04-05-2004, 05:09 PM
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tomato weather question
writes:
So, back to the tomatoes - I still don't quite get it.
Say I have some tomato plants and I divide them into two groups. These
are
all the same type of plant and all sprouted at the same time. One group I
put outside after the last frost, but when evening temps are still
dipping
into the low 40s or even high 30s. Another group I keep inside for
another
month or six weeks, until the evening temps are always in the 50s. Are
you
saying that the group one tomatoes will produce their crop later than the
group two tomatoes? Or when you say they "slow down," do you mean that
they will just not do much until it is warmer outside?
Hillary,
I plant both early and late. Whether the tomato plants set out earlier
bear significantly better (two or more weeks) is totally dependent on the
weather as well as soil conditions, water and sunshine. There is a
guideline I heard several years ago - by June 1st, you cannot tell which
plants were set out in March, April or May. Though mine go into the
garden in various sizes and at various times, that guideline seems to
pretty much bear out.
Tomatoes are warm weather plants, in that they bear better in warmer
weather. I've helped mine along with the grass mulch (put on right out of
the mower bag) which keeps the soil warm as it decomposes. The difference
I see in the plants is the mulch, not the air temperature, as the mulch
keeps the ground warmer which helps root growth hence soil nutrient uptake
and water uptake. The soil temperature seems more important in my own
garden than air temperature though both certainly matter. Year after year,
the plants that do not get mulch, or as much mulch, do significantly less
well than those that do though all do well.
Your mileage may vary.
Because of not being able to get the several loads of horse manure this
year, I'm doing things differently regarding how I plant so time will
tell. (The grass mulch will be the only non-variable from past years.)
I'll report back about it in mid-summer.
You should not see earlier plants bear later than later plants; the worst
that should happen is they all bear at the same time. This assumes the
plants are healthy and cared for.
Glenna
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