Penn and Sasha's Altai in the snow.
I love Sasha. I wish I could meet him. I've already written Ode's to Sasha - but this year's harvest is just - rock and roll. The above pic is just about 1/4 of the Sasha Harvest. I grow Sasha with deep love. Love for the guy - Sasha - who developed and adapted it to the Siberian mountains and love for Bill McDorman for bringing it home to America for the mountain growers. I've grown Sasha's Altai for 28 years. It never disappoints. It's always delicious, prolific and so juicy.
I am busy squeezing tomatoes right now to ferment the seeds so I can get them ready for the 2020 growing season. It's joyful work. It's my favorite tomato so even though there are MANY other varieties all over the floor ripening in boxes, bags, trays, on the couch, on the table, under the couch - this is my happy time.
I asked Mother Earth to give us September to make up for June, (it froze until the 22nd), and many varieties weren't planted until the top of July - Sasha did what it does best - loaded up in a hurry. Thanks Mother - you gave us September.
The plants are small, other sellers consider it a determinate but I don't agree. I call it 'a small indeterminate', as Sasha blooms until frost. In the greenhouse I can string it up 6-7' tall. In the open, it grows compact and easy to manage.
Oh and that flavor! Mostly I am just making noises when I am taste testing it but I try and manage words like, 'perfectly balanced', 'smear-on-your-face-good', and 'Oooooooo' and 'aaaaaahhhh'. Did I say juicy?
I've done three photo shoots with those big, heavy bowls to get the exact right feeling I wanted, to show the world how much I love this tomato.
Having a harvest like this is jump-up-and-down happiness. I don't always have enough room to grow more than a few plants at a time but this year, Sasha got an entire 5' X 20' Bio-intensive bed with a half-open cover called, "The Sasha Bed." Yes, I grow Sasha totally in the open as well but the Sasha Bed was built specifically for this tomato. It's a half-greenhouse film, half-screened cover that does not have to be opened and closed every day in Colorado's intense sun as it breathes and traps warmth for the night. I only put Siberian tomatoes in it as the screen lets the cold in and they will freeze before other beds.
Planting Sasha en masse is such a joy!
I made the call just in time too - the big freeze didn't come right away - but a few small ones did, triggering the Wood Rats to start doing their evil. They like to line their nests with the tomato branches and if there are ripe or unripe tomatoes on them - so be it. They stole some significant varieties this year and really pissed me off. As soon as I see that, it's time to start pulling them in - ready or not. They all ripen perfectly in the house.
The mice tripped the live traps, ate the peanut butter and escaped, the Wood Rats high-fived them. They like the tomatoes better anyway.
Today is another wonderful day of squeezing all of my favorite varieties and many new and unusual ones too. I should be out hunting all day every day but I have to balance the harvest.
Happy Sunday - I hope you are posing with your tomatoes or lining them up and taking 'Tomato Porn' pics like I do.
Enjoy!
I am busy squeezing tomatoes right now to ferment the seeds so I can get them ready for the 2020 growing season. It's joyful work. It's my favorite tomato so even though there are MANY other varieties all over the floor ripening in boxes, bags, trays, on the couch, on the table, under the couch - this is my happy time.
I asked Mother Earth to give us September to make up for June, (it froze until the 22nd), and many varieties weren't planted until the top of July - Sasha did what it does best - loaded up in a hurry. Thanks Mother - you gave us September.
The plants are small, other sellers consider it a determinate but I don't agree. I call it 'a small indeterminate', as Sasha blooms until frost. In the greenhouse I can string it up 6-7' tall. In the open, it grows compact and easy to manage.
Oh and that flavor! Mostly I am just making noises when I am taste testing it but I try and manage words like, 'perfectly balanced', 'smear-on-your-face-good', and 'Oooooooo' and 'aaaaaahhhh'. Did I say juicy?
I've done three photo shoots with those big, heavy bowls to get the exact right feeling I wanted, to show the world how much I love this tomato.
Having a harvest like this is jump-up-and-down happiness. I don't always have enough room to grow more than a few plants at a time but this year, Sasha got an entire 5' X 20' Bio-intensive bed with a half-open cover called, "The Sasha Bed." Yes, I grow Sasha totally in the open as well but the Sasha Bed was built specifically for this tomato. It's a half-greenhouse film, half-screened cover that does not have to be opened and closed every day in Colorado's intense sun as it breathes and traps warmth for the night. I only put Siberian tomatoes in it as the screen lets the cold in and they will freeze before other beds.
Planting Sasha en masse is such a joy!
I made the call just in time too - the big freeze didn't come right away - but a few small ones did, triggering the Wood Rats to start doing their evil. They like to line their nests with the tomato branches and if there are ripe or unripe tomatoes on them - so be it. They stole some significant varieties this year and really pissed me off. As soon as I see that, it's time to start pulling them in - ready or not. They all ripen perfectly in the house.
The mice tripped the live traps, ate the peanut butter and escaped, the Wood Rats high-fived them. They like the tomatoes better anyway.
Today is another wonderful day of squeezing all of my favorite varieties and many new and unusual ones too. I should be out hunting all day every day but I have to balance the harvest.
Happy Sunday - I hope you are posing with your tomatoes or lining them up and taking 'Tomato Porn' pics like I do.
Enjoy!
Penn and Sasha
First fermenting jars of Sasha. Notice the separation in the jar on the left - starting to mold....yippee!
The Sasha Bed - on the left. The other tomato bed is surrounded with pallets for wind protection with a hail guard over the top.
The Sasha Bed with one end open. First nips of frost - harvesting underway.
The Sasha Bed, covers propped open for watering. A rogue Brussels Sprouts grew amongst the tomatoes.
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