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Old 01-04-2010, 07:00 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible
Billy[_10_] Billy[_10_] is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Mar 2010
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Default Tomato seedlings, source on SF East Bay's I80 corridor (Berkeley to Milpitas)?

In article
,
aem wrote:

On Mar 24, 2:13 pm, Billy wrote:

Do you really get any growth out of your tomatoes at this time of year?
Seventy degrees is the suggested soil temp for planting. I suppose you
could speed things up with a row cover. My tomatoes usually just sit
there until sometime after mid-May, and then start growing.


I've always read that tomatoes will progress when the night time soil
temp is at or above 50°F. In addition to Early Girl there are
heirloom Siberian tomatoes that are said to do well in cooler
climates. I have planted one, called Black Prince, this year not so
much for climate reasons--we get plenty hot enough--but because it's
said to taste great. -aem


Instead of just chucking all my excess tomato seedlings, I planted some
in one of the least desirable locations in my yard (north side of hill,
under trees, little sun light, avg. temp 50°F) and they are hanging in
there. They are 3" tall as compared to 20" for seedlings that were
started under grow lights, and then placed in pots in the sunniest part
of my yard. Night time temps here never average 55°F.

Let us know how your tomatoes do for the next 2 months. Your highs are a
couple of degrees lower than mine, but you lows are a couple of degrees
higher.

I'm hoping to tent my tomatoes in the next couple of weeks for a quicker
start to their growing season, and get more plants out of my study.
--
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merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

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