2016 NJ urban tomato garden
 

I am starting first batch of seeds. This will go into a cold greenhouse. All 3 groundhogs in our area promised early spring this year. If they are correct I may not need greenhouse. The earliest I ever planted was 20th of April. In our area it is mid of May recommended time for transplanting tomatoes. Will see.

The first group is: 6 black, 5 pink and 1 yellow.
[LIST][*]Sara black (75) [*]Owen's Purple (midseason, Bl) [*]Black Master (75)[*]Cherokee Chocolate (80)[*]Indian Stripe [*]Black Krim PL/BKX [*]Barlow Jap (PL, 80)[*]Grandfather Ashlock (PL, 85)[*]Elgin Pink (PL)[*]McKinley (midseason, pink) [*]Biyskaya Roza [*]Azoychka (75)[/LIST][INDENT][/INDENT]

It's a good day to start seeds.

I had to laugh when I saw your list because it is VERY close to mine.

ENJOY!

Thank you, Patti. It is just a first group. I will be growing more than 40 varieties of toms this year again.
I have seeded some celery, tall Utah. Trying for the first time, really excited. Seeds were so tiny.

Ella, I enjoyed your thread so much last year! Can't wait to see the results this season. I hope you have a wonderful and productive summer. Darlene

Ella, I feel like I'm behind schedule! what does the number mean behind each one? Are all of those new to you or have you planted them before?

Ella, good luck with the seed starting. That is a nice list so far. Although we have similar climates, I am going to TRY to wait just a few weeks longer, but am eager to see how you fare.

Would like to set out plants the first week of June, as I had a problem with herbicidal drift the last two years. Thinking if I could just get past May I will be safe from the landscapers.

Maybe I will just start peppers........ and a few tomatoes.

[QUOTE=greyghost;533449]Ella, I enjoyed your thread so much last year! Can't wait to see the results this season. I hope you have a wonderful and productive summer. Darlene[/QUOTE]
Thank you, Darlene. Wish you great season as well. Will be growing so many new varieties, thanks to you. I can only have one plant per variety this year and had to say no to many I usually grow every year. I am not going to point fingers to who is responsible for that. I had to refuse Marsha's seeds offer because I had to many new once from you. BUT, they all sounds so good, just had to give them a try. Thank you, Darlene.

[QUOTE=luigiwu;533450]Ella, I feel like I'm behind schedule! what does the number mean behind each one? Are all of those new to you or have you planted them before?[/QUOTE]

Hi, Luigiwu. You are not behind the schedule. This are for my cold greenhouse bed. The rest will be starting in 3-4 weeks.
The numbers are days from transplanting to the first fruit. This is all tentative.

The new varieties are:
Owen's Purple (midseason, Bl)
Black Krim PL/BKX
McKinley (midseason, pink)

Best wishes for a great season, Ella! I know the time is getting close when nearby T'villains start their seeds.:D We're growing a few of the same varieties this season, too, so it'll be fun to see how they do.

kath

[QUOTE=sdambr;533452]Ella, good luck with the seed starting. That is a nice list so far. Although we have similar climates, I am going to TRY to wait just a few weeks longer, but am eager to see how you fare.

Would like to set out plants the first week of June, as I had a problem with herbicidal drift the last two years. Thinking if I could just get past May I will be safe from the landscapers.

Maybe I will just start peppers........ and a few tomatoes.[/QUOTE]

Sdambr, herbicidal drift is a terrible thing to deal with. I read somewhere that they can cause problem even later once the temperatures rise. They "can lead to damage in human health, environmental contamination"...

I grow organically. No harsh chemicals. Peroxide, Epsom Salt, soap, and Diatomaceous Earth. With allergy so high in our area we need organic food at least during the summer.
Hudson county in NJ is known to be quiet polluted.

[QUOTE=kath;533457]Best wishes for a great season, Ella! I know the time is getting close when nearby T'villains start their seeds.:D We're growing a few of the same varieties this season, too, so it'll be fun to see how they do.

kath[/QUOTE]

Thank you, Kath. Best wishes to you as well. I understand you are expanding your garden a bit this year. Always interested to see your beautiful pictures and so helpful descriptions. :yes: Hope to see more of them this year.

[QUOTE=efisakov;533461]Thank you, Kath. Best wishes to you as well. I understand you are expanding your garden a bit this year. Always interested to see your beautiful pictures and so helpful descriptions. :yes: Hope to see more of them this year.[/QUOTE]

Thank you, Ella- I'll plant as many as I feel capable of caring for without being overwhelmed. The garden is enclosed with a fence so it can't really expand but how much room will be occupied by tomatoes as opposed to vining crops remains to be seen.;) My current list doesn't look much at all like the grow list I posted in another thread...too many pastes, not enough "fun".:lol: Still not willing to commit to posting a new list though. Not sure I'll be posting photos, etc.- as of now, my camera isn't compatible with my OS, so we'll see what happens.

The 12 plants from post #1 are good size and can be planted out any time but...
The cold front lowered temperature last night to 26 degrees. :evil: The next night is predicted to be as bad. In the next 10 days one more freeze. I am afraid that this year we would be planting in a middle of May. Hope not.

This following seeds were started on March 6, they all germinated (one variety did not, I am not listing it).

Claude Brown’s Yellow Giant
Fred Limbaugh
Rose De Berne (pink)
Daniel's
La Vie en rose (pink)
Weisnicht's Ukranian (pink, PL)
Grightmire's Pride (heart)
Oxheart from Zagreb (lg red heart, Croatia)
Jabucar (lg red heart, Croatia)
Bear Creek
Spudakee (PL)
Margaret Curtain
Hercegovac (lg red, Croatia)
Turopolje/Turopoljska (pink, Croatia)
Madar/Madjar (lg red, Croatia)
Rebel Yell
Garrison (pink)
Black Cherry
JD's Special C-Tex
Girl Girl's Weird Thing
German Johnson
Tarasenko 6
NOT Carbon (pink new seeds)
Cowlick Brandywine
Brandywine Sudduth
McMurray # 10 (pink)
Carbon
Blackberry


Dwarf lot:
Rosella Purple Dwarf
Crimson Streak #3
Sweet Sue

Peppers (started on March 6)
Cambuci sweet pepper
Cubanelle
Mildly Hot (from store)

Broccoli and Celery (started mid March)

Cucumbers and zucchini (started on April 4)
Japanese
Mama
Masha F1
Pioneer F1
Parisian
Armenian
Zucchini

Different varieties of daffodils...

I love your thread, Ella. It tells me what to do! :)
I guess I should be starting my cucumbers and squashes? Do you start them in potting mix or seed starter and then pot up from ther?

I'm having super poor luck with my peppers this year - super bad germination. Are you using a seed heat mat for your peppers?

Looks great but how on earth do you guys keep up with all of them.
Half my labels are faded and I have no idea what they are until the get ripe.:lol:

Worth

I do not have heat mat, luigiwu. The seedlings are under the light, my DH got me the special one for seedlings to grow. I used to grow my seedlings on the windowsill that was facing south. It worked fine in old house. The new one does not have the same type.

Windowsill was similar to this one.

Spring is coming. Peonies are emerging.:yes:

Hyacinths are in bloom.

I've always wanted to grow Peonies!!
THis is the year we do a massive renovation - so I have to keep reminding myself that that garden should be small, probably non existent...
Ella, do you start your cucumber and squashes in seed starter or potting mix?

[QUOTE=Worth1;548927]Looks great but how on earth do you guys keep up with all of them.
Half my labels are faded and I have no idea what they are until the get ripe.:lol:

Worth[/QUOTE]

Labels on the containers/cups survive until we plant them out.
Before planting I make a map of all the plants. If I do change my mind depending on the size or type of the tomato, I change it in the plan. I number my beds. I know you give them names, which is fine as well. My plan is on the computer at first, once I plant them I make paper copy so when I am outside I can look at it and know which one is doing fine and so on...
As I pick fruits and bring them inside I usually remember where I picked them and what variety they are. At some point you just know where and what variety you have.

[QUOTE=luigiwu;548933]I've always wanted to grow Peonies!!
THis is the year we do a massive renovation - so I have to keep reminding myself that that garden should be small, probably non existent...
Ella, do you start your cucumber and squashes in seed starter or potting mix?[/QUOTE]

I use potting mix. That is why I have gnats right now :evil:, but at least I know what to do with them.

Ella, I hope you have had a talk with the neighborhood groundhogs. They sure led us astray. This winter just won't go away. I have had to truck all my seedlings in from their unheated "greentent" repeatedly because of brutal lows over the past few weeks. They are just sitting there not really growing. Every time I get through the unslaught of low 20's at night and want to breath a sigh of relief, I look at the 10 day forecast and there is more just ahead. I want it to just go away.

[QUOTE=efisakov;533454]Thank you, Darlene. Wish you great season as well. Will be growing so many new varieties, thanks to you. I can only have one plant per variety this year and had to say no to many I usually grow every year. I am not going to point fingers to who is responsible for that. I had to refuse Marsha's seeds offer because I had to many new once from you. BUT, they all sounds so good, just had to give them a try. Thank you, Darlene.[/QUOTE]

Oh, that's why. I had wondered. Darlene is definitely a seed pusher. Love her.:love:
I am so glad you started this thread, I enjoyed yours last year too.

[QUOTE=efisakov;548936]I use potting mix. That is why I have gnats right now :evil:, but at least I know what to do with them.[/QUOTE]

Ella do you use BT on the gnats?

[QUOTE=nancyruhl;549025]Ella, I hope you have had a talk with the neighborhood groundhogs. They sure led us astray. This winter just won't go away. I have had to truck all my seedlings in from their unheated "greentent" repeatedly because of brutal lows over the past few weeks. They are just sitting there not really growing. Every time I get through the unslaught of low 20's at night and want to breath a sigh of relief, I look at the 10 day forecast and there is more just ahead. I want it to just go away.[/QUOTE]

Nancyruhl, I had being questioning these groundhogs few times already. They have taken the 5th...:P
Just like you, I watch 10 days forecast and it does not look to good. We need at least couple of weeks in heigh 60th and low 70th day time and 45 to 55 at night to plant out. Soil is too cold.

[QUOTE=ginger2778;549029]Oh, that's why. I had wondered. Darlene is definitely a seed pusher. Love her.:love:
I am so glad you started this thread, I enjoyed yours last year too.[/QUOTE]

Yes, she is. I will try to save seeds from them.

[QUOTE=ginger2778;549032]Ella do you use BT on the gnats?[/QUOTE]

Marsha, I water them with Peroxide mixed with water 1:3. It kills gnats larva. Then let it dry out. Sticky papers/rolls help as well.
Problem with BT is that it does not dilute well in water. And water has to be untreated with chlorine or other chemicals they use, it kills BT.
During early summer we collect rain water in big buckets and I use dunks with BT in them to water plants.
One time I purchased garden soil to add to my tomato beds and had enormous number of gnats in just few days. Had to move my marigolds there right away. Luckily I had plenty growing around. Marigolds roots are poisonous to gnats larva.

Here is the map of our soil temperatures at a depth of 5 cm (thank you Rutgers). We had last freeze on April 10th. Hopefully it was the last one. In about a week I have to check soil temps again. I need it at 50 degrees at least, better 60. I am watching night temperatures as well. They are improving and 2 weeks may be enough to warm up. Hopefully. Without counting cold green house, last year we planted our tomatoes on May 2nd.

Good news, soil temperature improved greatly in just a few warm days. I am really tempted to plant a small group of 12 tomato plants tomorrow.

[QUOTE=efisakov;552434]Good news, soil temperature improved greatly in just a few warm days. I am really tempted to plant a small group of 12 tomato plants tomorrow.[/QUOTE]

Can you afford to lose them?

Worth

[QUOTE=Worth1;552533]Can you afford to lose them?

Worth[/QUOTE]

I would not lose them. Can cover that many with buckets.