So, it’s getting to be the height of summer now. They say you can’t grow tomatoes down here in Central Florida in the summer. Apparently the wild tomatoes didn’t get that memo.

I was out in the garden, seeing how my rescued dwarf bananas were growing one day, when I noticed I had tomato seedlings growing in the garden. Um, I didn’t plant any tomato seeds this year, and definitely haven’t planted tomato seeds since early 2016.

Not sure why it took the tomato seeds a year to germinate, but my hypothesis is that there has always been a lack of water up until this season. I didn’t have the micro irrigation system installed until recently, and we haven’t had a ton of rain until just in the last few weeks. 

The tomato plants have been setting fruit and are super healthy, but I’m concerned that they’re going to stop setting fruit due to the heat. So, I will be purchasing some 50% shade cloth and providing them with some shade here soon.

Also, I’ve been doing a lot of research on high tunnels with shade cloth for growing veggies in the heat of the summer. I think I am going to try a DIY solution. Once it’s up, then I would have some shade to clear some more grass and make more gardening area! Meanwhile, I may have to try more of a sunshade approach just to keep the tomatoes coming.

Bananas are much happier now and almost ready for transplant into their new spot up next to the house where they will be warmer during winter under their future mini greenhouse. They were ailing in the last spot they were in due to lack of water during the summer and frost during the winter.