Another dumb tomato question

[HunkieDorie23]

OK, I think I know the answer to this but when you plant your tomatoes that is the day you start counting for days to harvest right?

So Amish Paste, 82 days ... would start May 15 so harvest would start around Aug 5th, Mountain Princess, 68 days... start harvest around July 22. I'm just trying to get an idea of what to schedule when for canning (like I really can but I am going to give it a try).

 

[patandchickens]

OK, I think I know the answer to this but when you plant your tomatoes that is the day you start counting for days to harvest right? So Amish Paste, 82 days ... would start May 15 so harvest would start around Aug 5th, Mountain Princess, 68 days... start harvest around July 22. I'm just trying to get an idea of what to schedule when for canning (like I really can but I am going to give it a try).

I hate to say this, but "days to harvest" doesn't really mean anything unless you live geographically close to whoever generated the numbers you're going by AND this year's weather is pretty similar to the years that their numbers were generated in. (And are transplanting out at the same size that they did, and into comparable soil)

Days to harvest is TOTALLY dependant on climate, weather, etc etc. A variety that takes 80 days to harvest in one place in one year could take significantly longer (or shorter) in another place and/or another year.

The main value of 'days to harvest' info is to give you a relative ranking of different varieties... something that says 80 days to harvest is likely to mature earlier than a 100-day variety. (Although this is not always true, because, again, it depends on weather -- some varieties have much more/less sense of humor than others do, regarding cold weather or very hot snaps or suchlike)

So until you have mucho years of experience with your garden and with the varieties concerned, it's just not really possible to develop a schedule (even a vague one) for canning.

Note however that tomatoes store beautifully in the freezer for later canning -- in some respects, they are actually EASIER to can after freezing, on account of the skins slip off without the boiling water business. So as long as you have a decent amount of freezer space, timing need not be critical for tomatoes at least.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[HunkieDorie23]

OK, I have never actually figured the number of days out before. When I started today and saw August as a date for two of my tomatoes I knew that was screwy. I have never had tomatoes start producing that late. Normally they start ripening between July 10 - 24 roughly, then heavily during the end of July and August. September they are getting lighter because of temps.

I know with corn I have planted two separarte types with different mature dates and they are ready the same week even when they are supposed to be 1-2 wks apart.

 

[digitS']

Okay, I'm going to show you a couple of real, dumb tomato questions, Dorie:

1. Why was I so focused on temperature in making a decision on setting out tomatoes that the issue of wind didn't really occur to me?
2. Why didn't I realize that a large low-pressure trough coming in would have significant wind and consider that in my decision to set out my tomato plants this week?

The temperature in my large veggie garden this morning was 30.6 F. I have a lot of buckets and managed to come up with 60+ buckets and large pots to cover the tomatoes yesterday afternoon. Since we are now past noon and the temperature out there can't seem to get past 60, I'm just leaving them covered today.

While I was covering them, I noticed the damage the 50mph winds caused the day before . . .

I wanted to get them out this week because the rain and clouds would protect them from transplanting shock. I wonder how much shock they experienced being beaten against the ground by the winds?

Oops , that's another dumb question . . . Anyway, cool temperatures put tomatoes and other plants into sort of suspended development. Very high temperatures may do the same thing.

With corn, and tomatoes are probably the same, 50 average daily temperature should be reached to expect measurable growth. Average daily temperature is midway between the overnight low and the daytime high. If those temperatures are high enuf and average 85, we can expect growth to stop also.

Between 50 and 85, growth occurs if sufficient soil moisture and nutrients are available. The seed companies can and do determine the length of time and the amount of heat required for various varieties. If you want to, look at the number of sweet corn varieties with information on "GDD" (Growing Degree Days) on this list from North Carolina State University (click here).

It is one of my gripes that not all vegetable varieties have this information. GDD's would be much more meaningful than "days to maturity."

I did get my rambling back to the issue of maturing a crop and hope that you don't mind me whining about my tomato plants. Anyone who wants to can kick me for dumb behavior.

Steve

 

[seedcorn]

Days to maturity w/any crop is an estimate at best. It is only valuable when the same people put the days on the crop. One breeders 85 day may be another breeders 80 day. Plants will vary their maturity depending upon heat units, day length, conditions, stresses, etc. Only thing you can hope for is that an 80 is earlier than an 85 day.

 

[insiderart]

Days to harvest/maturity is a seed to seed number. It is an average. So on average if you purchase 6 week old plants, the tomato plant with an 85 days to harvest will take another 6 weeks or so to fruit. Now you have to allow an extra 2 weeks for transplant shock. So on average with the recommended optimal temperatures for tomato growth, 85 d.t.h tomatoes starting with 6 w.o. transplants should be bearing ripe fruit within 8 weeks.

Which in my area zone 6b if you planted 6 w.o. transplants on May 1 you should be able to reasonably expect to begin seeing ripe fruit by the end of June (if the variety is a 85 d.t.h variety).

 

[GrowsLotsaPeppers]

Days to harvest for me means that I get my first tomatoes the week of the Fourth of July. No matter, really, when we plant, the first varieties are there in limited numbers that week.

This year, I got mine in early. And then another couple of rounds later. All are up, strong, some are blooming, but nothing has set anything. It has not been near warm enough. Despite a hundred roses blooming, there are few bees and pollinators. It has been cooler than we can remember, rained later and feels more like mid April than late May.

So we'll have tomatoes when the Garden God says we can have tomatoes.