Stagger your planting?

Rena · March 3, 2006

Do you plant all your plants at one time or do you do a few a week to keep your season longer?-Rena

bully · March 3, 2006

If I don't get them in all at once it's because i got interrupted or something. I plant so many different kinds that they all get ripe at different times anyway

Tania · March 3, 2006

Agree with bully.

The only reason I stagger them is because I start some early and compact varieties very early (i.e. 4-6 weeks earlier than usual starting date), in a hope to get tomatoes in spring. I can take a really good care of a few plants, growing them under fluorescent lights and taking them out on a sunny day to get more light. Then I move them into containers and leave in a cold frame in April, and get early mates in May/June.

The rest are planted at about the same time (if I manage to do it without interruption, which is usually not the case). SOme I have to replant, if there were any problems germinating or disease, so these come up 2-3 weeks later.

timcunningham · March 3, 2006

i was just about to ask this question! I plant a smaller amout of seed early in the year -January, just in case we have a warm spring. Then I plant more seeds in late Feb, to supplement the first seedlings. If we have a warm spring in GA (which is common) then I have many more tomatoes than I planned. If we get a freeze in late march, early April (which happens from time to time) then I always have the second batch to fall back on.

lycoperleprechaun · March 4, 2006

I've been planning to stagger my plants this season. I plan on planting one third of my plants early april and the rest early to mid may. I just started my second batch of seeds germinating today.javascript:emoticon('

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Exclamation We have a long growing season here in Sacramento. No worries. Just want to try something different.javascript:emoticon(':wink:')
Wink

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lycoperleprechaun · March 4, 2006

lol
Interestingjavascript!

popepaul · March 4, 2006

I plant over a three-week period, but usually because I am waiting for a seed order to show up, or because I am operating under a time crunch of some kind.

I plant enough tomato plants and enough different kinds that having everything ripen at one time is never an issue.
-Paul

**carolyn137** · March 4, 2006

I think what folks do is quite dependent on where they live as to zone and weather.

I plant all mine at the same time b'c I'm in a 4b/5a zone and I need all the time available between last average frost and first frost to get the late season ones to mature.

And like others, I'm planting varieties with different so called DTM's anyway so have continuous harvest.

But those in zones 9 and 10 are usually better off planting mid and late season varieties for a Spring crop and then sowing seed for a Fall crop later of short and midseason varieties.

Grub · March 4, 2006

I agree with Carolyn.

I'm into my fall crop now and having just the best fun. Huge reds and pinks and things. It's like having a second wedding.

Right now I'm thinking of working on three growing cycles with cold-tolerant earlies like Kimberly coming up the rear, so to speak.

Definitely a Zone thing.

Grub

shelleybean · March 4, 2006

I plant everything around April 15 and unless there's a problem like a hurricane or Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, I can pick until Thanksgiving or so. I often don't get my first frost until the week of Christmas here by the water but the quality of the fruit really declines later in the fall. I almost never plant determinate varieties, but if I did, I'd probably stagger the plantings.

Tomstrees · March 4, 2006

Rena -

I plant all of my tomatoes @ once -
I only have 14 plants ! lol ~

This year I'm going to start some
plants in June/Early July, to get
that later fall crop.

By the way Grub describes it
sounds like one last "who-rahhh"
before winter!

~ Tom

bully · March 4, 2006

Man I hate to admit this...at least here anyway.

But I wouldn't want a second crop. I'm pretty much sick of the whole thing by fall. I take down my cages and kinda look forward to a break from it all.
I'll be starting my seeds real soon and it will be constant care and upkeep from now till I rip them out.

bcday · March 4, 2006

The season is so short here that even the determinate types are still fruiting when frost hits, so everything gets planted at the same time. I would probably stagger them in a warmer climate and longer growing season than I have here, especially if I were planting determinate ones.

Dunkel · March 4, 2006

Sometimes I stagger while planting if I had too much corn squeezin's! LOL

Cyn · March 7, 2006

I did stagger planting last year with great results. My SSE yearbook seeds arrived, and I couldn't wait for this growing season, so I potted them up - I had a small harvest in late-summer/early fall, but it was great to get to taste some of them and know that I liked them.

Our wacky weather makes everything stagger anyway.
Cyn

March 3, 2006	#1
Rena Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Warm Springs, GA Posts: 1,421	Stagger your planting? Do you plant all your plants at one time or do you do a few a week to keep your season longer?-Rena

March 3, 2006	#3
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	Agree with bully. The only reason I stagger them is because I start some early and compact varieties very early (i.e. 4-6 weeks earlier than usual starting date), in a hope to get tomatoes in spring. I can take a really good care of a few plants, growing them under fluorescent lights and taking them out on a sunny day to get more light. Then I move them into containers and leave in a cold frame in April, and get early mates in May/June. The rest are planted at about the same time (if I manage to do it without interruption, which is usually not the case). SOme I have to replant, if there were any problems germinating or disease, so these come up 2-3 weeks later. __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase

March 3, 2006	#4
timcunningham Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Middle Georgia Posts: 241	i was just about to ask this question! I plant a smaller amout of seed early in the year -January, just in case we have a warm spring. Then I plant more seeds in late Feb, to supplement the first seedlings. If we have a warm spring in GA (which is common) then I have many more tomatoes than I planned. If we get a freeze in late march, early April (which happens from time to time) then I always have the second batch to fall back on. __________________ Visit my site: tomatoindex.com a database of over 2700 varieties. Vote for your favorite.

March 4, 2006	#5
lycoperleprechaun Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: sacramento,ca. Posts: 8	I've been planning to stagger my plants this season. I plan on planting one third of my plants early april and the rest early to mid may. I just started my second batch of seeds germinating today.javascript:emoticon('') Exclamation We have a long growing season here in Sacramento. No worries. Just want to try something different.javascript:emoticon(':wink:') Wink i i

March 4, 2006	#8
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I think what folks do is quite dependent on where they live as to zone and weather. I plant all mine at the same time b'c I'm in a 4b/5a zone and I need all the time available between last average frost and first frost to get the late season ones to mature. And like others, I'm planting varieties with different so called DTM's anyway so have continuous harvest. But those in zones 9 and 10 are usually better off planting mid and late season varieties for a Spring crop and then sowing seed for a Fall crop later of short and midseason varieties. __________________ Carolyn

March 3, 2006	#2
bully Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: S.E. MI Posts: 794	If I don't get them in all at once it's because i got interrupted or something. I plant so many different kinds that they all get ripe at different times anyway

March 4, 2006	#7
popepaul Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Boise, ID - Zone 6b Posts: 41	I plant over a three-week period, but usually because I am waiting for a seed order to show up, or because I am operating under a time crunch of some kind. I plant enough tomato plants and enough different kinds that having everything ripen at one time is never an issue. -Paul

March 4, 2006	#9
Grub Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,722	I Agree I agree with Carolyn. I'm into my fall crop now and having just the best fun. Huge reds and pinks and things. It's like having a second wedding. Right now I'm thinking of working on three growing cycles with cold-tolerant earlies like Kimberly coming up the rear, so to speak. Definitely a Zone thing. Grub

March 4, 2006	#10
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	I plant everything around April 15 and unless there's a problem like a hurricane or Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, I can pick until Thanksgiving or so. I often don't get my first frost until the week of Christmas here by the water but the quality of the fruit really declines later in the fall. I almost never plant determinate varieties, but if I did, I'd probably stagger the plantings. __________________ Michele

March 4, 2006	#11
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Rena - I plant all of my tomatoes @ once - I only have 14 plants ! lol ~ This year I'm going to start some plants in June/Early July, to get that later fall crop. By the way Grub describes it sounds like one last "who-rahhh" before winter! ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

March 4, 2006	#13
bcday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NY z5 Posts: 1,205	The season is so short here that even the determinate types are still fruiting when frost hits, so everything gets planted at the same time. I would probably stagger them in a warmer climate and longer growing season than I have here, especially if I were planting determinate ones.

March 4, 2006	#14
Dunkel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: West By God Virginia Posts: 245	Sometimes I stagger while planting if I had too much corn squeezin's! LOL __________________ I plant... Therefore I am. - Dunkel What the country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds. - Will Rogers

March 7, 2006	#15
Cyn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z8 - Texas Hill Country Posts: 171	hmm I did stagger planting last year with great results. My SSE yearbook seeds arrived, and I couldn't wait for this growing season, so I potted them up - I had a small harvest in late-summer/early fall, but it was great to get to taste some of them and know that I liked them. Our wacky weather makes everything stagger anyway. Cyn