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Trying to extend my Tomato season, is there any hope?
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Posted by tracydr 9 (My Page) on Sun, Oct 25, 09 at 12:22
Ok, this might sound crazy but, since I had a dismal tomato crop, I'd like to try for some early winter tomatoes. I planted my summer tomatoes waaaay too late and they died in the heat before they could produce. I got two little tomatoes before they bit the dust. Lots and lots of flowers but they just couldn't get there in the record hot July we had.
So, first I kept waiting for it to get below a hundred, which it didn't do. In fact, last week we actually had two days of 99 degrees. Yes, I know it's almost Halloween!! Last night I got home at 10pm and it was 70 degrees with a high of 89 degrees yesterday. Do you believe it?
So, after all this heat and yes, some procrastination too (wouldn't you after that kind of summer?) I finally got the urge to start another garden). I am by the way, just starting to get a japanese eggplant and hot peppers BTW, I guess they finally came out of summer stress.
I went to Home Depot and bought a patio tomatoe, a Sweet 100 and some other Indeterminate which I lost the label to.
Planted Patio in a big pot which I stuck in full sun and will get a roller for if needed to move in and out if and when we start having nights less than 60 degrees. (I assume we will eventually get back to normal again and have a winter)
The other two I had to plant in the only garden I currently have ready which is eastern side of my house wall. It is only getting sun from about 7am to 11-12 noon. I'm thinking I could hook up a gro-light since I have electricity on the wall there? Would only need to be about 4-6 foot long I guess to cover both tomatoes. Any better ideas or is there even any hope at all? I'm thinking when we start getting a little cool to add stones around these plants to store heat for night time. Mulch or not? They have a light dressing of wood chips from the summer garden right now. They are both 50-60 day to harvest plants and about 12-15" tall already.
Thanks!! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Trying to extend my Tomato season, is there any hope?
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| Hey Tracy; Yeah I am in Southern CA too. I have 12" terra cotta tiles around my tomato plants in winter. I also have a back-drop of tiles glued to a piece of plywood 3 ft tall behind them on the wall which is South Facing. In the future I would suggest "Rutgers" tomatoes for this purpose. Grow them during the regular season and they will continue to grow and fruit in this location during Winter. |
RE: Trying to extend my Tomato season, is there any hope?
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| Tracy, are you in the Palm Desert? I cannot think of another part of the state still getting and staying that warm. My temps will be going down to the low 40s this week. You might consider a simple well ventilated and easy to seal lean-to on that eastern wall. I have a hard time imagining grow lights doing much good in outdoor shady conditions, but what do I know? I'm try to get a few dozen nice tomatoes to the blushing stage by covering the plants at night in simple painter's plastic over pvc fram. I'll leave it on if the days turn chilly and I'm still waiting on the fruit. So far I am getting in the 80s every day still. Also on extending the desert season, I am going to erect a pvc hoophouse 10X20 or so and try to grow in it straight through the winter. I already started a bunch of seed. I hope it works. |
RE: Trying to extend my Tomato season, is there any hope?
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- Posted by tracydr Phoenix (Mesa) (My Page) on
Mon, Oct 26, 09 at 14:58
Hey, I'm in Mesa. It was 99 two days last week and 89 on Saturday. But, I saw that Weds will have a low of 44 this week. I will probably cover my plants and bring that container in. Will put some rocks around those plants in the garden to try to hold some heat in. What else are you doing to yours? The hoophouse is a good idea. Wish I could get more light. Part of the problem is the pepper plants have gotten so big that they cast shade on the whole darn garden. But, they are covered with cowhorns, jalepenos and habs and won't be leaving. I'm assuming they will have a long life and I am going to be starting a new garden this winter with no walls around it. I will have to figure out some sort of shade structure before next summer for the tomatoes as well.
I think Tucson is about 10 degrees cooler if not more. I was down there last November and it was always cooler than home.
Will you be starting your tomatoe seeds in the hoophouse outdoors or in?
I'll see if I can do something of the sort. I was thinking of putting seedlings out around Jan 15th. I'd like to get some heirloom seeds from somewhere. Hate to buy whole packs when I have limited room, only want to try one or two plants of a few different varieties. Maybe a black cherry, black large, green, yellow plum and some reds of various. Would like to limit to about 12 plants total. |
RE: Trying to extend my Tomato season, is there any hope?
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| Tracy, ah Zebraman confused me. I thought you were in Cali. I scanned various desert climates regularly this year to see what we were all facing. Tucson is no picnic, but Phoenix was consistently the hottest area I watched. Vegas and other parts of the Mojave, like where I am, gave you good competition, but we cool off at night a lot better than you do during most of the summer. By cool off I mean low 90s and high 80s for me, when you'd barely dip under 100 at 3am. Peppers have done so well for me that I halfway wonder if I should transfer the addiction from tomatoes. For me it's jalepenos, habs, serranos, and a mystery hot pepper I'll photograph for the pepper forum on one side of the house, and Cal Wonder and Big Dipper producing bags of peppers weekly on the other side. Total of 20 pepper plants all going nuts into the fall. For now I'm not yet doing anything other than what I described above (some temporary plastic wrapped pvc frames over a couple loaded plants, and planning a hoophouse with seed already started). I am going to try to keep the hoophouse from freezing with solar heated water (filled milk jugs, a 96 gal. trashcan, etc), but I suspect I'll run a propane heater for a few nights when we go into the teens like most years. I will give it a shot for seed starting, but a garage setup with shoplights has been ideal for me. You said:
"I'd like to get some heirloom seeds from somewhere." There's dozens of seed sources online. People here, myself included, will happily send you some seed if they see this. You might want to set your email preference so you can be contacted by forum members. Trudi posts here and runs the Wintersown site. She has a growing variety of free seed available. Check out that link then click on Tomato SASE on the left side to see what she offers... for free. You may want to spend a little more time reading that long Desert Strategy thread though. Some varieties you may want to grow just don't perform for us. In my experience, you can grow cherry types to your heart's content, determinates started early seem to find a weather window to produce decently, the earlier 'days to maturity' the better for indeterminates. Good luck. |
RE: Trying to extend my Tomato season, is there any hope?
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Here's an update: temps have been 96, 94, 92 and 92 the last few days. Night temps in the low 60s. Still with only a few hours light for my in-ground sweet 100 and Early Girl planted on October 24 are getting new flower buds. The patio tomato is a little more active as it gets moved to where the sun is the best. It has flowers, new babie tomatoes and lots of green tomatoes!
Eggplant got a massive haircut this week and the few remaining eggplants are now growing very nicely. Cowhorn, jalapeno peppers are ripening nicely in the heat but habs are taking their time, I guess because their nearly completely in the shade.
My winter garden had phenomenal rate of germination with this heat! Everything is up by day 6 except for onions, chives and carrots. (and a few of the herbs) The bok choy looks like it's on steroids!
My tomato goal is to keep these three healthy and growing so that they can start producing in February. I'm getting dirt tomorrow to start seedlings in the house that will be planted outdoors on Jan 1-15.
Also, will be planting eggplant, peppers, who knows whatelse for early transplants. And next year, I will definetly have okra, zukes and cukes!!! Plus, lots of heirloom varieties of tomatoes. |
RE: Trying to extend my Tomato season, is there any hope?
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| O.K. here is my brilliant idea; We have lots of vol. tom. plants coming up (they think its spring) so I have 1gal pots ready & if frost threatens will transplant them along with the older plants & remove to the safety of patio wall until danger past, then back to garden beds in 'spring.' Vol. plants r the only thing, except Celebrity, that produce well in my place & they are almost always cherry tom. Going gangbuster now, having supernal weather here. Also will root some cuttings off the heirlooms then. Time to start seeds here now. My peppers always do their best the hotter it is. 112 deg. good for them! Good Luck |
RE: Trying to extend my Tomato season, is there any hope?
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My habeneros are finally turning orange. Patio tomato is still not ripening but I just moved it to an area with really full sunlight, hopefully that will do the trick.
As for Early girl and Sweet 100-Planted on October 23rd at about 12" high? They are now at the 3rd rung in the tomato cage and thinking about making some buds. Plenty of nice foliage, very healthy looking. It's been mostly high 80s here with some low 90s in the past week (today is November 10, I think it was around 84 but didn't check to make sure) and nights have been in the 60s.
Basil looking great, peppers blooming and doing well. Eggplant is producing nicely since I pruned it severely to give it more sunlight.
My winter garden, planted about 2 weeks ago, mostly greens, is doing great with sweet peas about 3 inches high and everything germinated including 5 varieties of lettuce and two varieties of spinach, swiss chard, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, green onions, garlic chives. All was direct sown into the garden.
Getting some Christmas lights this week or next for peppers and tomatoes to get them through the winter months. Also have cardboard boxes ready for any chilly nights and my step-daughter is bringing over some bubblewrap from UHaul where she works.
Planning a huge garden for next year to include some fruit trees (even guavas, almonds and pomegranate!!) and about 20 different heirloom tomatoes.
Has anyone tried winter sowing their tomatoes in the Phoenix area? I'm concerned it doesn't get cold enough and they will get all confused but I'd like to try. I could use some plastic flats with lids.
With all the tomatoes, peppers, okra and eggplants I will be starting I will be pressed for room in the house. I need to get them going this week and make a decision now!! |
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