California coast

[chidogs]

I recently relocated from San Gabriel valley (near L.A.) to San Diego. I used to get fantastic tomatoes (25 years worth). Of course the SG Valley is HOT in the summer. My tomatoes got about 4 hours of morning full sun, they were at the side of the house. Now I've moved to the coast, and what with May Gray and June Gloom, even though I have a small area that gets 5 hrs of afternoon sun in the peak of summer, it is 20 degrees, at least cooler, and I have had dismal luck growing tomatoes here. Is it hopeless? I've tried every year since we've been here (4), in pots. The plants get mildew, die, I may get a few tomatoes before the plants shrivel up. I really miss my home growns. Almost sorry I moved, except, well, triple digit temps and smog. Any ideas.

[taboule]

San Diego is still much warmer than New England, and we grow lots of tomatoes here -so it isn't the temperature. You need to focus on identifying the disease(s) that your toms succumbed to, and fight that. Are the pots big enough?

[MelissaCA9]

Have you tried planting later? Maybe plant in May or early June? July, August, Steptember and Oct are warm and sunny. June gloom burns off July 1 in the LA area, not sure if it's the same in SD?

[Nan_PA_6b]

Are there other Tomatovillians here from the SD area who can share any secrets?

Nan

[chidogs]

Thanks, I am waiting this year until end of May. Normally I plant in April, but what was good in Covina is a disaster in San Diego!

[Al@NC]

The plants get mildew, die

it is 20 degrees, at least cooler,

Just an idea (brainstorming) but you may not need to water them as much as you did in the hotter climate?


Al

[EarlyBird]

I live in mid-town LA, about 12 miles from the ocean. This has been some of the coldest, wettest "May gray" that I can remember. I hope the June Gloom isn't as bad. Like another poster said, as if Mother Nature is following a calendar, on July 1st you'll see a marked decrease in the onshore flow, unless you're pretty much right on the coast.

While I don't think your crop will be bad, it may be a bit later than you were used to up in the Valley. The biggest concern you should have is during June, when it is both hazy and warm, with no breeze, that look out for fungus.

[peebee]

I think SG Valley is just more fertile than other parts around here. My friend grows lush healthy vegetables and fruits, and she hardly does any amending to her her soil. In fact she didn't even know what I meant when I asked her years ago what does she put in her soil. There used to be citrus groves in that area years before houses were built there.

[Salsacharley]

Gerardo is right on the border in Tijuana and he grows abundantly, although, he fights bugs and disease.

[rhoder551]

I grow tomatoes in chilly Nor CA, SF bay area. My tomatoes do fine but I grow in a community garden and have benefited from the experience of many great gardeners. Find some neighbors who grow tomatoes and see if they have some tips for you. Perhaps you just need to try some different varieties and change your watering or planting schedule to fit your new local...

[Gerardo]

I had a beach garden for a while, right on the water. Salt air provides moisture, micronutrients and kelp bed goodies; the beach plants were more resilient and required much less water than their inland counterparts.

My advice is go for semidet determinate for the 1st half of season (tswv resistant preferably) and then go for the big indeterminates by sowing right now and aiming for late Aug-early Sep bounty plus Thanksgiving tomatoes.

Minimal blacks in the early season might help too. Be aggressive with a preventative spray regimen and you should be cool.

PS Siberian=good outcomes in our weather
PS2 Fred H's big ones such as Jazz and Orange Jazz really like Aug-Sep.

[zeuspaul]

@chidogs, you should be able to grow tomatoes. Optimize your containers. 15 gal would be good, 25 gal better. Use a good potting soil. Fertilize with MG, or Texas Tomato Food would be better. Try a reliable hybrid such as Early Girl. Wait until at least mid May to set out. Mulch with black rock, Mexican beach pebbles are available at Home Depot.

Good Luck

[chidogs]

Thanks all for the suggestions. keep them coming! I am getting hopeful again.

[efisakov]

Humidity may be a factor in May. Pruning lower leaves and spraying with soap and DE may help. That has to be used as a preventative method. You have to start doing that while your tomatoes are still beautiful, green and perky.

Plus watch for the bugs above and below. The worst once are mites. They arrive with dry air and heat. The ants are usually a good sign. Usually does not mean that there're all good. Read about "farming ants that milk aphids". Aphids mostly leave above the ground on the leaves. There are some that suck juices from the roots. Aphids are moved by ants around. It is disturbing. In California the underground farming ants are very common. Here in NJ I saw ants moving aphids on my Dahlia and later in the season on my tomatoes and Okra. They love Okra. But last two years I was getting weirdly dying plants. I finally dug one still alive and found farming ants on it and underground aphids. At that time I had no idea what it was.

Hope it helps.