I started my peppers and tomatoes in mid-March, anticipating hot weather come May and June. Well, the hot weather must've gone somewhere else, because it is still chilly here in Northern California. Our nights are in the high 30s, low 40s, and our days are in the 50s and 60s. My peppers are still only a couple of inches tall, even though I threw plastic over them. The toms are a foot or so high, they haven't made it out of the hoop house yet. They look pretty unhappy, with curled leaves.
Sooo, my question is this: are my plants in suspended animation and ready to burst into growth when the temps rise, OR since they have spent so much of their lives stunted are they destined to be delayed, small, weak plants? Should I plan on buying starts at the garden center if/when it warms up? We have generally scorching days and cool nights here in the summer, and the nightshades usually only are in full production mode during the last few weeks of summer before our October frosts arrive.
What say you?
Chilly weather, peppers and toms suspended animation?
They'll be fine. When warmer weather comes they should take right off.
To solve the mystery on where the hot weather is,it's here in Tx. Lol
Generally it's not recommended that peppers and eggplant not be planted out until the nighttime temps are consistently above 55 degrees, the lower temps can retard the growth of the roots, the tomatoes will just sit there and wait. The soil temps are low too I'm assuming so that will defiantly slow down growth. But when the heat arrives they should take off. : )
The hot weather is in the northeast. You can have it back.
I live in the SF bay area, and am having the same problem. It rained in June here... which it hasn't done in my memory (and I've lived here my whole life).
It was cool last summer also -- my tomato crop was smaller and later than normal, but I still got one (same with peppers). I harvested the last of my tomatoes on Thanksgiving day last year!
They will be fine... just late.