Timing is everything

Timing is everything in Gardening.
I just finished reading a gardening book about Thomas Jefferson's Monticello garden,
and he new timing, gardening, growing, marketing and selling veggies. He was a Master.

He kept journals: gardening journals that were detailed, thorough and complete with drawings.
He wrote he started tomatoes in February!
February 22nd to be exact. Yes, he violated standard gardening practices, but he had early tomatoes.

You don't have to be a gardener to know that tomatoes like heat and lettuce likes cool.
How do you grow tomatoes in February in 1800?

In a Hotbox, with lots of fresh dung used to create heat.

With knowledge from books and a few years gardening experience, hotbox heirloom tomatoes
by the 4th of July could happen. Timing is everything to have freshly picked warm thick sliced salted
tomatoes for the 4th BBQ.



a box of heirloom tomatoes



Jefferson called tomatoes  "love apples"