I'm in zone 8. Is there still a possibility of a freeze? Any risktakers out there?
Anyone planting Vegetables yet? Or are we still waiting.
I have mine in containers right now. Just waiting. Hubby says wait til first of April just in case. I may put some in the garden in a couple of weeks just because I am getting antsy. lol . Last time I had to go back and forth covering them up. I notice Walmart had some really nice plants this weekend but I already started mine from seeds. So at least I know where to go for more. lol We are in Spring, TX
I have a tomato plant with a bloom on it!
jorge, I think Mitch (up near DFW) said that he plants some at the beginning of March and then some more in the middle of March. I think. He should be along soon to tell you.
Radish, Greens, and corn are all in already. Tomatos, Peppers, Eggplant, and cukes will all go in March 15th, Good Friday will see my melons and anything I forgot to plant already. My peas are already coming off, and onions and garlic are also doing great. So yes some are ready, some are going to be ready, and some will be a few weeks. My last frost date here south of Dallas will be right around March 15th, just keep a few extra blankets ready just in case but a lot of stuff could be ok set out soon.
Mitch
you betcha--everything goes in the ground this weekend. Lettuce, broccoli, and garlic already been in a long time....tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, squash goes in this weekend. I'll probably wait a week on the peppers and two weeks on melons.
Last avg freeze date in feb 28--april ist is too late for tomatoes in Houston area to hit the narrow window of setting fruit before night time temps get too high.
This message was edited Mar 2, 2006 5:12 AM
Well, just today I found that a bunch of my seedlings were not going to make it. I should have found out how to harden them first. I put them outside in the shade. My tomatoes were 3 inches high, now they have fallen over.
jorge
Jorge, just becuese the tomatoes fell over doesn't mean they are dead.
If they are in the shade they are probably lacking water, it was very warm yesterday, just give them a good soak, and I bet they will perk up.
My tomato seedldings were left in the greenhouse - and it got to 105 before anyone could get home to open it up, so they are cooked :-( I'll be replanting tonight
Sharon
Sharon, you might be better off buying the seedlings at this point and starting the seeds in June for a fall crop. That way, you'll be sure to have fruit setting before the temperatures hit 95ºF. dmj1218 is right. Fruit production stops at that point. In this area, gardeners get their tomatoes in in mid-February and protect them from cold night time temperatures by placing plastic over the tomato cages. The plastic (or other covering) goes on in the late afternoon and comes off in the morning when the weather has warmed up.
Veronica
They are selling two new tomatoes here, especially developed for south Texas. They are supposed to bear even if temps exceed 95*. I bought one to try and I'm going back to get the other variety. They just have numbers and letters for names, I'll have to check my tag to see which one I got.
My greenhouse got to 106 today with windows open and exhaust fan running. I guess my tomato plants are hardened because they did not wilt at all. I have begun to transplant them to 1 gallon pots, as we got carried away and planted seeds in December. We should be frost-free after March 21.
Thought I had lost all the tomatoes, but got home from work today and some had actually perked back up. We shall see.....DH said if we lose some it's okay, since I had started 144 which is a tiny bit excessive :-)
Yowee! 144 tomatoes for how many acres? Just kidding, as we often overdo it too with tomatoes and peppers both. Salsa, you know. There was also the year when I had lots of heirloom tomato seeds that I thought were too old: I planted them all and they all sprouted. I murdered lots of little tomato plants. One year we did have 48 tomato plants in the garden and spent the entire summer making salsa and tomato sauce and canning tomatoes. ONE year.
Wow! And I though 15 plants were too much. We had a lot of spaghetti sauce, salsa and frozen tomatoes that year.
Susie, if you get the number and or letters off those tomatoes, let us know what they are. They would probably grow well up here, too.
lol stownes that is more than me I am planning onclose to 60 but I will be bringing anything extra to the TX roundup.
Here's some tomatoes tucked in with LA iris, daylillies, and a chinese wiseteria vine....
dmj1218, what are those white curly sticks? they almost look like downspout savers.
hilary
I was going to ask the same thing - what are they?
I hope dmj1218 doesn't mind if I answer. Those are tomato stakes. They are neat and handy if you train your tomato plants to one leader. You wind the growing end around the spirals.
I'm starting some plants for some friends and family, too. We all went in together on about 20 different kinds of heirloom seeds. And when I say 144, I mean it -- I'm one of those people who count out single seeds and expect them all to germinate ;-) Didn't lose nearly as many as I had feared. Last year we planted about 40 plants and had enough for our use and gave away some, but didn't have the extras as in the past to put up for the winter.
they are tomato spirals--I hear they are not the best of things but I hate cages--no storage room. They were a "gift" from a "friend", if you catch my drift, so I wanted him to know I was using them! lol
I have square tomato cages that fold up and end of season they are the greatest use them on lots of things
Hi Jorge,
We have put in shelling peas, sweet peas, oriental peas, yellow neck squash, crook neck squash, bi-colored sweet corn, xtra sweet corn, diva cucumbers, little leaf cucumbers and lots of other things from seed this morning. From transplant we have tomatoes. The winter garden is finishing up with beets and we finished up with the lettuces a week ago.
This message was edited Jun 2, 2006 4:26 PM
We planted our garden the beginning of last week. Everything is up and growing. We have tomatoes, peppers, several types of beans and squash, all kinds of herbs, cucumbers, eggplant, radishes, and I am even trying several different lettuces, although it may be too late for them to work. For over 25 years I have planted by the Red Bud trees and it has yet to fail me. When they come into bloom , in my town, it is time to plant. We have never had a freeze when they bloom. I don't know if it works in other areas but I know it works here.
Sunnytx, thanks for the redbud tip! I'll have to keep an eye on that too.
Hadn't heard that about the redbud trees. Around here, everyone says to wait for the mesquite trees to bud out. So far, they haven't, so I'm still waiting.
Red buds are blooming - we go by the Osage Orange.... and I saw buds this week one the one near my house!!
Stownes, I thought mesquites always had their leaves??? At least from where I am....
Mine is bare right now - but I see buds (my mesquite).
heck--my oak trees have leaves bigger than "mice's" ears!lol
Here's a "perky" little green zebra tomato
