Before anyone asks the obvious question, no I’m not talking about my Bottom. I’m talking about my Tomatoes. More to the point, why some of my tomatoes have black bottoms. It’s called blossom-end rot, presumably because it’s the blossom end of the tomato that’s rotting. It’s due to either a calcium deficiency or, as in my case, a lack of water. Not through neglect, but through pure stupidity. My tomatoes had blossomed and were starting to fruit when I suddenly realised we were going on holiday to Italy. A neighbour helped out with the watering, but it’s a hefty task to ask and luckily he voluntered. I had put in self-watering bottles but with the Cyprus heat they didn’t last too long.

Luckily all is well and only a few tomatoes rotted. And now it’s the end of the season and the last of the tomatoes are ripening off nicely.

Which is more than I can say for my grapes.

This is what’s left of one vine after the sparrows had a feast. I didn’t get invited, so I missed out. But they haven’t discovered one of my other vines.

And the vines on the front are a black variety of grape from China. They’re just turning from green to black and ripening off nicely. Very juicy and very sweet when fully ripe, but the skin’s a bit chewy.

I’ve got six vines altogether and this year has been a first for grapes on two of them, so if the other two catch up and I get grapes on all of them next year, I may just make my own wine and name it after my two dogs. Chateau Deux Chien 2019 has a certain ring to it.

Tom Kane © 2018

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