Some general questions before I start next year

[DoubleJ]

I have some general questions that have been rolling around my brain.

1. Summertime air temp around here stays mostly mid 70's to low 80's, sometimes as high as 90 for a couple of days. Is this ideal temps for pollination?

2. I have raised rows built now and they are overwintering under cover to block rain. They are constructed from layers of newspaper, compost, grass clippings, leaves, 4 year composted horse manure, and some lime and 10-10-10 added. Is this good for tomato growth?

3. I read where clear plastic will raise soil temps as much as 14 degrees. My soil temp around here gets no higher than 60 - 65 degrees 6" down. Will the 14 degree temp raise benifit my tomatoes?

4. I understand DTM as being days from date the plant is in the ground until date that fruit is ripe but, how long is it from blossom to fruit on average? I put my plants into the ground around April 15th here but I don't normally see blossoms until June.

More to come, I'm sure.

Thanks,
John

[feldon30]

#1 - Overnight temps are what typically drive pollination. There is sort of an unwritten rule of 47-74, where overnight temps of 47-74, in addition to other factors, are good temps for pollination. I am not saying pollination cannot happen outside that temperature range, only that that range is better.

Those other factors include humidity, which can wreak havoc on fruitset as it causes the pollen to clump. High daytime temps (90's) can cause pollen to denature.

I think the biggest problem in Washington State is long periods of cool, wet temps, fog, clouds, and otherwise just a lack of bright sunny days. But as you are 1 1/2 hours away from Seattle, you might have some different climate that I am not aware of.


#2 Sounds good to me.

#3 No idea. We don't have that problem in Houston.

#4 - And thus you have the huge difference between Houston and Seattle. We are both Zone 8 according to the USDA, but we plant in mid-March and have blossoms by the end of the month and most of our fruitset by late April, early May.

DTM is really only useful for comparing *between* varieties, not as a judge of actual timings. One factor that really fouls things up is blossom cycles. Tomato plants generally set blossoms in 1-2 week cycles. As a result, if there is some horrendous weather when the blossoms are viable, then you are set back by 2 weeks, so DTM goes completely out the window.

[DoubleJ]

My little micro climate here is a zone 7.

[Tormato]

John,

You have a PM.

Gary