I picked a large batch of Roma Tomatoes today and dried and froze them. The varieties were Roma, Roma II, and Roma III. There didn’t appear to be much difference between the varieties. I probably should have picked a week ago as there were 5 or 6 tomatoes spoiled by being overripe. There should be a smaller batch in a week or so.

The Okra is producing well. It is good breaded and fried, also just pan fried and served with Teriyaki or soy sauce. They go from small to large very quickly and once they are beyond 5 inches they can get tough and stringy. Best when picked in the 3 to 4 inch stage.

The flowers are beautiful, they look like Rose of Sharon. The plants can reach 4 feet in this climate.

It has been in the low 70s since Monday which seems to have encouraged the tomatoes to finally start ripening. This morning I picked two Mortgage Lifters, a Boxcar Willie, a Lemon Boy. and a Champion. Some of the Roma tomatoes are near ripe, I need to see if it is a certain variety ripening first as I have Roma I, Roma II, Roma III from Countryside.

We will soon be inundated with produce. I have lots of Shishitos and the lemon cucumbers are starting to produce very well. We haven’t had any measurable amount of rain in well over a week, so I will need to water today. I fertilized all of the pots over the weekend.