Update from the Garden
Planting at Copper Creek
Last week we planted the Garden box for Copper Creek and we wanted to walk you through what we planted and why.
Tomato Varieties Planted
Early Girl and Roma Tomatoes
Fruita has a wonderful climate for growing tomatoes, with the warm days and abundant sunshine tomatoes are known to thrive in the area. Because of this we planted 2 different varieties in our garden box.
The 2 varieties of tomatoes that we chose for our box are -
Early Girl - the Early Girl tomato plant is as the name implies one of the earliest producers of the tomato family. It produces a prolific harvest of good size tomatoes that are perfect for slicing and enjoying fresh. They are known to be very disease resistant so they are a great option for beginners. They produce fruit until the first frost so they are able to provide you with enjoyment all summer long.
Roma tomatoes - Roma is a wonderful all purpose tomato, they are a popular choice for salsa and salads as they hold their form better than most tomatoes, they are also easier to cook down then some tomatoes which makes them a very popular choice for sauces and marineras.
Both of these varieties of tomatoes are known as determinates, which is a way to describe how large the plants will be and if they will need extra support. Both will remain rather small and need minimal support while producing a high yield. Both are known to perform well in containers.
Basil
A popular ingredient in most Italian dishes and are paired with tomatoes for a wide variety of dishes. Basil grows well in warm, sunny conditions, it grows and produces leaves until the frost (can be transplanted to small containers and kept throughout the year). Basil also has the added benefit of improving the flavor of tomatoes planted near it. While its scent is enjoyed by humans, it is a deterrent to aphids and other pests of tomatoes.
Cilantro
A popular ingredient for most southwest dishes, it is seen as an essential plant in most Colorado gardens. Cilantro grows well with tomatoes as it benefits from shade from the tomato plants while its unique scent helps deter pests and mites from the tomatoes.
Burpless Cucumbers
We planted the Burpless variety of cucumbers, which survive well in heat and produce all summer long. They are easy on the digestive system and ideal for slicing.
Liberty Bell Peppers
The Liberty Bell variety of bell peppers has a high heat tolerance and produces large yellow peppers that are excellent for cooking.
Green Griller Zucchini
This variety forms a low, open bush making harvesting easy and ideal for garden boxes. It grows to cover about half the box and provides shade for other plants during summer heat.
Looking Forward
All of these vegetables are well suited for the climate here in Fruita and we look forward to sharing the harvest with our community neighbors.