Tomatoes are the iconic “fruit of the Gods” in folklore. In Central Oregon gardens tomatoes are the bane of our vegetable gardens or should we say, our fruit garden patch.

Are tomatoes fruit or vegetable? Maybe you could win a trivia contest with the correct answer. Tomatoes are technically a fruit. “The ripened ovary of a seed plant and its contents are contained within the flesh of the fruit.” As you gift one of your first tomatoes to a favorite neighbor you could add, “nice fruit — eh?” Your neighbor will think you are a bit daft, but then the neighbor already knew that cause you are trying to grow tomatoes in Central Oregon.