We have had a great early heirloom tomato season here at Terra Firma, thanks a very early planting that we squeezed in between storms back in February and March. That planting benefited from an optimal pollination period that allowed us to set lots of fruit, followed by good ripening weather the last couple of weeks.
With another 3 happy and healthy tomato plantings lined up behind the first, we are just getting started with heirloom season and July is often the most abundant month for us. Unfortunately, this year the second half of July will be a period of lower production as a result of very nasty hot, windy weather in late May and early June that literally blasted the flowers off of our 2nd planting. That weather was fairly extensive in Central and Northern California, and anecdotal conversations with other growers indicate most farmers’ fields were affected.
As our 1st planting finishes up harvest, there just isn’t much “ready to ripen” fruit in the 2nd planting to follow it. We are expecting a two-week or longer drop in heirloom tomato production.
There is still a large amount of nice green fruit in the fields, thanks to the beautiful weather we’ve been having since mid-June. We expect those tomatoes to begin ripening around August 1st, although that will of course depend on the weather as well. If you are looking at promotions, I would strongly suggest waiting until then. The August crop could potentially be abundant through the entire month, barring a period of excessive heat that would create a glut of fruit. And with no extreme, blossom-killing heat in the forecast for the rest of July, there is a decent chance that heirloom season will continue to power into September.
Thanks for your continued support and understanding.