Letting Tomato Plants go into Next Season

[behlgarden]

Hi, Last year I started late and put my tomato plants in the ground by end of June, I got good growth and few tomatoes and then got attacked by Squirrels. Plants also went thru Blossom drops throughout the season.

However, the large cherry continued to produce to this day and I have about good 5 to 7 Heirloom plants still holding strong and putting blooms. I did prune them hard in Nov anticipating winter death to them, some plants died while others grew up stronger.

Following are the varieties that are still in the ground and healthy:

1884 Heirloom
Brandywine Red Heirloom
Italian Heirloom
Chocolate Stripes
Medium Beefsteak

The question is do I pull them out now OR ride them into 2012 season? If someone had experience with over wintered plants, I would love to know. If these plants can perform well in 2012 season as well, I think I will get a head start because root system is fully developed and by the time we hit spring, these would thrive. I plan on composting and fertilizing these plants carefully so they get the required nutrition. Another thing is that I got green pea vines that are now climbing over these plants.

Thoughts? As of Feb 1, I have about 6-7 tiny heirloom tomato fruit set already.

[Petronius_II]

Any plants that you can get to survive into spring, you'll be glad you did.

In Zone 9, that may not be all that difficult.

[behlgarden]

Thank you, I will start fertilizing these plants now so they get the energy boost. here in So. Cal we are hitting mid 70's on few days a week before cold front drops temps back mid to low 60's and overnight temps to mid to low 40's

[sirtanon]

I'm in the same boat. I have a good 10 plants that I put out in September, cursing myself because they went out late and probably would not produce anything.

-Yes, we're in Phoenix, and our winters are usually very mild, but we usually get at least one night below 30. This year, we had ONE night that got down (maybe) to 32 and my plants still made it through with little to no frost damage. All survived.

Most of these plants actually have fruit developing on them. Still green, and taking its time, but fruit nonetheless. I'm in a quandary.. They're happy and quite healthy, but I have a spring crop of seedlings that I need to put out and very little room to spare at the moment.

Four of the plants will most likely get pulled, as they are not doing much, but the others should hopefully explode with new growth and fruit soon. Considering we hit 100 degrees frequently by May 30, I'm actually kind of excited about the running start I'll be getting.

I am torn though. SO many plants I want to try for Spring.

[Petronius_II]

Sirt, if your little seedlings are inside, and last year's plants are outside, it's not a fair comparison. When nighttime lows dip below 50 degrees F or thereabouts, most tomato varieties just stop growing. They'll survive with lows in the 30s and 40s, but they just won't grow.

If you've been following the "how much can taste be affected" thread, you've probably also figured out that any blossoms and little fruits you now have on your overwintered plants are likely to become watery flavorless fruits at best; implications obvious, ja?

[Petronius_II]

BTW, speaking of overwintering tomatoes in Phoenix...

...One year I went to a certain hotel in NW Phoenix for a certain convention.

Then about a year later, I was at the same hotel for the same convention, only a year later, and wandering outside looking around at the flower beds, which were in those big free-standing concrete raised beds you often see around hotels...

...And all of a sudden, I notice a couple of very healthy young tomato plants growing close to each other in one of the flower beds.

...And the thought suddenly came to me, "Hey, wait a minute. Isn't that where I put some of the seeds from my BLT sandwich last year?"

I seem to recall doing exactly that. But that's just the kind of thing my squirrel-in-a-treadmill kind of mind might have just made up, too. I don't suppose I'll ever know. But five'll get ya ten, it wasn't hotel staff that planted those tomatoes.

[sirtanon]

Our lows for the past month or so have been low- to mid-40's, with at least a couple low-50's.. go figure. Daytime highs have been in the mid-70's most days. Really wierd winter.. even for Phoenix, and our winters tend to be very mild.

In any case, quite a few of my plants in the better locations have been buffered from the cold and get good sun, and have actually been SETTING a ton of new fruit. They're also growing noticeably.

I think my one Gardener's Delight plant has set approximately 100 cherries in the past 10 days.

With any luck, the warm snap will keep us over 32 for the rest of the winter.

Pic 1 - My best "Rouge De Marmande" plant is on the right. Has grown at least a foot in the past 2 weeks, and set at least 8 new fruit
Pic 2 - Close up of the first cluster that set. Largest is about 4 inches across.
Pic 3 - My one performing "Gardener's Delight" which was almost entirely leaves until about 3 weeks ago, when it just exploded with flowers.
Pic 4 - Close up of one of the fruit trusses. Funny thing is, most clusters are the typical 'chain' formation, but it's also got a number of 'forks' that are multiple chains from a single point.
..and just because.. my two garden watch-cats who keep the birds from doing too much damage to my crops..
Pic 5 - Cleo - Siamese / Grey Tabby mix
Pic 6 - Salem - Russian Blue

Originally Posted by Petronius_II

Sirt, if your little seedlings are inside, and last year's plants are outside, it's not a fair comparison. When nighttime lows dip below 50 degrees F or thereabouts, most tomato varieties just stop growing. They'll survive with lows in the 30s and 40s, but they just won't grow.

If you've been following the "how much can taste be affected" thread, you've probably also figured out that any blossoms and little fruits you now have on your overwintered plants are likely to become watery flavorless fruits at best; implications obvious, ja?

[behlgarden]

Very nice. yesterday I pruned one more time to get rid of long stems as I see new growth from close to the thick stem and base of my overwintered plants. Next step is to side dress with fertilizer and wait to see explosion in growth.

Will see.

[rnewste]

Originally Posted by behlgarden

Very nice. yesterday I pruned one more time to get rid of long stems as I see new growth from close to the thick stem and base of my overwintered plants. Next step is to side dress with fertilizer and wait to see explosion in growth.

Will see.

For another data-point - - I over-Wintered cuttings 2 years ago, thinking I could get a jump start on the Spring planting. What I experienced was early fungal problems on several of these plants, which seem to have accumulated from their origin the Fall before.

Now, I always start fresh seedlings every year, as the perceived DTM "advantage" is only a matter of a few days, in my case. Just something to ponder...

Raybo

[sirtanon]

Almost forgot...

These three pics are from my 'Pineapple' tomato plant.

Granted, only 5 of my plants are going this well.. but they're still very healthy. (knock on wood)

I'll be putting some new stuff out, so it will be interesting to compare the new to the established.