My soil temps are 95 degrees!

**mdvpc** · August 3, 2009

My container plants on one side of the house are cooking-and not good cooking. The soil temp is 95 degrees during the entire day, going down to about 88 at night. I have shade cloth out, but surprisingly the plants (recent starts I put out) are ok. The other side of the house is better, the soil temps there are running about 80-85 degrees.

I think Earl posted about how cool his summer has been. Not so here! Most days since June have been around 100 degrees or hotter.

AZRuss · August 3, 2009

Ditto here. I wish I could export some of this heat to where it's needed. We haven't seen anything under 100 in something like 25 days or more.

I've gotten a few of the fall crop seedlings planted out in white EarthBoxes draped with silvered plastic. I also mist them during the day when I can (office is 5 minutes from home). They're doing OK, but clearly they're not entirely happy.

The real struggle was getting the seedlings hardened off. What a project that was!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll have something for fall.

Meanwhile, my Cold Sets and Sheyennes that I set out in mid-May set beautiful fruits in this heat and are starting to ripen. Amazing.

**mdvpc** · August 3, 2009

AZ-Hopefully, soon we will cool down and our plants will start doing better! Lets keep this thread updated.

Vince · August 4, 2009

Michael,

Since you are a container guy and I am new to this, what is the max pot temp the plants will grow well at? I have black pots that bake all day in the sun, is there any tricks to keep them cool(if this is something actually to worry about). Besides the obvious(e.g. cover the pots to shade them). thanks for the advice. Anyone else is welcome to chime in here also.

Vince

**mdvpc** · August 4, 2009

Vince-I think that tomatoes grow best at about 80 degrees soil temp. I dont know if I read that somewhere or that is just my experience. 90 degrees and above, I have found the plants dont usually do well.

Some people paint their black pots white, but I have never done that. My containers on the side of my house that have the soil temps around 95 are white grow bags from Peaceful Valley. I think the temps would be even higher with black pots.

Then there is the reverse situation. In my winter greenhouse, I like to use black pots to warm up the soil. I am going to try smart pots this winter. I am trialing 4 smart pots now, but they are on the side of my house where my soil temps are about 80 degrees and are doing well.

amideutch · August 4, 2009

Michael, am using Smart Pots as well this year and they just might be the ticket to your problem. Have a Cowlick's in a 10gal SP in my greenhouse, got to big and couldn't get it out the door.

Have a mini Nectarine tree growing in another 10gal SP and for S&G's I have a Purple Haze growing in a 1gal smart pot that is now 8 feet tall in my upstairs room in front of the South facing window. The only thing I can think of is you might have to increase the flow rate of your drippers for the SP's. Have you got your new RO system up yet? Ami

**mdvpc** · August 4, 2009

Ami-RO system is installed and finally my babies are getting pure water! Unfortunately, many of them are in 15 gallon containers that already were watered with the "regular" water, but I used a generous dose of gypsum and replanted. Kind of an experiment to see if the ro water and gypsum will negate the previous buildup of salt.

My sp tomatoes are cz bush, danko and floradade-they are in 5 gallon sp's. The cz bush is not doing that well, but the floradade and danko are doing great. I have never had any luck with cz bush.

August 3, 2009	#1
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	My soil temps are 95 degrees! My container plants on one side of the house are cooking-and not good cooking. The soil temp is 95 degrees during the entire day, going down to about 88 at night. I have shade cloth out, but surprisingly the plants (recent starts I put out) are ok. The other side of the house is better, the soil temps there are running about 80-85 degrees. I think Earl posted about how cool his summer has been. Not so here! Most days since June have been around 100 degrees or hotter. __________________ Michael

August 3, 2009	#3
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	AZ-Hopefully, soon we will cool down and our plants will start doing better! Lets keep this thread updated. __________________ Michael

August 4, 2009	#4
Vince Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Riverside, CA Posts: 942	Michael, Since you are a container guy and I am new to this, what is the max pot temp the plants will grow well at? I have black pots that bake all day in the sun, is there any tricks to keep them cool(if this is something actually to worry about). Besides the obvious(e.g. cover the pots to shade them). thanks for the advice. Anyone else is welcome to chime in here also. Vince __________________ Vince

August 4, 2009	#5
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Vince-I think that tomatoes grow best at about 80 degrees soil temp. I dont know if I read that somewhere or that is just my experience. 90 degrees and above, I have found the plants dont usually do well. Some people paint their black pots white, but I have never done that. My containers on the side of my house that have the soil temps around 95 are white grow bags from Peaceful Valley. I think the temps would be even higher with black pots. Then there is the reverse situation. In my winter greenhouse, I like to use black pots to warm up the soil. I am going to try smart pots this winter. I am trialing 4 smart pots now, but they are on the side of my house where my soil temps are about 80 degrees and are doing well. __________________ Michael

August 4, 2009	#6
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Michael, am using Smart Pots as well this year and they just might be the ticket to your problem. Have a Cowlick's in a 10gal SP in my greenhouse, got to big and couldn't get it out the door. Have a mini Nectarine tree growing in another 10gal SP and for S&G's I have a Purple Haze growing in a 1gal smart pot that is now 8 feet tall in my upstairs room in front of the South facing window. The only thing I can think of is you might have to increase the flow rate of your drippers for the SP's. Have you got your new RO system up yet? Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

August 3, 2009	#2
AZRuss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 171	Ditto here. I wish I could export some of this heat to where it's needed. We haven't seen anything under 100 in something like 25 days or more. I've gotten a few of the fall crop seedlings planted out in white EarthBoxes draped with silvered plastic. I also mist them during the day when I can (office is 5 minutes from home). They're doing OK, but clearly they're not entirely happy. The real struggle was getting the seedlings hardened off. What a project that was!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll have something for fall. Meanwhile, my Cold Sets and Sheyennes that I set out in mid-May set beautiful fruits in this heat and are starting to ripen. Amazing.