Fall Tomato Planting.....

Ok getting my EB's ready to go...topped off my old ones with more soil and going to fill up my new ones (using MG on those this time) so who else is getting ready for fall?

Saint

Hey Saint - Tp and I are definitely getting ready!! But we'll just be starting seeds in the next week or two. It looks like you have maters ready to go in the ...what?? Oh, those eb things.
Well, I m gonna be nice this season and not rag on you eb growers. I have 40 mater varieties I want to plant this fall but I only have room for 30 or so as I want to grow some other veggies I like (beans, lettuce, peppers, carrots, radishes). What am I gonna do?? I may have to make more room! Oh well, more to come from down here in S. Fla!
Flip

LOL no pickin on me cause of my EB's! Besides it's all Tplants fault *G* I have room for 20 right now and I'm heading over to swindlin *coughcough* I mean buy my neighbors 5 from him this weekend so that should give me another 10 plants. Can't wait cause nothing is as good as a fresh off the vine mater.

Don't laugh but here in 6b I do a small second planting of early varieties to have some yield in the early fall. SunGold and Stupice and such.

What are you doing, Zep, and when do you plant out?

I plant out about now. Just SunGold, Stupice and maybe another cherry. It's nice to have fresh plants that aren't all diseased at the end of the season.

That's great! I got some out very late this year (gifts) so I'm hoping they will have enough time to fruit up for me. You make me feel encouraged!

I have a few seedlings that I started in June. I have them outside in their small pots and have for a few weeks. They don't seem to be growing too much, but they are alive. I am not sure when I will transplant them. I will probably wait till they get just a bit bigger. I will plant a few in EB's and a couple in the ground. I haven't fertilized them at all yet, just been watering them as they dry out. This is my first time starting anything from seed and will be my first time growing anything in an EB. I did plant tomatoes out this spring, but didn't have a whole lot of success. I had some tomatoes, but not more than just a few per plant with one exception..Sungold. I grew it in a 5 gallon container and it is still producing, flowering and growing.

I already have my seeds started and looking really healthy right now. I will clear out my 2 EBs in addition to planting in the ground.

well I'm all set now if the weather will play along...will it never stop raining?

Waaaay up here I set my late ones out by early July! They are doing great. Hail didn't hurt them much

I'd have loved to and might try it next year...but had company etc...not to mention it won't stop raining...I think I'm growing webbed feet.

starting seeds now black krim and Roma Paul

I am hoping I will finally get some paul robesons this season. None of the seeds from the pack I purchased germinated well, but another DG'r Corona Barb gave me some seeds she saved and they are doing awesome. I am also attempting to grow:

Aunt Ginny's Purple-Thelessoniki-Stupice-Prudens Purple-Jaunne Flaumme
Dr. Carolyn's Pink Cherry-Livingstons Favorite

PLANTING?? Planting!!?? I cant even PICK mine by fall, and you guys are talking about FALL PLANTING!!?? Oh my goodness. :(

well put mine out...and the bugger behind me won't sell! HUMF! So only have 20 plants *sob*

That's all I put out....20.

Awww Saint, that is too bad. I know you were hoping to get those, and looking forward to it at that! Maybe he will realize now that you have made the offer that he really isn't using them and will come back over and offer them to you. I will keep positive thoughts for you on that one, lol. Have you planted yours in your EB's yet? It is still so hot and crispy here...seems like everything is fighting to stay alive.

kanita--looks like some good varieties you are growing for fall. Are all of those new for you or are some of them repeats?

Indy - tomato plants are pretty resilient when it comes to hail, huh? I figured that out this last spring. I can't believe you got hail in July. At this point, I will take rain..hail or not.

Good luck everyone.

Does anyone have any suggestions on whether or not I should fertilize now while they are still in their small pots waiting to be transplanted?

you guys are killing me...."only 20"

I started some tomato plants the first week of July and will be transplanting from their pots to 5 gallon pails in a couple of weeks. My intent is to bring them into my small greenhouse on cold days and nights this fall and once weather stays cold leave them inside for Fall and Winter harvest.

BENSEN;
How is that 5 gal bucket thing working for you??

skidivur, I'll let you know as I will be getting the buckets ready this week during my vacation. This is the first year that I will be able to use the greenhouse all winter and haven't had a chance to use the bucket idea before. My tomatoes are still in 8 inch clay pots now. I'll take some photo's as I build the pails (planning on self watering like earthbox gesign) One thing I'm thinking of doing is extending the water fill tube up 4 or 5 feet to serve as a support for the tomato plants. I will just install a "Y" at a level that is handy to add water.

BENSEN;
Here are my buckets this year. Not all are 5 gal ones, however. I was going to convert to ALL 5 gal next year.

skidivur, your plants look healthy. I left you a post on "3 six foot lush tomato plants - only 3 tomatoes" thread. What do you use for a potting mix in your containers?

BENSEN,
I know, I am a post leaving fool!! ;) :) I just used some of the CHEAP stuff from wal mart and a few bags of ace hardware basic potting mix, 2.99 for 1 1/2 CUF bag. Next year, I am going to get a mushroom compost from a local dirt place, 1 cu yd one 5 gal bucket at a time, lol. I started feeding them a little bit every day, (4 tbls to 55 gal rain barrel of the "blue" stuff, 15-30-15), unsure if its not too little too late, ya know? I was using some granular stuff, like 6-12-4, but that did not seem to do much.

planted them yesterday Ms Mere and had to plant DEEP since they should have been planted about two weeks ago...but between company and some health problems I just couldn't do it. Have a few leaves that are crying out for some nitro so they should be happy but overall they all seem happy enough, I have the shade cloth ready if things start looking crispy...can't wait for Chelle to get back and get her's planted.


Saint

Hey ski - lots of nice green tomatoes you have there - what are they waiting for?!??!

Saint, I'm back! My seedlings are very tall and leggy. They are not very green. Maybe some fertilizer? I pulled 2 plants out today that were almost dead. Others are not far behind. Bryan did a good job in keeping everything alive for me. I had quite the harvest when I went out today...

I made a pizza with sliced maters: Cher purp, blackfrom tula, san marzano, red peppers. yum.

Michelle

Two Cher Purp that were all gooy on the sides...what is up with that? anyone know? ugh, so disappointing since they are my FAVE mater. Was this work of slugs or snails? I killed 2 big ol' fat snails with eggs in my petunias. GROSS! Almost as gross as the evil Hornworm.

Looks like ber....Mine got a tad leggy cause we had to wait so long to plant and I didn't fertilize like I wanted cause I never knew if today was the day I was going to put out (cause of the weather) so not real worried about the color since I put em in with the 8-8-8 they should perk up some....have a few leaves that showed signs that they wanted nitro...

btw welcome back I missed ya

BLUEKAT76,
I have NO earthly idea, re: what they're waiting for. An invatation, perhaps??

TOMATOHOLIC,
Welcome BACK!! You were MISSED!! Hope all is well now.

Thanks y'all!!

Saint, I don't think it is BER. It is on the side or top and not at the blossom end. maybe internal BER? I figured it was a snail or slug b/c we have lots of them. Giant snails.

I'm really afraid to plant my seedlings....the spider mites are thick and I don't want them to kill my babies. Any suggestions? Bug-b-gone doesn't seem to do a thing on them. We are 100+ every day and have not had rain since 4th of july, if I remember correctly.

Merae, you may be ready to plant out. Perhaps they are not growing much b/c they need more root room? Or it could be that it is so dang hot nothing is growing right now. We could use some of that rain that Saint has been receiving, hu?

Michelle

Michelle, all of your maters look so good. I am sorry that you lost 2 of your favorites though. Didn't you have a tomato get damaged earlier in the year that had kind of a soft spot on the side? I bet it was snails and they are trying to get moisture anywhere they can get it right now. That is just my guess.

Everything is so crispy and dying of thirst. I haven't planted out for that very reason, I am just too afraid that it is too hot. It is supposed to be over 100 everyday through the weekend and next week. I guess I have to do it someday but for some reason I have it in my head that I should wait till it cools down some.

I'd be more than glad to send some of it...all the rain does is made it muggy yippie 104 heat index AND muggy my idea of heaven...plus poor Serg out working in it trying to fix the place for my maters...lol we SO will not get into what a project that has become ( a picture says a 1000 words)

ok a few pic's of the EB's and the soon to be EB home ( don't ask how soon he's an engineer and they have different concepts of time)

as you can see I waited a little late to plant and it shows

the EB's new home...in the end it will be covered with river rock...and have drainage, fabric cover etc...I'm waiting for him to want to plumb it!

and here is the DH acting like...well what can I say...I married him

Oh my gosh Saint, that is hilarious! What a he-man!!!!!!!!!

Your plants look good. Everything there looks green. Everything here is brown.