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-

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-