# Teach me how to grow tomatoes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 16, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-grow-tomatoes/441593 "2008-03-16T23:22:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-grow-tomatoes/441593/61 "2008-03-19T02:35:22Z")
[QUOTE=crowmanyclouds] **squeegee** what was the weather like? I’ve grown three plants in the _Solanaceae_ family (tomatoes, eggplants and bell peppers) and none of them produce well if the weather ain’t just right, particularly nighttime temperatures. [/QUOTE] Sunny and hot last year – 80-100 degrees typically in the summer; overcast in the mornings, since I’m relatively near the ocean, which burns off well before noon. Very low humidity. No rain _at all_ most summers, everything needs to be irrigated or hand-watered (I did the latter). Also, I have had excellent luck with tomatoes in this climate; not as good as where I grew up (Illinois), but really good. Except two years ago when we got tomato blight (I forget the real name – black spots on the leaves from some fungus); we changed all the dirt in the raised beds last year, and got small fruits, despite liberal cowflop in the soil. fnord? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-grow-tomatoes/441593/62 "2008-03-19T03:21:51Z")
[QUOTE=squeegee] Sunny and hot last year – 80-100 degrees typically in the summer; overcast in the mornings, since I’m relatively near the ocean, which burns off well before noon. Very low humidity. No rain _at all_ most summers, everything needs to be irrigated or hand-watered (I did the latter). Also, I have had excellent luck with tomatoes in this climate; not as good as where I grew up (Illinois), but really good. Except two years ago when we got tomato blight (I forget the real name – black spots on the leaves from some fungus); we changed all the dirt in the raised beds last year, and got small fruits, despite liberal cowflop in the soil. fnord? [/QUOTE] You might not have been giving them enough water, and you might want to go for less fertilizer, and a more balanced one (like 13-13-13) when you do give it to them. And, living in Gilroy, shouldn’t you be growing garlic? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-grow-tomatoes/441593/63 "2008-03-19T05:09:14Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] Kill all squirrels within a one mile radius. If I could nuke them all from orbit, I’d do it in a heartbeat. [/QUOTE] Jeez, the squirrels around here are no problem at all. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2008, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-grow-tomatoes/441593/64 "2008-03-19T05:14:15Z")
[QUOTE=crowmanyclouds] Buuut … if they look like this [one](http://www.vegedge.umn.edu/IMG/Tomato/2005Cotesia2.JPG) DON’T squish it, 'cause and braconid wasps are the tomato plants bestest friend. CMC +fnord! [/QUOTE] That is so cool - in an evil, slimy, twisted, bwahahaha, kind of way. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-grow-tomatoes/441593/65 "2008-04-02T00:48:04Z")
Phase II. Most of my babies have their first set of real leaves, so off they go into 17 3" paper pots. I must have at least 30 seedlings. So far so good. With luck, I’ll have lots to give away. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-grow-tomatoes/441593/66 "2008-04-02T01:11:44Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] What, is it embarrassing to spent $13 on a little piece of wood? If I wasw a woodworker, I don’t think I’d make it for less. C’mon, it’s a cool little, handmade, doodad. I spent a little more than that on breakfast this morning (eggs benedict, no rare ingredients). You guys _must_ be lawyers! 😉 [/QUOTE] It’s called origami, I believe. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-how-to-grow-tomatoes/441593.md?page=3)