Cold tolerant tomato, Valencia

I may be foolhardy or even a bit impetuous but I just had to do it: I planted my first tomato plant last month in February. A cold tolerant beauty called Valencia, I bought it from Hayground Organic Gardening. Jimmy and Logan Williams sell all sorts of wonderful plants at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market on Saturday and Wednesday.

We had a warm spell this week, and the Valencia responded well. I find growing tomatoes here by the coast to be a challenge. We experience cold overcast foggy summers when the rest of the Los Angeles basin basks in heat and sun. Not surprisingly, last summer, it was the cold tolerant varieties which produced tomatoes, such as my Paul Robeson and Carmello.

Family: Solanaceae, Solanum lycopersicum