if I can save the few remaining plants that are trying to hang on through summer.

Happy Gardening! Mary

If you're in central you can have some of my volunteers that've been popping up!

-Ming

Howdy folks. I'm in central Tucson and I was wondering what heritage varieties of tomatoes you guys have had success with around here? We (meaning my little boy and I) are doing our gardening in pseudo earthboxes.

I really like black varieties and had good luck with Japanese trifele these past couple years. I've also had decent harvest on black krim but found the trifele to be a smaller but more productive fruit with a brighter flavor. Although not heritage, I always plant sungold cherries and yellow pears. Ii haven't been to the farmer's market in a long time but Arivaipa heirlooms is an excellent local desert adapted heirloom tomato company.

-Ming

Here is a link that might be useful: aravaipa heirlooms

Howdy Ming,

Can we get viable seeds from fruit we purchase at a farmer's market? Has anyone tried that? Or do the fruits need to be more mature before they're harvested?

Nomad

You probably could, that's how my mom started a few of hers in Oregon. That particular company sells seedling varieties adapted to the desert but it looks like their page is down... Have you been to Native Seed Search? I just get all of mine from Mesquite Valley Growers. They have some plants grown from seed in their greenhouse and some trucked in from elsewhere. I may have some mystery seedlings to get rid of in a couple weeks, too.

-Ming