Direct Seeding!

I direct seeded some tomatoes yesterday, August 7. I did it as an experiment. Our high temps have been about 103 degrees F. and will continue in that range for the next week. The weather should cool a little by the end of August. Our first frost is about 100 days away in mid November. The direct seeded plants are Goliath hybrid, both bush determinate, and original indeterminate. The day time and night time temps should start averaging lower soon. The average daily hours of sunlight should also shorten rapidly. Does anyone think I have a chance of harvesting any tomatoes before frost? I expect the seed to germinate, but I am curious if the seedlings will survive the intense sunlight.

Ted

[veggie babe]

I think they your plants will survive the sunlight. I direct sow all my plants outside after the last frost, they are healthy and hardy d/t constant exposure to the heat and light. I just direct planted collards and they are up in less than a week and look great. The trick is to keep them watered. Your toms may not have enough time to make fruit because of the 1st frost, but as you know the weather is ever changing in Texas. Hope this helps.

good luck,

Neva

[TomatoDon]

I tried an experiment too. One day last week we had a reported heat index of around 120. It's been brutal. It's basically put a stop to summer tomato production and I'm starting to pull plants. But I wanted to try a fall crop so I planted a few seedlings, and then tried something I haven't tried before -- rooting cuttings.

I picked some nice shoots from Purple Haze, C-Tex, and a few others and have 18 cuttings in all. I saturated the seed starter mix in 4 inch pots all night and as soon as I took a cutting I put it in the pot. I went pretty fast and brought them inside and kept dousing them with fresh water.

I went back and got six more the next day, so now I have 18. Some never wilted a bit. Some did for a few minutes but once I started pouring fresh water and kept doing it every hour or so they perked right back up. Now, all 18 look like baby seedlings. It's like they are getting such a relief from all the heat and stress and just love being at the kitchen sink where it's nice and cool.

I figured I'd have poor results, but so far it's working really well. I'm hoping to gain several weeks like this in preference to starting seed.

Here are a few shots. Notice that some had flowers when I took the cuttings and never dropped them.

[Wi-sunflower]

I've done some "cuttings" of branches that broke off things and were really big already.

What worked for me was to put them in a big pot as deep as possible and then put the pots in something that holds water an inch or 2 deep up the pot or 1/4th up on small pots. No need to baby sit them that way. After about a week in that wet medium there are usually roots coming out the bottom. It's sort of like water rooting but they are in dirt too.

Yup a good jump on seed starting.

Carol

I'm just trying different things to see what works and what doesn't work. My normal routine is to germinate seedlings indoors and plant them outside after the last frost. They usually do well and produce good tomatoes. This year the heat got to most of them before they could even bloom. I still have most of my spring planted plants. They are about eight feet tall and should bloom and produce at the top and on some of the new shoots they produce when the weather cools.

When I realized the spring planted plants were hopeless for summer tomatoes, I grew more seedlings of Black From Tula, JD's Special C Tex, and Sweet Carneros Pink and planted them in the high heat of late June. They are strong and healthy now, but due to the continuing heat, they are not growing. They are simply waiting for cooler weather to grow.

In early July, I took cuttings of Mortgage Lifter, Kelloggs Breakfast, Cuostralee, and Sweet Carneros Pink. I allowed them to grow and develop good, strong root systems. I grew them outside in the heat, but in the shade to protect them from the sun. After they were well developed, I started acclimating them to the sun a few hours each day and finally planted them in the soil. In ten days, they were all dead.

Last week, I took cuttings again and I am growing them in the shade with the intent of growing them in the containers until cooler weather arrives. They will then be planted in the soil.

As I said in my first post, I also planted seed direct in the soil on Aug. 7. My thought was "If they can germinate in the heat and intense sunlight, they may be able to survive the heat until cooler weather arrives and then grow until frost. They should at least be developing strong roots while they wait. I'm also interested in seeing how well they develop with an undisturbed tap root as compared to planting seedlings without a definable tap root.

I should be able to compare production from new growth on old plants, production from late planted seedlings, production from cuttings, and production from direct seeded plants.

Everything will be kinda working in reverse in that I normally plant seedlings in the cool spring when days are warming and getting longer, encouraging them to produce before it gets to hot. In this case I am planting and growing in the heat of summer with the expectation that everything will grow and produce as the weather cools and the days get shorter.

In North Texas, the high summer heat is an obstacle gardeners must work around each year. I guess I am looking for ways to time my growing activities to either avoid the heat or use the heat to my advantage. With the heat, my seed should germinate faster. If the seed germinates in the high heat, and grows or lives in the intense sunlight; they may be more acclimated to growing in the heat.

Ted

[coastal-tony]

I'm getting ready to start seeds in 16oz plastic cups. Should I use the whole cup, or trim them down? Living in S Florida the temp. outside is 92ish, in the garage is 88ish, inside the houise is 80 during the day & 76 at night. Where should I try starting the seeds? Do I place a piece of saran on top?

Tony,

Your sixteen ounce cups should work. You probably will get the best information by performing a search on the forum for "seed starting". Very few people do it the same. I personally start in very small containers so I can keep planting it deeper as the seedling grows. I personally would not use the saran wrap, but I'm sure some would to retain moisture.

Ted

Originally Posted by veggie babe

I think they your plants will survive the sunlight. I direct sow all my plants outside after the last frost, they are healthy and hardy d/t constant exposure to the heat and light. I just direct planted collards and they are up in less than a week and look great. The trick is to keep them watered. Your toms may not have enough time to make fruit because of the 1st frost, but as you know the weather is ever changing in Texas. Hope this helps.

good luck,

Neva

Neva,

What tomato varieties are you growing? I plant seedlings after the last frost and hope they blossom before the weather gets hot. How are you sowing tomato seed after the last frost and getting productive plants before spring or summer heat prevents it? My weather is very much like yours in East Texas with the exception of humidity. Yours is higher.

Ted

[veggie babe]

I planted black cherry, black krim and cherokee purple seed for fall toms, I set them out in the garden 2 weeks ago. Can you tell I like the blacks Last year I rooted cuttings and they did great, I don't know why I didn't do that again this year. I have blooms on my older plants but the only tomato that is still producing are San Marzano, they are still producing well but that doesn't give me eating toms. I also plant a portion of my tomatoes where they get some afternoon shade from a pecan tree. That is usually a no no but it seems to work. Hope I answered you questions. If I can help let me know, I'm still new and learning from the pros at TV.

good luck,

Neva