Too cold for tomatoes?

[Gardening with Rabbits]

It was 45 last night, 57 right now and 70s and 80s the rest of the week. I am thinking of covering the tomatoes with plastic. It will warm back up in to 80s and 60s at night next week, but even Aug. has only 1 day showing 90 and second week in September drops into 60s for highs. The plants have some cherry tomatoes, but very few regular tomatoes and they are small.

 

[digitS']

Once again, I was in the big veggie garden this morning trying to think how I could protect a big share of it from the wind. Sprawled, there are at least 2 big tomato branches broken and that must have been before yesterday and today's wind!

I had thought about a post saying that yesterday hadn't made it to 70° but then I sifted through the minute by minute and learned that it was 72°f sometime during the day.

Despite the wind damage to a few, my tomatoes look big and healthy. They are all growing off to the northeast, trying to escape to more protection and they have few blooms. There are a few green fruits and I can post a picture of a small bowl of ripe tomatoes, if it wouldn't hurt your feelings, GWR.

No growth to the eggplant or the peppers. Two varieties of melons will live but the watermelon is on life support.

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

Could you put down heavy compost around them? That holds in heat, too. So sorry for the rotten weather!

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Once again, I was in the big veggie garden this morning trying to think how I could protect a big share of it from the wind. Sprawled, there are at least 2 big tomato branches broken and that must have been before yesterday and today's wind!

I had thought about a post saying that yesterday hadn't made it to 70° but then I sifted through the minute by minute and learned that it was 72°f sometime during the day.

Despite the wind damage to a few, my tomatoes look big and healthy. They are all growing off to the northeast, trying to escape to more protection and they have few blooms. There are a few green fruits and I can post a picture of a small bowl of ripe tomatoes, if it wouldn't hurt your feelings, GWR.

No growth to the eggplant or the peppers. Two varieties of melons will live but the watermelon is on life support.

Steve

Post pictures. At least I see some ripe tomatoes. I think I have picked less than 10 ripe cherry tomatoes. My pepper plants are small, but I have some peppers on the plants.

 

[digitS']

10 ripe cherry tomatoes!!?

I've got nuthin on you, GWR! I think I've counted 6 ripe cherry tomatoes! Along with 2 Sweet 100's, there were about 6 ripe Kimberley tomatoes, yesterday. They aren't much bigger than cherries.

I've really got nuthin ... I learned that before I got in the house this afternoon that DW made salsa with the tomatoes . Well over 60 tomato plants and no ripe tomatoes in the house or garden .

Steve

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

10 ripe cherry tomatoes!!?

I've got nuthin on you, GWR! I think I've counted 6 ripe cherry tomatoes! Along with 2 Sweet 100's, there were about 6 ripe Kimberley tomatoes, yesterday. They aren't much bigger than cherries.

I've really got nuthin ... I learned that before I got in the house this afternoon that DW made salsa with the tomatoes . Well over 60 tomato plants and no ripe tomatoes in the house or garden .

Steve

I found another cherry tomato and ate that. Most have been Sungold and 3 were Sweet 100. I looked again and there are some tomatoes, small. Some plants are very healthy, but no tomatoes at all, and I think they are bigger type tomatoes. The ones with tomatoes are Bloody Butcher, no where near red, some Roma, and tiny size San Marzano.

 

[digitS']

We hear how high heat interferes with pollination and tomato fruit set. I really think that is so. However, I'm not sure how easy it would be to prove it by my garden.

Every year, I hope for a warm June. Well, on average, we had it. Soon, I will have been in this neck of the woods for 5 decades. Most of those years, I had a garden. I don't remember any June with such extremes. Warmer on average kinda doesn't mean much.

I have some Chinese Lanterns this year. They are in the tomato family. I've got them with some straw flowers and statice, the dry flowers. I don't spray those things generally so they are right beside the veggies. Along with some watermelon plants, some of those Chinese Lanterns died in June. I replaced them ... with a few leftover cabbage plants .

Then, it hit the 90's again. The poor root-bound cabbages nearly died, also! Beside those plants, the few Chinese Lanterns are still flat against the ground ... what a mess. Meanwhile, the squash and pumpkins are vining all over themselves! Something really went right for them, although i know that they don't like being blown nearly outta the ground by the frequent winds. Maybe it inspires them on the nice days .

Other warm-season plants, the green beans - I could pick a handful. At the same time, there are some in the same row that almost look like bonsai - more of them than the bigger plants. Soon, the summer-planting of green beans will go in.

I know Deep South gardeners might be thinking that they could just replace something like watermelon with more melons in July ..! I'm surprised by some of the problems but I don't even know why I try with watermelon! Of course, I used to think that about any melons ... then I discovered the U of New Hampshire was doing things with them. That's what we need! Instead of backyard gardeners struggling along with their square feet and one or two varieties, we need the ag departments to focus on things we can use.

Did you know that a guy who went on to ND State, I think it was, developed some tomato varieties while at the U of Idaho during the '70's? I grew some of those back then. I think that they are all determinates and I don't really like determinates. If we have a warm September, it would be nice if my tomatoes can take advantage of it. If they are determinates, they will just play out, no matter what advantage nice September weather might bring for the indeterminates.

Sand Hill Preservation sells some of those varieties. Yeah! Kootenai is somewhat known in the tomato growing world ... Anyway, they were mostly named for the Idaho counties .

Steve

 

[so lucky]

The weather here hasn't been too bad for gardens, but some of my plants seem to be struggling anyway. I have very few tomatoes; the plants are rather spindly, not lush and dark green. At least they are still blooming. The Marconi peppers that did so well last year are struggling along. One side of my pole bean patch looks like it's on its death bed; the other side is full and jungle-like.
On the bright side, the onions, potatoes and cabbage did pretty good. And the cukes are doing well.
At least I am not looking at upcoming frost for a while. I should be more thankful than I appear.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

i made a new folder - GARDEN 2017 and put the link to Sand Hill in it. I will order seeds from there. Part of the problem could be the plants had needed to be planted or put in larger pots right when I got the chickenpox. I have had to put shade up for tomatoes in Kansas so the flowers would not get burned off. That actually crossed my mind when it got so hot in June.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Soon, the summer-planting of green beans will go in.

Steve

Not too late yet? I have been thinking of doing this, but my first ones just now have flowers. I am going to do it. lol