stephanietx
I'd like to compare my tomato plants and production to yours this year. Since we have very similar weather condition.
I'd like to understand the better time to start the seeds and transplant them outside in our area.
Would you like to do that with me?
I started my tomato seeds on Dec. 31, 2012 - Transplanted out on Feb. 16, 2013.
First "green" tomato forming on March 16th
First "red/yellow" tomato on ....
End production on ....
STARTING OUR SPRING GARDEN STAGE 4
I'm not good at record keeping, but I'll give it a go!
I started these tomato seeds on Jan 13. I've already had a lot of flowers form, but I've been cutting them off since they weren't in the ground yet.
ok, thanks
I did the same with my tomato flowers too.
My tomato seedlings are out on the back porch today. I've had them out for an hour or two all weekend and about six hours yesterday. Today they will be out for eight hours. The bed is ready and the stakes for Florida weave will go in probably tonight after work. If the weather holds then I will plant out this weekend. The pole beans are planted out, as is some lettuce. I just ordered some more sunflower seeds as well as some gomphera (did I spell that right? Doesn't look right to me this morning). The pepper and eggplant seeds are starting to sprout. Next I'll be working on the melon and sweet corn beds. Just need to find room for my peanuts and sweet potatoes and I should be set. I'm growing some of the tomatoes and some of the zucchini and squash in with the baby blueberry bushes this year. I think I'm going to have to cut out a new bed this spring too! The veg and fruit garden is growing!
Does anyone suggest a cover crop for a new bed to help choke out weeds and to be turned under for green manure? This would be a summer cover crop. I was kind of thinking sunflowers but am open to suggestions as I've not done a summer cover crop before and have yet to do any research....
Plant your sunflowers away from your veggies because the sunflowers attract leaf footed bugs.
OK, they will be about 20 ft away.
You mean, if I planted some in my neighbor's yard, they would leave my tomatoes alone?
SUH-WEET!
Scroll-up and read post Post #9451158 about Sunflowers and Cardon.
Oh my...hit the pine straw motherlode today. I had to stop at 16 garbage bags full because I couldn't balance any more in the pile in the back of my truck. I say "I" like I hauled any myself... the boy did it all for me.
Way to go Nicole!
Woo hoo!
Uh, I just read something that said I was supposed to pull all the blooms off the bell pepper plants that are still under lights, so the plant would grow to full size and be able to hold up its fruits.
My bells are LOADED with blooms. I haven't potted them up (this evening), so is there still time to remove the blooms? Should I leave them alone? Will the plants continue to grow properly once planted out?
Shoot! They are gorgeous, too...
I've read all over DG that blooms should be removed from plants that aren't in the ground. That's always been my practice as well.
It takes away from the plants ability to produce roots which is the most important thing. They need energy to make good roots not fruit, right now.
So...it's suppposed to be 36 degrees on Sunday evening. Should I cover my transplants? Should I hold off on planting the rest of my tomatoes? Should I go ahead and plant my other seeds? Help!!
I would definitely cover the transplants, stephanie, and maybe put some gallon milk jugs under the blankets with them filled with hot water. I'd wait on the other tomatoes. The seeds- it depends on what kind they are.
Stephanietx and Solace, I have a pile of milk jugs and soda bottles (we try not to dring soda, but the neighbors are happy to let me have some of theirs) just for this time of year. Of course the weather may change by then.....
Gymgirl, I'm a bloom remover too. Once the plants are in the ground I will also remove a few blooms if the plants themselves don't look like they are up to speed. Let them put their energy into growing a good strong plant and then they can do the bloom/fruit thing. I do that wil my peppers and eggplants mostly.
Ok, ya'll,
I removed ALL the blooms from the bell peppers (found two more peppers almost 3" long!!!!). Still didn't get to pot them up, and, at this point, don't think I will. My neighbor is ready to plant some out in her sunny patch, so I'll start hardening them off...
Stephanie,
I'm partly with Solace.
►Cover the transplants. 39° isn't freezing, but they'll need protection more from the wind than the cold...
►Wait on the other transplants...
►I'd go ahead and throw the seeds...if you have a piece of dark plastic, you could throw the seeds, then cover them with the plastic. The sun will help warm the soil for these next couple nights with chilly dips (next Monday-Thursday here, I think)
Do you have a hoop up? That'd solve a lot of on again, off again protection issues...
I used to watch The Victory Garden religiously. Bob Thompson always said to put a board over freshly planted seeds if the weather was going to turn bad. Of course don't use a board if the seeds have sprouted, but I've used a board may times to protect the seed from weather or dogs even. It does work. Sometimes the old ways.....
I've never plant Peppers or Eggplant until the low temps are consistenty above 55*. They don't like the cold and may even stunt them. Some people recommend 65*, with the temps doing what they do every year at this time I would wait to put them in the ground.
I'm with Lisa -- I want the soil warm and nights at a minimum above 55F (whether naturally or under hoops, etc.) If I try and get them out too early, they just stall out and don't restart until it's even warmer, so I don't end up getting fruit any sooner.
I'm probably at least a month away from putting out tomatoes and peppers here.
My transplants are already too big for milk jugs to cover. I thought of that, tried one on for size, and came up short (or tall??). I did plant one other Beefsteak today as it's stem had bent over. Decided to plant it really deep to cover up the bend and hope it roots itself. I'll plant the rest of the transplants next week. Still figuring out what I want to do with the seeds.
Isn't April 11 last frost date for FW? Try a 5 gal bucket instead of a milk jug...
Nichole- if I use hoops then they roast during the day, if I don't get a chance to remove them. It's supposed to be in the low 60s and 30s next week. For the first time in all my gardening life I'm happy I'm behind. Lol
I really think it's more like zone 7b here anyway.
Kitt, the 5 gal bucket is a good idea, but I don't have as many buckets as I have plants! LOL Guess I'll make a run to Home Depot tomorrow and buy enough.
How many plants are you trying to cover?
I think I have a dozen to cover. Mark said we'll make a trip to Home Depot (or go dumpster diving because it's bulk pick up day tomorrow) to get more. LOL
The buckets never go to waste at our house, theres always something we need a few more for...
We use them as weed buckets and a host of other things.
12 isn't too bad. I luv to go dumpster diving but it embarrass my kids. However, everything I do embarrasses my kids so it doesn't stop me. Ive even told them, " you don't like anything I do, so I'll do it anyway ". Lol
steph... As an experienced diver, depending on how big your plants are, how about some of the 2 or 3 gallon nursery plastic pots? With some plastic sheeting, you'd have a little hoop house. BTW, a good source for FREE buckets, usually, is a BBQ restaurant. Empty pickle buckets are great, and easy to clean. I've got a bunch of transplants going to various people, and I'm going to advise them to hold off planting until after this little cold snap, especially the peppers & eggplant. I'm figuring they ought to be able to get away with the tomatoes, as long as they are covered, and bring the peppers & eggplant in at night...
Just watched the weather for the next 7 days, and it looks like we're about to have lows in the 40's next week until Wednesday, so I don't think it'll be too bad on the tomatoes. I still have the option to move them since they'll be in the fabric pots, plus the fact they are supposed to be warmer in the winter.
This message was edited Mar 22, 2013 1:33 AM
My eggplants and peppers are just starting to sprout this morning. They are out on the back porch with a heat mat in one of those BioDome starting kits. I've used the same one for years. The tomato seedlings are sitting right next to them, off of the heat mat without the cover. They are starting to look pretty good with their second set of true leaves. Doesn't look like the weather will hold through the weekend. But my soil has been at a consistant 65 degrees for over a week now so I think I should be able to plant the tomatoes out maybe Monday depending on the weather up, up in the sky--sometime next week anyway. I usually check my Farmer's Almanac and see what it says about the best days to plant what. I've been cutting up "dixie cups" to make cutworm collars for the
The pole beans are sprouting but they are under cover of Romex (sp?) so they should be fine. I have to cover almost all sprouting seeds out here as the crows will just wait for me to leave for work and pluck everything out of the ground if I don't.
This has nothing to do with gardening - but I got my solar system finally completely hooked up today!! I signed up for it in June of last year so it took forever. Of course today's an overcast day, with no real sunshine forecasted until Monday. I'm just excited that it finally came installed!
Jo-Ann
Solar panels on your roof for electricity?
Congrats, Jo-Ann! I debated getting one last summer before the TVA cancelled their contracts paying a premium on buying back energy, but there were too many trees that would have to come down at a fairly high expense, so the ROI was past when I'd have to start repairing/replacing parts. Ah well, I'll look at it again in a few years.
My retaining wall was finished this morning... time to landscape. I'll be posting over in Garden Design about that project. It's not as exciting as a solar system, but it's pretty exciting to me!
terri.. Down here just south of Austin they're predicting lows in the low 40's thru next Wednesday. I'm definitely holding the peppers & eggplant from the pots, but I may escape with the tomatoes being covered. Are they predicting freeze up your neck of the woods??
My peppers & eggplant went out today to various gardeners, and most of those were already 2-3" tall. They got started mid-February, and actually look pretty good. Going to start a second planting for set-out end of April.
Kevcarr59, Wednesday the weatherman said definite frost for Sat or Sun night. Thursday this same guy said Sun night frost but probably not Sat. This morning he backed off the whole thing and said we should cover the plants both nights, but if we do get frost it will only be lite. I only really need to cover the pole beans and they are already covered due to the crows. The rest hasn't been planted out yet. So they can come inside at night. From looking at my Weather Channel desktop app it looks like we will dip into the 30's Sun - Wed nights. Our average last frost date should have been last week. I've been holding off planting early this year. My big problem here in my garden is the incessant wind. It really can desiccate the little plants. I recently unpacked a box of books from the big move four years ago (will I ever stop finding stray boxes to unpack?). I found my precious Victory Garden book published in the 70's. That is where I was reminded of the board thing. Bob Thompson put boards over freshly planted seeds when frost might be an issue. Also came across a drawing of an 8" x 1" set on angle and propped up with stakes to protect a row of your sprouts from the wind and mid-day sun.
I'll wait for the peppers and eggplants to go out when the soil temps register more into the low 70's. At least 70. LOL!
I am ready !
I might be off topic here ... but last year somebody did ask me which color is the tomato sauce using yellow tomatoes ...
Here it is ! Today I was making "ragu bolognese" = tomato sauce with ground meat.
One year I canned some yellow tomato sauce -- nothing special, just Beam's Yellow Pear. It was such a brilliant yellow the jars brightened up the whole pantry like a bit of summer sun all winter. We have ladies here who sell canned goods at the farmer's market -- they should add it to their repertoire, they'd sell out every time.
I can understand the question, though, since some many of the "colored" veggies lose their special color when being cooked.
I haven't tried canning any of the dark purple or brown varieties. I'd guess their sauce would be dark, but I wonder if it would look dingy. Has anyone tried?
I picked up two tips while listening to a short radio program. First, water you seedlings that are indoors in the morning, then let them stay dry during the night. I am guilty of watering them way too much I think.
Second, and I had never heard this: When hardening off seedlings (tomatoes was the plant used in the program) after you work up to them staying out all day, then move them to the drive or paved walkway so they are exposed to the extra heat. The program stated that plants depend on heat hours to mature as well as hours exposed to sunlight.
Any gardeners out there ever try this?
I usually harden mine off on the back porch, which is concrete. Once they are out there for eight hours they would be getting sunlight in the morning and then again in the afternoon. So I guess I'm sort of doing that without knowing. They seem to do fine.