The (cool season) tomatoes are here

What a truly strange Southern Californian winter we just had.  Dry, hot and no rains worth talking about.  I decided to take a chance and grew a cool season tomato very early (Feb 11th) and the experiment worked.  I had a fine crop of  ‘Stupice’ tomatoes by May 11th and the plant continues to produce delicious mid sized fruit.  Water your plants deeply and infrequently.  This encourages good root development.  Remove any foliage displaying signs of wilt.  This slows down but does not prevent the inevitable onset of fungal disease. If a plant is really badly infested it is best to remove and put in the trash.  Do NOT compost! Some years we are more prone to fungal diseases than others.  Always plant at least one if not two rotational crops in the space after tomatoes to diminish chances of disease lingering in the soil next season.  Do not forget to leave a space for a few late season tomato plants that will stretch the season into the Fall and beyond.  These can be planted as late as mid July.  Happy tomatoing.