Teach me how to grow tomatoes

Cafe Society
61

[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.
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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?

62

[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?
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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? :slight_smile:

63

[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.
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Jeez, the squirrels around here are no problem at all.

64

[QUOTE=crowmanyclouds]
Buuut … if they look like this one DON’T squish it, 'cause and braconid wasps are the tomato plants bestest friend.

CMC +fnord!
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That is so cool - in an evil, slimy, twisted, bwahahaha, kind of way.

65

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.

66

[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! :wink:
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It’s called origami, I believe. :smiley: