Fall (autumn) planting

JohnMich · March 23, 2009

It has just turned to autumn (fall) here in Queensland Australia. Climate about same as Hawaii. (beautiful one day, perfect the next)

This also coincides with the near completion of my first Earthtainer.

What if any are my chances of getting tomatoes started from seed or seedlings now? I can get seedlings at local nursery.

I know, I know - pushing it but gee! I can't just sit here looking at the 'tainer can I

Love this whole forum!

habitat_gardener · March 23, 2009

I tried it last year, and the weather did not cooperate. There's a nurseryman in California that has been promoting autumn tomatoes for several years. He's based in southern Calif. but comes up here around Aug/Sept and sells his seedlings for $5 each. The varieties he sells in the fall are early-season, and he promotes the use of a humic-acid supplement and an organic fert as well. (Maybe it's still on his website? www.gotonursery.com)

I tried it last year because I had hardly any tomatoes by the end of July. I planted the new ones in August, and it got too cold and rainy by the time they were ready to produce, so I got only a handful of tomatoes from 3 plants. But my spring-planted tomatoes finally started producing in mid-August, and I had tomatoes from those plants until the first frost in December. If I plant in the fall again, it will be from my own seed-grown tomatoes.

Here are some links from my files:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...sn=001&sc=1000

http://www.latimes.com/features/home...408,full.story

Holly HayesSTAFF "Even cold-weather tomatoes feel unhappy effects of frost". Oakland Tribune. Feb 17, 2007. FindArticles.com. 26 Aug. 2007. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...7/ai_n18625068

JohnMich · March 23, 2009

Thanks Habitat!

The articles were interesting, particularly the Westchester couple, but I was hoping that there was someone out there who had had success in fall starts!??

Please!

Polar_Lace · March 24, 2009

Hi John,

What are your Fall Temps there?

~* Robin

JohnMich · March 25, 2009

Hi Polar Lace. We count autumn/fall as starting 22 March winter 22 Jun and start of Spring 22 September but I put in rest as advertising for the beautiful Gold Coast!

People from southern states come to Queensland for winter - in Oz the further you move north the hotter it gets like in South America.

Please see xls attachment

Hope this helps you to give me some advice

robin303 · March 31, 2009

Heck I would go for it unless it drops down to 40's.

March 23, 2009	#1
JohnMich Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Queensland Australia Posts: 29	Fall (autumn) planting It has just turned to autumn (fall) here in Queensland Australia. Climate about same as Hawaii. (beautiful one day, perfect the next) This also coincides with the near completion of my first Earthtainer. What if any are my chances of getting tomatoes started from seed or seedlings now? I can get seedlings at local nursery. I know, I know - pushing it but gee! I can't just sit here looking at the 'tainer can I Love this whole forum!

March 23, 2009	#2
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	I tried it last year, and the weather did not cooperate. There's a nurseryman in California that has been promoting autumn tomatoes for several years. He's based in southern Calif. but comes up here around Aug/Sept and sells his seedlings for $5 each. The varieties he sells in the fall are early-season, and he promotes the use of a humic-acid supplement and an organic fert as well. (Maybe it's still on his website? www.gotonursery.com) I tried it last year because I had hardly any tomatoes by the end of July. I planted the new ones in August, and it got too cold and rainy by the time they were ready to produce, so I got only a handful of tomatoes from 3 plants. But my spring-planted tomatoes finally started producing in mid-August, and I had tomatoes from those plants until the first frost in December. If I plant in the fall again, it will be from my own seed-grown tomatoes. Here are some links from my files: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...sn=001&sc=1000 http://www.latimes.com/features/home...408,full.story Holly HayesSTAFF "Even cold-weather tomatoes feel unhappy effects of frost". Oakland Tribune. Feb 17, 2007. FindArticles.com. 26 Aug. 2007. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...7/ai_n18625068 Last edited by habitat_gardener; March 23, 2009 at 10:02 PM. Reason: add links

March 24, 2009	#4
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	Hi John, What are your Fall Temps there? ~* Robin __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them.

March 31, 2009	#6
robin303 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Austin, TX Zone 8b Posts: 531	Heck I would go for it unless it drops down to 40's.