It's hotter than a...

[darwinslair]

I went the way of not watering. at least not yet. 2 weeks without rain, and temps at or over 100 for much of it.

I have a serious reason for it. We had excessive rain before this heat wave hit. I want the plants to send down roots to chase the water, not be dependent on watering. So far, so good, but need to check on a field planting I have not looked at in a week. I might have to haul water to them (assuming they are not "crispy") but that is just 70 plants I am trialing but had no room at one of the gardens closer to my home. Will post photos on the blog showing what I do or do not find. <smile>

Heat breaks tomorrow. was supposed to break last night, but no, expected high of 90 became a reality of 102. <sigh>

OH well.

Tom

[PaulF]

This is getting to not be funny anymore. Texas has moved north into southern Nebraska. The word here is "crispy".

[babice]

LOL - mehbe we should all play tic-tac-toe while we wait this heat wave out? Or, or -- we could all play Scrabble With Friends against each other...

[Keger]

Question if I can, are you anywhere near Muscatine? My dad was from there.

Yeah hot..... Sounds like a late spring here, but I'll take that over winter any time.

[Keger]

We need to talk, I have a few that are working.

[Keger]

Hey Jack....

Grab some Texas Tomato Food. Should be perfect for what you are doing. We have a wet pattern coming... watch em..

[babice]

Originally Posted by Keger

Question if I can, are you anywhere near Muscatine? My dad was from there.

Yeah hot..... Sounds like a late spring here, but I'll take that over winter any time.

Close but no cigar...not real close. Been there. Probably getting same wx as all of us Midwesterners there!

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by texasjack

Hi MrsJustice,

Any help is gladly accepted.

My little piece of Texas is considered Sub Tropic...more like Central America than So. Florida. People grow banannas in their back yards. Last "frost" i.e. 30F, was 6-7 years ago for one night. We plant petunias as outdoor winter flowers. Last year we had 34 consectutive days of 95-108F with 80+% humidity. Growing foliage and hundreds of blossoms is not the problem.

I grow 4-6 plants in largest practical SW containers on the 17th floor balcony of my hi-rise. This year it's Black Krim, San Marazano(sp?) Arkansas Traveller and Sun Gold cherries. Plants go in March 15th latest, start flowering in early May with first fruit in early June. My indeterminates are still growing and flowering ...July 6th.The Krim is 6', is ripening the last of the toms and still flowering. If I nurse them thru July, Aug and Sept. I can sometimes get a 2nd harvest in Nov.

The good news is that at my altitude there are no insects or diseases unless I introduce them. No predators....the local squirrels have not mastered technical climbing and the indigenous deer have all been mugged by street gangs and are very wary. It should be a tomato paradise, except for poor blossom set.

I 've learned that my best results come from growing in a 5-1-1 pine bark fines/ peat/ pearlite media with some dolomite and pasteurized compost. Use 9-3-6 fert in frequent very dilute solutions. Water tanks are filled daily. I accept that containers generally produce fewer and smaller fruit than the same varieties in soil.

Maybe science isn't the answer and good old homespun wisdom will increase my yields. Happy to have your input.

Texasjack

Yes, sometimes science is not the answer, especially since you are high-up there. It would be no problem for you to hand pollinate each tomato flower softly in your fingers, because you have no good insects to pollinate for you.

I don't know why many people use pasteurized mature or compost and uses other fertilizers every month. You may be over fertilizing your tomato plants especially if you are growing your plants in any type of contianer or large pots.

[texasjack]

Originally Posted by Keger

Hey Jack....

Grab some Texas Tomato Food. Should be perfect for what you are doing. We have a wet pattern coming... watch em..

Hi Keger,

Texas Tomato Food? That's a new one for me. Where to find it?? Richmond must have similar weather to Houston. Any suggestions for heirloom varieties for next year......I'm going to expand my "farm" to 8 plants. Didn't really use the gas grill that much anyway.

Thanks

Jack

[babice]

Can't wait! Forecast is to be in the low 90's tomorrow and then get into the 60's overnight. I'm hoping all of us will get the cool off and we'll all suddenly have a spurt of beautiful setting and reddening fruit!

[babice]

Was outside spraying Daconil around 7pm and, though it was still mid-90's, finally felt a cool breeze blowing. It was a nice change of pace after that past few weeks. Almost all of the toms have their leaves folded inward (up). I read this is "okay" and likely due to the heat. Will they eventually uncurl? Wonder how they'll fare now that it's going to cool off for a while.

[ginger2778]

Imagine actually cheering for the 90s! The tomatoes will be fine once the daytime cools off and the nights get below 70 again, they will set fruit again.
You'll be out of the 90s way before we will. Time to do the happy dance.

[ChrisK]

Finally!

[babice]

[[[moonwalk....]]]

[cdbva]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We were supposed to reach a high of 97 today, and it got up to 101 anyway.

I kind of expect the Washington political set to give us the runaround, but the weatherman?

Well, we just got a wee bit of rain and it's cooler for the moment. I've been going out for a walk in my five-finger shoes at about quarter to 9:00, but I may get all wild and crazy and go at 8:00 tonight.

Christine