HOT!!!

[b54red]

It has been unbearably hot the past week with temps hovering around 100. It has been getting into the mid 90s by 10:30 am the past few days and staying very hot till after sundown. I have had to really step up the watering and even so the plants are suffering through the hot days. I have noticed a big slow down in ripening due to the extreme heat with my tomatoes but my bell peppers are ripening at a rapid rate.

Bill

[seaeagle]

Tropical weather here. High 80s, rains everyday, sometimes a lot and sometimes just a little. Humid

[habitat_gardener]

106F today! Then back to the 80s and 90s starting tomorrow.

[Dark Rumor]

I have the same hot weather and started to water alot more this week. My first two groups are almost finished with a few small tomatoes growing at the top of the vines.

My group three is producing and looking great. Group three has decent amount of tomatoes and if I can keep the bugs at bay I should have enough to harvest for a couple more weeks.

Group four is growing well, some have blossoms but I am not sure if they will be able to set any fruit over the next month or two. Group four has two different black brandywines, Danial Burson, Prudens and Indian stripe PL.

I will start group five this week by direct sow, never tried direct sow in July.

The taste of my tomatoes has gotten a little greener/acid taste, not sure if it is a lack of watering or the heat. Earlier this year they were all mighty sweet and mighty good. They are still good, just not as sweet. Lately I have enjoyed the almost ripe pinks with a bit of tang. Sometimes when you grow alot of tomatoes and you have some many getting ripe everyday, you forget to eat one that is not fully ripe.

Thinking I might get a little jug of TTF to help the latter groups,

[b54red]

TTF really improves fruit set for me, especially when it is very hot. I spent a while pruning yesterday and have a mass of dead and sick foliage to get rid of this morning. I have quite a few of my earlier planted tomatoes that are dying at the growth tip. It is difficult to tell for sure but I think most or all of the ones that have that happening to them are probably the end result of TSWV that the plants have resisted well until the heat or spider mites. Even though all but one plant is grafted onto a FFF resistant root stock several are showing fusarium since the extreme heat started. I have only gotten a half inch of rain in the past two weeks so watering is taking up most of my gardening time but I am going to try to spray for spider mites late this afternoon.

I have been giving away a lot of tomatoes and bell peppers the past couple of weeks. We already have a years supply of frozen bell pepper in the freezer and now we are getting ready to put up some more tomatoes. They really save us some money during the year. We keep telling ourselves that anyway.

I still have a few decent looking plants left from my first planting with a few tomatoes on them and my second planting is definitely slacking off. My third tomato bed is just starting to produce but the fruits are so much smaller. My fourth and final bed is looking okay and hopefully will give us a few fresh tomatoes for the end of the season.

Bill

[Dark Rumor]

Originally Posted by b54red

I still have a few decent looking plants left from my first planting with a few tomatoes on them and my second planting is definitely slacking off. My third tomato bed is just starting to produce but the fruits are so much smaller. My fourth and final bed is looking okay and hopefully will give us a few fresh tomatoes for the end of the season.

Bill

I got my 5th set direct sowed yesterday, and in August I plan on doing a 6th set of a smaller variety (Beaver Lodge Slicer) that takes only a couple of months to produce. I need to start pruning and removing plants that are finished. I still have some green tomatoes that are not turning ripe yet, I guess the heat is slowing them down.

[b54red]

Since my last post we have had some very heavy rain with almost steam like humidity in between. This change has brought on a rapid decline in my older plants and the emergence of Septoria which I haven't had bad for several years. I removed most of my first bed of tomatoes and several from the second bed and had to do some heavy pruning on the third bed. I applied a rather strong solution of copper to see if I can slow the foliage diseases down as we are supposed to have a week of upper 90s starting today. If I am unsuccessful in my attempts to get some new fruit set and stop the Septoria my season may be all but over; but I can't complain as this has been a spectacular year for tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers. It looks like the really dull season is upon us now with high temps and bad weather with no warning. I am already starting to plan seed buying for fall and winter even though they should be a long way off.

Bill

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by b54red

TTF really improves fruit set for me, especially when it is very hot. I spent a while pruning yesterday and have a mass of dead and sick foliage to get rid of this morning. I have quite a few of my earlier planted tomatoes that are dying at the growth tip. It is difficult to tell for sure but I think most or all of the ones that have that happening to them are probably the end result of TSWV that the plants have resisted well until the heat or spider mites. Even though all but one plant is grafted onto a FFF resistant root stock several are showing fusarium since the extreme heat started. I have only gotten a half inch of rain in the past two weeks so watering is taking up most of my gardening time but I am going to try to spray for spider mites late this afternoon.

I have been giving away a lot of tomatoes and bell peppers the past couple of weeks. We already have a years supply of frozen bell pepper in the freezer and now we are getting ready to put up some more tomatoes. They really save us some money during the year. We keep telling ourselves that anyway.

I still have a few decent looking plants left from my first planting with a few tomatoes on them and my second planting is definitely slacking off. My third tomato bed is just starting to produce but the fruits are so much smaller. My fourth and final bed is looking okay and hopefully will give us a few fresh tomatoes for the end of the season.

Bill

So Funny Amen!! "I have been giving away a lot of tomatoes and bell peppers the past couple of weeks. We already have a years supply of frozen bell pepper in the freezer and now we are getting ready to put up some more tomatoes. They really save us some money during the year. We keep telling ourselves that anyway.""

Me and my husband were saying the something Too. So to make sure we were saving money; I stopped buying Onions and replacing them with Green peppers because I have so many Big Green Peppers in my Farming History.

[PaulF]

Another strange season, especially for our southern friends. While the rest of my State is in severe drought, my garden has received more than normal rainfall. Our temperatures have been on a rollercoaster. All this strange weather has done a number on my tomatoes and all I can do is try to react.

The plants are smaller by far this year with fewer fruits. I have started a fertilization program to give the plants a boost but because of our growing season we get one chance for tomatoes and peppers.

All the other vegetables are really thriving and giving bumper crops. Thankfully no diseases have shown up so far like you guys further south.

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by b54red

It has been unbearably hot the past week with temps hovering around 100. It has been getting into the mid 90s by 10:30 am the past few days and staying very hot till after sundown. I have had to really step up the watering and even so the plants are suffering through the hot days. I have noticed a big slow down in ripening due to the extreme heat with my tomatoes but my bell peppers are ripening at a rapid rate.

Bill

The same here in Virginia in Front of Fort Monroe. My Green Peppers are really producing at the highest rate ever here at Angel Field. But my Husband loves to have those green peppers cooked on his plate at lunchtime cooked in his Hamburges, Amen!!!.


Hug in there and stay cool.

Farmer, Joyce