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Ken Cameron -- USDA Zone 6
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Nov-26-02, 01:05 PM (EST)
 
"Early tomatoes"
 
   Hi again, I'm going to try to grow some early tomatoes next year and I'd like to run this by you to see what you think. Our growing season is from May 10th to Oct.10th. I'm a little afraid to start to early. I'd like to see how my firsr attempt goes first. I'll start the seeds inside March 12th and plant outside April 30th for the first planting. I plan to use Kozy Coats, and also red plastic ground cover and I found in Park's Catalog, Versa-Hoops a shelter something like your husband made for your early tomatoes. I'm only going to use the Versa - Hoops on real cold nights and on days the sun doesn't shine. Along with that I found something that might add some warmth to the ground on real cold nights called Aqua Cones from Garden Supply Company at gardeners.com. Their plastic spikes with holes at different levels to let the water flow out and you use 1 or 2 liter soda bottles and screw the bottle's on the top's of the spikes but first you have to cut the bottom off the bottles so you can pour the water in the bottles. Well, because I will be using 5 gal. spackle cans to plant in and they recemmend that you water each plant with a gallon of water each day, I'll be able to use warm or hot water which ever I think I'll need for that day or night. Also I'm going to make 3 early plantings, one on April 30, the next on May 7th, May 14th and just in case something goes wrong with the early plantings. If you see something else I might need to do let me know. You and your family have a great holiday. Don't eat to much. Ken Cameron


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Diane Franklin -- USDA Zone 5
Member since Feb-3-02
264 posts
Nov-27-02, 10:49 PM (EST)
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1. "RE: Early tomatoes"
In response to message #0
 
   Hi Ken,
Welcome to the world of experimentation on tomato plants! We have been experimenting for over 10 years to get the earliest ripe tomato we can. I hope you enjoy the adventure. Take thorough notes because you will either want to repeat things or change them. Either way, notes work better than our memories, especially when it will be a year before you repeat the process over again.

We are not familiar with the products you are going to purchase. We like the Wall-o-Waters ourselves. They work great for heat retention on cold nights but still the plants grow fine on warm days with them still around the plants. Maybe you should try more than one method and compare the results.

We prefer for our tomato plants to be older than 6 weeks old when we put them out. I realize many 'experts' state not to grow your tomatoes larger but we do with good results. You need to transplant them while indoors to deeper and bigger pots but the results are worth the effort. We didn't buy any tomatoes last year after mid-May because we had enough of our own. We use 16oz. Solo Party cups with holes in the bottoms for the next size transplant pot after the small cell-packs. They give the plant the depth needed. Plant them right up to 'their necks, burying the stem and often a set of leaves. Do this in both the pots and in the final planting spot. Roots develop all along the stem which creates a stronger plant.

While your plants are indoors you will need to provide food, good strong light, a fan for good air circulation, and maybe milled sphagnum moss to fight 'damping off', a common problem with growing indoors.

Hope this helps,
Diane


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