16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

Late season growth could be due to the moderate temperatures we are having now. Mid-summer heat is very stressful for plants and they appreciate the good weather. And maybe the rain has something to do with it also. But soon the days will get too short and the nights will get too cool for good growth or fruit set, so enjoy it while you can.

Bob B.

In south Florida, you can start seeds in November for a spring crop. I wouldn't bother moving a tomato plant myself. I would just start fresh in November once you get here.

Its lack of light that make plants leggy ,not the heat

dickie, I have read that it can be due to either lack of light or heat. I don't know if that is true or not, but there are many who claim it to be true.

My seedlings get a minimum of 7 hours of full sun and most days 10 hours so I don't think lack of light is the problem.

Hi I had the same problem with Irene.Lots of rain and wind after the storm passed I picked 20 or so green tomatoes as the plants were broken I then put the green ones in my kitchen in the dark area on there tops and they are ripening! as far as taste better than store bought!

Hello,
Before Irene came I picked the largest tomato's in my garden. If they had a good amount of color I just turned them up side down on a tray and put them in my kitchen in the darkest place. For the rest w/out color I got a lg. paper bag and put them in there,not touching,and put them in a dark place, these have to be checked daily. In fact all need to be checked and most do ripen for me.

I also do this at the end of the season if there are a lot of tomato's still on the vines before clean up. You have to check the bags because if one rots you have to throw it away,right away.

I have had good luck doing this for years,but you have to keep on top of it. As far as taste not really any different, so much better than store bought.

Don't think this yr. I'm going to have that many left as I had the worst tomato yr. ever!

Karen

I've been tomato growing for 19 years. If picked after the breaker stage and allowed to ripen indoors without the apple slice ethylene push they taste just as good as vine ripe IMO. Yes I have done taste comparisons. I can't pick exactly at the right hour (You'd have to to be PERFECTLY ripe) or even every day. I usually pick every three days and when I pick - I pick! Anything close gets picked, say three days close. Birds and rodents get very few that way. I must say, once and awhile I'll find a beautiful juicy deep red, gold or pink tomato and while still sun warm it is a nice treat...:)

I've started covering my tomatoes at night to avoid the 45-50
degree nights but days reach 70-75 degrees. Would they ripen as fast if I leave the cover on during the day, too?

Going to top this again for yumtomatoes.

thanks!

I have learned that Blossom End Rot is caused by lack of consistent watering. My solution was rain barrels. I have 2-- 55 gal barrels to collect the rain water from the downspouts. Keep them about 18 in off the ground so you can install a faucet to fill 5 gal pails for hand watering. It works if you get enuf rain to fill the barrels or you could fill the barrels on your watering days. Good Luck!
TomF

Make sure you check the acidity level in your soil. I know Fulton Co. Extension Service offers this for a small fee. I have always heard that BER is caused by a need for lime to be added to the soil. As a side note, my Parks Whopper has been the best, most consistent producer in our garden this year.

I was also wondering about planting past the cotyledons. I have young healthy plants with 2+ sets of healthy true leaves, and it's time to pot up. The problem is that I went out of town for a couple of days and left the plants in a sunny window instead of under their grow lights, and they got just a tiny bit leggy. Therefore, I'd like to cut off or bury the cotyledons with the potting, but I hesitate because they're still quite green and healthy, even though I've got big true leaves.

What I did was bury the plant just up to the cotyledons for most of my seedlings. A few very leggy plants, I buried past the cotyledons but left parts of the cotyledons exposed.

Mine had at least 2 sets of true leaves when I did that so I thought that would be sufficient for photosynthesis.

I have two favorite recipies (if you can call them that).

1. While picking cherry tomatoes off the vine...eat them.

2. Sliced raw tomato with Kosher salt.

Both recipies are simple and easy. And the best way to
eat tomatoes IMHO.

I really enjoy my tomatoes sliced with salt and nothing else or on a BLT. I do like a caprese salad, too, though - sliced tomatoes, sliced fresh mozzarella, chopped fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. And of course, salt.

It is true that the smaller what you call runts usually don't have we well developed roots, but that's b'c most of the time, at least the way I start seedlings, they are in nutritional competition with other nearby seedlings.

Which is why thinning out seedlings helps a lot.

Trust me, you'll learn by experience. When I first started growing tomatoes there were no message sites to ask questions at, and that's true for many who post here and elsewhere and I did just fine as did they and you will as well, that I know.

Experience is the very best teacher there is.

Carolyn

I started the seeds in pots in sterile seed starting mix. I think the roots were not developed due to how hot and humid it is here right now. I had 1 seed per cell so I don't think it was competition.

The ones that did the worst were Kellogg's Breakfast, Virginia Sweets, OTV and Cherokee Purple. Sudduth, Landis and Plattfoot Brandywine and Sun Gold did the best. So I am going to stick with the latter 4 and then try again in November with the other 4.

I put my green tomatoes in newspaper lined flats. These are covered with another layer of newspaper. I just lift the paper to check. In my case the newspaper provides some insulation and absorbs fluids from bad spots that I have missed.

Thanks for all the replys. I put them into a box as suggested and covered the entire box with newspapers and checked daily. I am happy to report that most are already various stages of red. Looks like they will all ripen and a lot sooner than I thought. Thanks again...this is a great forum.

I let them on to turn yellow and fall off on their own cause I figure that they're still feeding the plant. Then when I transplant again into cups a couple weeks later, I go deep. I might be right or wrong though.

Just cut one off and bury the other with the stem