A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Food Garden Forum The Tomato Forum Anybody planted tomatoes yet?

Wow those tomato plants are gorgeous!! i hope mine will look like that.

I've got some planted but they are not up yet

I have also already planted some. They are doing great! My grandmother always used to do it so I feel its kind of a tradition and do it every year.
I love the little yellow tomatos that are kind of oval - they look like those
They look sooo pretty in a salad!

Tomatoes well estabished zone 5. I expect some fruit about the first week of June.

http://chazaf.notlong.com/ 31 January 2008 Starting tomato seeds. Pictures of method. I use this procedure for all my seed starting and it appears to promote germination without further care until sprouted.

5 February 2008 The little plastic bags keep the humidity level high, and the pots need no watering. The other choice is to keep a high humidity level in a growing room, which is difficult in a living area.
http://aevail.notlong.com/ 6 February 2008 Seeding growth after 6 Days.

http://kaile.notlong.com/ 27 February 2008 Pictures indicating Growth

http://zeila.notlong.com/ 16 March 2008 Moved to greenhouse. It warmed up a bit.

Durgan,

Didnt you get any white fly on yours inside? It nearly whiped me last year inside. SO I am doing tomato later .. THey are up and getting more leaves now.

b

Durgan it's interesting to see what you're doing there, your seedling are looking great. I'll be doing mine next week...no green house for me till at least April 15th.

No white flies have ever been encountered. In fact, nothing attacks my tomatoes-touch wood. There are no gardens in my area, which probably helps. All my neighbors grow grass, and some of the properties are huge by most standards.

I do have bugs, but handle them using various methods, depending upon the infestation.

Sounds like a beautiful area.

Japanese beetles is another bugger here. Not on tomatoes.

So true. My misery is the European crane fly larvae. In 2003 we had a wet spring and I was getting them by the handful. The starlings eventually remove most, but last year I hade a few.
http://aelah.notlong.com/ Beetle on Grape Vine. Japanese Beetle Pest. (Popillia japonica).Up to this time I assumed the Japanese Beetle only attacked grass. They sure did a number on many leaves of the grape vines.

http://cranflyl.notlong.com/ 17 May 2007. European Crane Fly Larvae.

About 25 leatherjackets were picked from around this small plant within about 10 cm. of the stalk, many were clinging to the roots and probably sucking the juices. The plant was dying by degrees. Damage is both to the leaves, when the leatherjacket comes out at night, and to the roots. The birds (starlings) do a good job in controlling. Sometimes when the larvae are in quantity the yard will be full of birds. I observed one blackbird eating 15 in less than a minute digging from the grass. The damage these letherjacks inflict is colossal, when they are in quantity. They love a very wet time of the season usually early spring. They devastate morning glory seedlings amongst many other plants and grass.

The adult is a large mosquito type insect sometimes called a Texas Critter and Mosquito Hawk. Unfortunatley, they do not eat mosquitoes, so they is nothing beneficial to man about this insect.

Japanese beetles destroy any flower they can lay hands on. Also grape vines.
THe fatsos never leave. I have marigolds and 4 oclocks which are suppoed to help. Ha they didnt do a thing

my tomatoes are already setting fruit i know our seson in florida ur not really uspposed to plant until later int he year contrary to what other people say... it gets so hot down here that the best time to grow them is in the fall i think? but anywho im doing it my own way...

My enemy is hail every year 3 or 4 times in July and maybe 2 inches of it on the ground afterwards.

toposh

If it grows why worry in your climate.

I started mine later this year. And they are doing ok.. Earlier was way too much work indoors. Many losses also.
Good luck....Bet your family will be chasing to get the first one..

Re: Tomatoes planted yet?

I just started mine on Good Friday in the little mesh covered peat pots that you soak in water the night before and they swell up. We live in northeastern AL, USA, and always start them on Good Friday, and keep the water to them in a cold frame. That seasons the plants to being outside and they won't be so sensitive to temperature shock like they would be if started and grown indoors. They tend to be stronger and more pest and disease resistant if started on Good Friday, especially if grown without the use of commercial fertilizers and pesticides. What I call just good old fashioned composted "cow poopie" works great! Good Luck in your tomato growing endeavors!
sportmom

P.S.: What really works the best for the sweetest non acidic tomatoes is earthworm castings, if you can get them. GL!

Wish we could do that in zone 5 , coldframer in first friday. 3 inches of snow last nite.

I use cow manure, I am on a farm, and my advice is use that sparingly.. It will make massive leaf growth and less tomato..........

wow. that would be hard on all your veggies, especially tomatoes!

I've never met a tomato I didn't like. :wink:

I 2nd the motion

but they all hate me i can't eat them, i get puffy and polka dotted

I may be asking for trouble by saying this but I don't have a problem with pests in my garden. I do get beetles on 2 rose bushes that I have and june bugs get in the fig trees, but in the regular vegetable garden - no bugs. It's been that way since I've been here. I hope all this construction won't change things.

So folks are just born LUCKY>

I have around 60 peppers up and as of this morning around 40 tomatoes that just started peeking their little heads yesterday. Over the next few days that should increase to close to 300. So far looking good. I will have the grow lights busy for a while. Just turned the first set on Friday. I'm looking at a transplant date in the garden of May 10th to June 1st. I have started too early in the past and last year with as many plants as I have can't handle that many big ones. Was in one of my local nurseries checking things Friday and their tomatoes are bigger this year than last. Guess they started earlier. They seem to think an early spring. So I may be a little late we will see. Happy Easter to all. Jay

I'm not too sure if you're late elkhwc. Seems to me your target is right on, I'm about a week later and I expect to see my peppers and tomatoes peeking through any day now.

Your not late.. Lots are starting now.

my tomatoes are finally up. they are about finger nail high

This is the biggest tomato plant so far this year...

I have over 150 seedlings, I'll give lots away.

THAT DOESNT LOOK ANYTHING LIKE MY TOMATO PLANTS.. LEAVES ARE DIFFERENT.

Nice Kimberly plant Dave. I have around 200 up but none that big yet. The Kimberly plant in Dave's picture has potato leaves. I really like PL plants. The Brandy Boys are my most vigourous plants this year. Of course they usually are.

How's the taste of Brandyboy, elk?

Nice plant there Dave, mine just came up a few days ago.