TONS OF TOMATOES in TX

I took a lecture a few year ago called "Tons of tomatoes".
I forgot the name of the man in the video, but he was raising "for fun" tons of tomatoes here in Texas.
He said that his date of transplant outside was FEBRUARY 11th.
He'd warm up the soil with plastic mulch and planted his tomatoes. He'dprotect them in case of freeze.
He said that he has been doing this for years. with recor harvests.
I have started my tomatoes mid December and they are growing well. I was going to transplant them outside on February 11th ... but now I am scared !
Anybody had done this method in my area?

Drthor,
For whatever it's worth, that man is right (at least for our area, and in my opinion and observation). Do NOT be scared!

I've been trying to get my tomatoes into the ground sooner than later in February, due to the long DTM of my long-season indeterminates. Most of them need a minimum 80 DTM, and can actually push the envelope to as long as 120 days, depending on the weather here.

This year, I'm shooting for a February 19 through March 19th plantout of seedlings I started just sowed seeds for last night. I am going to have to force-feed my babies to get them to a decent enough size to put out by the 19th. If they're at least 6" by then, out they go. Even if they're not, I'll start stagger planting a few out at a time each weekend until my cutoff date of March 19th.

You are well ahead of the game, my friend. I'd go for it in a heartbeat if my seedlings were where your's are in the pic. It was my intention, also, to start my seeds by mid-December, but it didn't happen cause I was relocating. (BTW, I'd put some books under your trays and raise the seedlings closer to the light -- 1" to 2" away from the bulb). Also, put a small oscillating fan on them to fatten them up --making them work to stay upright under a gentle breeze builds muscle and makes them stronger!

Go for it! And please keep me posted on your progress and observations.

P.S. He's also right in saying that you will need to protect them 'cause we can have freaky freezes outta nowhere in February. I plan to put my babies out with a PVC hoophouse at the ready, so I can throw some 4-6 mil clear plastic over them on exceedling cold but sunny days, as well as add a blanket and shove a lamp or some Christmas lights under for freezing nights. The good part is we don't have sustained freezes here. Just a dip or two here and there, so that makes it relatively easy for us to protect them overnight.

Our next 3 nights in a row will dip into the mid to high-20s...

Godspeed, and Good Harvest!

Linda

The only thing you have to be careful of is a late freeze, especially up here in our area of the state. Remember, our avg last freeze date is mid-March. We had record snowfall last February. Tomatoes don't like the cold and won't set fruit if it's too cold. Plus, you'll have root shock if you plant them in the ground if the ground temp is too cold.

Great looking tomato seedlings, drthor. You'll be setting out those as transplants about the same time as I'll be sowing seed indoors. Our last frost date is around April 15th.

Here is the TONS OF TOMATOES video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh-VcwS3qus

Best of luck to you drthor. Your seedlings look wonderful!

Thanks for the video link.

Here's part two on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6yljCs0444&feature=player_embedded

This message was edited Jan 15, 2011 1:11 PM

Thanks for the links, drthor - I learned a few tricks from this gentleman.

Plus the long range forecast for TX is for distinctly warmer than normal ("normal"). That doesn't mean we won't get a freaky easter ice storm, but it does suggest that your plants will have even better odds this year.

Let us know what you decide and how it works out...

I am sooo jealous. Sometimes I really miss living in a zone 9! Good luck, everyone!

kmom246 - I lived in zone 9 for over 30 years (Palm Beach County) - I don't miss the high humidity and bugs one little bit!

Hah! I thought I was going nuts, could'a sworn I had posted in this thread and that it was longer with more postings. Poor Shoe, finally found a duplicate thread over in Tomatoes Forum. (I feel saner now!)

Shoe.

Not to worry. I did the very same thing, with this very same thread...remember...

The black plastic trick to warm the soil is a good one, no matter what zone you're in! We do it here in zone 7b to get our soil ready for tomatoes.
http://www.tomatodirt.com/preparing-your-soil.html

I discovered this by accident recently when I put my seedling trays in a clear plastic baggie under the fluorescent lights. I went inside to adjust something, and there was a heat buildup I could feel on my hand. The soil in the trays was warm!

No wonder my bell pepper seedlings have shot up like a rocket!

I've potted up 75 seedlings as of last night. Only about another 75 to go!

This message was edited Jan 26, 2011 10:33 AM

Drthor,
You got an updated picture like in your first post, so we can see your seedling progress?

When're you starting hardening off and planting out?

Linda

My tomatoes are really growing well.
I plan to plant them out on the following dates (suggested by the "Moon"):
February 27-28 or March 8-10.

Good grief! I'm planting mine today. Just call me slacker!

Drthor,

What varieties are you growing? Indeterminates? Determinates?

How tall are your tallest seedlings? Only asking because, from the looks of them, if they're taller than 8", I'd take a chance and put a few out by Feb. 19th under your hoop and let them go.

They look ready to go!

This is for Stephanie
"Slacker!"

Thanks Gymgirl
My tomatoes are tall ... more than 8" .... yahhh
This year I am really good at growing plants indoor ... the first time really I did so well.
I plant by the moon following this book:
"The North American Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar 2011" by Maria Thun
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0863157564/ref=oss_product
It still surprise me how amazing results I have when I follow the dates in her calendar.

So the dates I will follow to plant out my tomatoes are: February 27-28 or March 8-10.

They are in larger pots ... so they will be ok for a while. I hope ...

The varieties I am growing are mostly indeterminate ... even if it will not matter this year because I don't plan to do a second crop in the fall.
Here a few varieties I can remember:
Sweet 100
Sweet Millions
Yellow Pear
Gold Nudget
Jubilee Golden
Celebrity
Black Krim
BHN 444
Juliet
Sapho
Black Cherry
Sweet Gold
Red Grape
Oso Blue P20
..... and lots of others ... mostly cherry tomatoes

Woohoo! Call me slacker no more! Got my maters & peppers planted today, except for the jalapenos.

It'll be two more months before mine can go out - the seeds are not even sown yet!

It's about 42F and sunny. It's supposed to be in the 60's this weekend - perhaps we'll get another bed set-up if it doesn't rain.

HoneybeeNC,
Humor me. Go find yourself ONE milk jug. Cut some holes in the top and bottoms and split it around on three sides, starting and ending at the label under the handle. The label will serve as a hinge.

Put some seedling starter mix in and sprinkle some tomato seeds on top. Cover lightly with more potting mix. Then, water it in, close it up, put a piece of tape on it to keep the lid part closed.

Go sit the jug outside in that "42F and sunny" weather where it will catch sun and rain. Basically, forget about that jug, unless you don't get rain enough to keep it wet. If so, aim your garden hose at it (on sprinkle...). Forget about it again...

Check with me in two months to report what you see in that jug...

Linda ^^_^^

Gymgirl - I know I would see little seedlings - but then I'd have to dig them out of the jug, tease them apart, and re-set them in the ground, which will give them "transplant shock."

With my way -- I'll be sowing one seed per 3 oz cup indoors around March 20th and letting the seedlings grow until the weather settles in April, when they'll be set out on the porch for a few days to get acclimated. Each one will be very gently lowered into a prepared hole - no "transplant shock."

I know from experience that disturbing roots sets back seedlings. Last year I accidentally dropped one as I was putting it in the ground, and it was noticeably shorter than the other transplants for a week or so.

Now, I have thought of sowing tomatoe seeds directly into the garden and covering each one of them with a milk jug. But then I figured either the wind, the dog or the neighbor's cat would knock over the jug and I'd be back to square one.