Australia Day Sauce Census

Every Australia Day I find myself somewhere eating barbecued sausages with tomato sauce. And talking to someone about when the tomatoes will start to ripen.

This year was no different, except I think the tomatoes have ripened earlier. My impression is that the first tommies I got were on the earliest plants I put in, but there are/were not many of them.

But the very interesting thing is that my Romas are now producing copious ripe tomatoes - this week I will be able to start freezing them. I don't think I have had them that early before - last year's sauce was made on the 23rd of March!

And these Romas are in a semi-shaded bed, but at least this year I got them semi-pruned and properly staked. But they are still out-doing the Grosse Lisse, that are in the best and sunniest bed, and are not even producing ripe fruit yet.

But, when they do, there will be heaps!!!!! Along with the Romas, they were planted quite a few weeks after those first early ones from the shops - and they are going to be worth the wait.