Hi Altitude Grower 9,000' - First Post

TeamTeke · October 10, 2011

Hello all. I have been a lurker here for some time, trying to become better at growing tomatoes. I grew up in southern Ohio working as a young boy on my uncle's farm. It was easy there, but not here in the mountains.

I will tell you that it is a very difficult thing to do here in the mountains of Colorado. Officially we have only 31 frost free days. I can't grow much of anything outside. I have a 20'x40' outside unheated greenhouse with black water barrels for passive heat. Even with this I cannot put my sensitive plants out until Father's Day each June.

This season we got a long Indian Summer but a major weather front came through this past weekend bringing cold and snow to our area. I had to go out today and harvest mostly green tomatoes (my norm every year).

But they will ripen just fine in trays in my garage and give me home grown tomatoes for a couple of weeks more. This too was my first time for growing a heirloom variety.

But I do have a winter home in the Florida Keys. Will be there in about 2.5 weeks. I can just start all over again with a winter garden. I don't miss winter!

My greenhouse-

My heirlooms-

Others waiting to ripen-

Sherry_AK · October 10, 2011

Goodness, you have some serious growing challenges! And I thought we had a hard time of it here in Alaska.

Do you plant in the ground or grow in containers inside that greenhouse?

I'll bet Florida sounds really good to you right now.

Sherry

OtterJon · October 10, 2011

Looks up in the air, and waves a paw from Michigan, That's some tough growin! Welcome to Tomatoville Teke!

Jon

Ruth_10 · October 10, 2011

I got a nose-bleed just from reading your post.

Welcome to Tomatoville!

October 10, 2011	#1
TeamTeke Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Silverthorne, CO &Fl Keys Posts: 13	Hi Altitude Grower 9,000' - First Post Hello all. I have been a lurker here for some time, trying to become better at growing tomatoes. I grew up in southern Ohio working as a young boy on my uncle's farm. It was easy there, but not here in the mountains. I will tell you that it is a very difficult thing to do here in the mountains of Colorado. Officially we have only 31 frost free days. I can't grow much of anything outside. I have a 20'x40' outside unheated greenhouse with black water barrels for passive heat. Even with this I cannot put my sensitive plants out until Father's Day each June. This season we got a long Indian Summer but a major weather front came through this past weekend bringing cold and snow to our area. I had to go out today and harvest mostly green tomatoes (my norm every year). But they will ripen just fine in trays in my garage and give me home grown tomatoes for a couple of weeks more. This too was my first time for growing a heirloom variety. But I do have a winter home in the Florida Keys. Will be there in about 2.5 weeks. I can just start all over again with a winter garden. I don't miss winter! My greenhouse- My heirlooms- Others waiting to ripen-

October 10, 2011	#4
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	I got a nose-bleed just from reading your post. Welcome to Tomatoville! __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

October 10, 2011	#2
Sherry_AK Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Alaska Zone 3/4 Posts: 1,857	Goodness, you have some serious growing challenges! And I thought we had a hard time of it here in Alaska. Do you plant in the ground or grow in containers inside that greenhouse? I'll bet Florida sounds really good to you right now. Sherry

October 10, 2011	#3
OtterJon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Michigan Posts: 218	Looks up in the air, and waves a paw from Michigan, That's some tough growin! Welcome to Tomatoville Teke! Jon