Hollis Baker’s Blog

Spring, and old men’s minds turn gently to the art of growing tomatoes. This statement requires some research. I have spent some time interviewing gardeners around the area and find most old men are indeed serious about the cultivation of tomatoes.

Carl Williams is a champion tomato grower. This year he planted 42 plants. He says he likes tomatoes and enjoys giving them away to friends and neighbors. He feeds his plants once a month with 10-20-10 and Epson Salt. He spreads the fertilizer on the ground, scratches it in then waters heavily. No he does not mulch his garden. Big Boy and Early Girl are his favorites.
George Prestridge has been gardening since he was a young man and enjoys tomatoes most of all. He fertilizes when he plants but not much later. I forgot to ask how many plants he has but plenty for sharing and canning. All his neighbors consider him a Master Gardner.

I met Mike Nappo who lives north on 183 who desperately wants to garden tomatoes but his soil is only this deep. Understanding he is from Upstate New York this must be frustrating. His family were great gardeners and brought up their son on the farm to work hard. Being clever he joined IBM and came to Texas. However that deep ingrained work ethic is trying to come out if he can find a few inches of soil. He said his folks, with a strong Italian heritage, planted Beef Steak and Roma.

I talked to a man from east of Weir in the long gone community of Mozo. He didn’t know where the name came from. There is nothing there except him and the other farmers. He likes to plant Homestead and Fantastic tomatoes. He feeds them when he plants, mulches heavily but does not water the tomatoes the rest of the year. I sure would like to see his garden. He must have a close relationship with the rain maker.

However, I may have to amend the idea of old men and the tomato to include lovely ladies that have reached a certain thresh hold of time. I refuse to guess just what that age might be, nor shall I dare ask.
While waiting for my car to be repaired I got to visiting with a mature lady who is a tomato gardener. Guessing she had a few pots of patio tomatoes in the back yard I asked how many plants she had. Forty she replied. Who helps you I asked and she said she did it all by herself. I was a little surprised to find a lady so excited about the “Queen of Plants” for most of us are old men.

Tennyson wrote that in the spring young men’s mind turned gently to the thoughts of love.
Had he been a few years older I think he might have said……..tomatoes.