How's Fall Tomato Gardening Going?

[AlittleSalt]

I know that around the world, growing seasons are different. Here in Zones 7 and 8, there are two seasons to grow tomatoes in. I am in zone 8A, and everybody who likes gardening grows tomatoes in spring/early summer season, and you can drive around and see gardens of all sizes. However, that same drive in late summer/fall results in seeing weed patches and/or vacant areas that were previously early gardens. I've seen this for 49 years now and figured it was because it is too hot or something?. I honestly believed fall gardening had no chance here where I live.

After joining Tomatoville, I read a lot about others growing fall gardens in my area as well as others. Sure, some data conflicts with other, but reading here made me want to give it a try. I planted seeds in starter pots, grew them to transplant size, planted them, water and take care of them like pets, etc.

Due to things that happen in life, the past week-or-so has proven to stress me in many ways, but the one constant good thing is that those tomatoes I planted are looking really good. They look like springtime tomatoes reaching for the sky. Many of the 20+ plants are now well over 12 inches high and are surviving our playful kittens.... grr

I planted most of the plants 5" deep and I water them once a week with MG tomato food. I water every other day, mulch with oak leaves, and used cleaned out aquarium water a few days ago.

I'm just wondering how other's fall gardens are going?

[Barb_FL]

I've been staggering sowing seeds over a few weeks now. I thought I was too early so was only planting about 6 seedings per week. I have a bunch of seedlings now; a really healthy black cherry plant that may get an earthbox.

Early summer, I planted Heatwave 2 and SunGold. Both have a lot of blossoms, and SG has tiny tomatoes but I don't think they are growing. The Heatwave plant itself doesn't look. They are in earthboxes and the 2nd plant in both died. (I only added another plant to each this week. Another small SG and a black cherry for the Heatwave).

I also wanted to try growing throughout the summer, by moving earthboxes in/out of shade.
Except for the 2 mentioned above, these were plants from the spring. 2 earthboxes look promising and once I need the other 2, those plants will get the boot.

[Cheryl2017]

I have over half my fall tomatoes in the ground already. Most look pretty good. This years problems have been mites and leaf miners. I've been using really dilute sprays of orange oil and soap because of the heat. Also sulfured a couple of times in the evening.

[b54red]

I have some grafted plants about a foot tall and hardening off but I haven't even got a bed ready to set them out in. I have been busy fighting Early Blight and spider mites on my tomatoes and aphids on my peppers. I finally broke down this morning and sprayed all my tomato plants with Malathion in hopes of getting the mite population down to a level where it will be safe to set new plants out in the bed next to them. I also pulled out some of my more pitiful looking plants and bagged them up for the trash yesterday. I hope to get some more pulled out in the next day or so because I think some of these older plants are starting to get some nematodes in the roots and that is only encouraging the mites. Despite the losses I still have most of my plants still producing tomatoes but not nearly so many and most are smaller fruit.


Bill

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by Cheryl2017

I have over half my fall tomatoes in the ground already. Most look pretty good. This years problems have been mites and leaf miners. I've been using really dilute sprays of orange oil and soap because of the heat. Also sulfured a couple of times in the evening.

I seem to get the leaf miners on younger plants. Do you?

[Cheryl2017]

For sure they have attacked my seedlings. They also have attacked the stuff in the ground. I loathe them with a passion cause I keep cutting leaves off.