Tomato    tucker
“You’d better check those tomato plants and get them tucked back in before they get out of hand.”

This was a friendly reminder from my husband Jim to do a much-needed chore that has started with our tomato plants now that they are getting bigger.

The need for tucking is because they are planted in 5-foot tall tomato cages that Jim made out of concrete reinforcing wire.

As the tomato plants grow, some of the stray stems start coming through the 6-inch squares openings in the wire. And this is where the tucking comes in. They grow so fast that this is an almost daily tucking until they get to the top of the cage.

Luckily though I just have 14 cages to check. I like to experiment with growing mostly heirloom tomatoes and so I try to get just one of a kind to have as many kinds as possible.

A couple of my super favorites are Pineapple and Old German, the Old German dating back to the 1800’s.

 And yes the Pineapple does have a slight pineapple or tropical fruit flavor. They both have yellow and red striped skin and flesh and are a very large beefsteak tomato sometimes weighing up to two pounds.

Some of my other heirlooms I planted this year include Black Prince, Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Giant Belgium, Green Zebra, German Johnson and Golden Jubilee.

Now as I get ready to do my “tucking duty” this morning, I’d like to think that I’m also tucking in any bad traits in me like selfishness and lack of self-discipline.

On the other hand, however, I won’t tuck in good traits like love and concern for others. No, I will let them get completely out of bound with the full run of the garden.

“Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ…” (Ephesians 5:2 TLB)

Love in Jesus,

God’s “tomato-tucker” servant,
Liz Ray

Written May 31, 2012