This years fall growout

duajones · November 22, 2010

I have grown tomatoes in the fall since 2006 and have had tomatoes on Thanksgiving and Christmas each year with the exception of one Christmas where we had an early freeze.
I put the plants in the ground late August and they took off at first. Then for whatever reason they just sat there. Growth all but stopped and they had severe leaf roll or curl.
I actually lost one of the plants which was the lone hybrid of the bunch.
My neighbors plants did the same exact thing. After about a month they snapped out of it for whatever reason and have now rebounded nicely.
We did have 14 inches of rain in September so I am thinking that had something to do with it although my soil does drain well. I did supplement with some iron and trace elements to rule out any nutrient deficiency. My neighbor did nothing and his rebounded as well.
The heavy rains were followed by bright sunshine. Temps werent that bad but the sun just seemed extreme for some reason. I had 2 friends that lost half of their plants during this same time period.
I figured that this year would be a total failure but it looks like I may still have tomatoes for Christmas this year.
Hoping that mother nature will cooperate for another month or so as I have fruit that should be blushing any day now

frogsleap farm · November 22, 2010

I'm jealous, it's snowing here

November 22, 2010

First freeze coming on Thanksgiving day in North Texas. Guess I will pick my greenies in the next couple of days. Should still have ripe tomatoes for Christmas.

Ted

duajones · November 22, 2010

I should have already harvested tomatoes by now and would have without the month setback. Cherokee Purple has never come in later than around 75 days for me and right now its at 93 and still a ways to go.
Temps will get pretty cold in the next few days but I am hopeful that the first freeze of the year is a ways off.

Mojo · November 25, 2010

[reappearing after a long absence]
I am getting fed up with fall planting. It seems no matter what I plant or when I plant it, I end up picking green tomatoes in the dark ahead of a coming freeze. I HOPE the front coming tomorrow does not bring freezing rain or frost; I estimate that my fall Romas are about two weeks from harvest.

b54red · November 25, 2010

We've already had two nights of freezing weather and it looks like we are going to have another on Friday. I lost a few plants completely and had a good number damaged by the last mild freeze of 30. I don't know if what I have left will make it through another. I have some plants loaded and have a bunch of ripening small tomatoes with a few larger ones on the counter now. My largest ones Linnies, Red Siberian and Carbon are all still showing no signs of blushing and my bell peppers and hot peppers are loaded. Don't know whether to just risk it or pick some of the nicer ones just in case it gets a little colder than the 31 they are predicting now. I am including pictures of my best looking plants with the most fruit on them. I have a lot that have few if any leaves left on them but many still have a good amount of fruit waiting to blush. Pictures are of Black Krim, BTD Pink, Carbon, Druzba, Jetsetter, Linnies, Red Siberian and one of many bell peppers.

tam91 · November 25, 2010

I still have a very few tomatoes sitting on my counter, and I'm in Illinois! Didn't even pick them green, a few have just held up still. Had a lovely pasta with my Swiss Chard (which seems to intend to live forever) and tomatoes last night.

Fusion_power · November 25, 2010

Tomatoes and Peppers in the greenhouse looking fantabulous. Tomatoes 4 inches diameter but not yet ripe, peppers making enough to eat a few daily.

One thing for sure, I will be doing this again. I love having fresh veggies this late in the year.

DarJones

b54red · November 26, 2010

Those fresh red bell peppers are good added to dressing or stuffing and it is a real treat to have fresh tomato on that leftover turkey sandwich. Good news for me, they have changed the forecast for tomorrow night, and it's looking like the freeze may hold off for a bit longer. Now they are predicting no freezing weather til the 1st of December but they are talking high twenties and if that happens it should end this very long season. I'd love it if they are wrong and I could make it til Christmas like I did a few years ago.

duajones · November 26, 2010

Possible freeze tonight and I just dont have any way to protect my plants. Cold and rainy outside right now and my plants are loaded with fruit. Hoping for the best but if I lose my plants it will probably change my attitude towards growing tomatoes in the fall.

tam91 · November 26, 2010

Not something I have experience with, but haven't I read something that having sprinklers on them helps?

My tomatoes made it through one - I just threw tarps/plastic over them, and put milk jugs of hot water underneath.

Hope yours make it.

b54red · November 27, 2010

Well they are back to saying we will have a freeze tomorrow while it seems to have only gotten down to 34 this morning. If I lose my plants I certainly won't like it but this will still have been one of my most productive fall seasons. Right now there are hundreds of green tomatoes on my plants and I hate to see them killed but I have already picked a couple of hundred fall tomatoes.
Trying to grow tomatoes in the fall is a real throw of the dice here and you have to go into it with that attitude. The sight of lots of frozen, ruined tomatoes hanging on dead plants can be a little hard to take; but well worth the risk. I don't do near the soil prep or care for the plants as diligently in the fall. I am just happy when I get a few slicers for my sandwiches and salads, delaying the period when no fresh eating tomatoes are available except for those tasteless things in the grocery store.

duajones · November 27, 2010

Dodged a bullet this a.m., only got down to around 36. I did end up throwing a tarp over them and put a couple of lights underneath to help create some warmth.

duajones · December 13, 2010

Have dodge several bullets so far this fall and have begun harvesting.
Had some rain a couple of weeks ago but it wasnt what I would call enough rain to cause a splitting issue. Better Boy for whatever reason is splitting while the others are just fine. Thicker skinned than either Cherokee Purple or Black and Brown Boar yet neither of them have any splitting at all to this point.

b54red · December 14, 2010

I picked everything a week ago before it dropped down to 24 degrees and killed all my plants. I have a bunch of blushing and green tomatoes sitting on my porch hoping some will last til Christmas. I also have a dozen tomatoes in pots on the porch that I hope will give me an occasional tomato til spring gets here.
Considering the weather and the disease problems this was a fairly productive fall.
The best tomatoes for me this fall were Big Beef, Linnies Oxheart, Carbon, Jetsetter, Druzba, BTD Pink, Red Siberian, Black Krim, and Stupice.

Big Beef and Jetsetter are outstanding hybrids for producing tomatoes in the fall. They aren't my favorite eating tomato but they are a dang site better than the store bought ones. I will always try planting both of them for fall tomatoes because they are so productive despite the problems of growing tomatoes in the fall. Most of the OPs are hit and miss for me as fall tomatoes even though they are the bulk of my plants. I really like to have a little insurance; but even planting durable hybrids is no guarantee in the fall.

November 22, 2010	#1
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	This years fall growout I have grown tomatoes in the fall since 2006 and have had tomatoes on Thanksgiving and Christmas each year with the exception of one Christmas where we had an early freeze. I put the plants in the ground late August and they took off at first. Then for whatever reason they just sat there. Growth all but stopped and they had severe leaf roll or curl. I actually lost one of the plants which was the lone hybrid of the bunch. My neighbors plants did the same exact thing. After about a month they snapped out of it for whatever reason and have now rebounded nicely. We did have 14 inches of rain in September so I am thinking that had something to do with it although my soil does drain well. I did supplement with some iron and trace elements to rule out any nutrient deficiency. My neighbor did nothing and his rebounded as well. The heavy rains were followed by bright sunshine. Temps werent that bad but the sun just seemed extreme for some reason. I had 2 friends that lost half of their plants during this same time period. I figured that this year would be a total failure but it looks like I may still have tomatoes for Christmas this year. Hoping that mother nature will cooperate for another month or so as I have fruit that should be blushing any day now __________________ Duane Jones

November 22, 2010	#4
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	I should have already harvested tomatoes by now and would have without the month setback. Cherokee Purple has never come in later than around 75 days for me and right now its at 93 and still a ways to go. Temps will get pretty cold in the next few days but I am hopeful that the first freeze of the year is a ways off. __________________ Duane Jones

November 25, 2010	#5
Mojo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 317	[reappearing after a long absence] I am getting fed up with fall planting. It seems no matter what I plant or when I plant it, I end up picking green tomatoes in the dark ahead of a coming freeze. I HOPE the front coming tomorrow does not bring freezing rain or frost; I estimate that my fall Romas are about two weeks from harvest. __________________ There is no logical response to the question, "Why won't you let me plant more tomatoes?"

November 25, 2010	#6
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	We've already had two nights of freezing weather and it looks like we are going to have another on Friday. I lost a few plants completely and had a good number damaged by the last mild freeze of 30. I don't know if what I have left will make it through another. I have some plants loaded and have a bunch of ripening small tomatoes with a few larger ones on the counter now. My largest ones Linnies, Red Siberian and Carbon are all still showing no signs of blushing and my bell peppers and hot peppers are loaded. Don't know whether to just risk it or pick some of the nicer ones just in case it gets a little colder than the 31 they are predicting now. I am including pictures of my best looking plants with the most fruit on them. I have a lot that have few if any leaves left on them but many still have a good amount of fruit waiting to blush. Pictures are of Black Krim, BTD Pink, Carbon, Druzba, Jetsetter, Linnies, Red Siberian and one of many bell peppers. Last edited by b54red; April 12, 2011 at 03:01 AM.

November 26, 2010	#10
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	Possible freeze tonight and I just dont have any way to protect my plants. Cold and rainy outside right now and my plants are loaded with fruit. Hoping for the best but if I lose my plants it will probably change my attitude towards growing tomatoes in the fall. __________________ Duane Jones

November 22, 2010	#2
frogsleap farm Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Minnesota Posts: 568	I'm jealous, it's snowing here

November 22, 2010	#3
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	First freeze coming on Thanksgiving day in North Texas. Guess I will pick my greenies in the next couple of days. Should still have ripe tomatoes for Christmas. Ted

November 25, 2010	#7
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	I still have a very few tomatoes sitting on my counter, and I'm in Illinois! Didn't even pick them green, a few have just held up still. Had a lovely pasta with my Swiss Chard (which seems to intend to live forever) and tomatoes last night.

November 25, 2010	#8
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	Tomatoes and Peppers in the greenhouse looking fantabulous. Tomatoes 4 inches diameter but not yet ripe, peppers making enough to eat a few daily. One thing for sure, I will be doing this again. I love having fresh veggies this late in the year. DarJones

November 27, 2010	#12
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Well they are back to saying we will have a freeze tomorrow while it seems to have only gotten down to 34 this morning. If I lose my plants I certainly won't like it but this will still have been one of my most productive fall seasons. Right now there are hundreds of green tomatoes on my plants and I hate to see them killed but I have already picked a couple of hundred fall tomatoes. Trying to grow tomatoes in the fall is a real throw of the dice here and you have to go into it with that attitude. The sight of lots of frozen, ruined tomatoes hanging on dead plants can be a little hard to take; but well worth the risk. I don't do near the soil prep or care for the plants as diligently in the fall. I am just happy when I get a few slicers for my sandwiches and salads, delaying the period when no fresh eating tomatoes are available except for those tasteless things in the grocery store.

December 13, 2010	#14
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	Have dodge several bullets so far this fall and have begun harvesting. Had some rain a couple of weeks ago but it wasnt what I would call enough rain to cause a splitting issue. Better Boy for whatever reason is splitting while the others are just fine. Thicker skinned than either Cherokee Purple or Black and Brown Boar yet neither of them have any splitting at all to this point. __________________ Duane Jones

December 14, 2010	#15
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I picked everything a week ago before it dropped down to 24 degrees and killed all my plants. I have a bunch of blushing and green tomatoes sitting on my porch hoping some will last til Christmas. I also have a dozen tomatoes in pots on the porch that I hope will give me an occasional tomato til spring gets here. Considering the weather and the disease problems this was a fairly productive fall. The best tomatoes for me this fall were Big Beef, Linnies Oxheart, Carbon, Jetsetter, Druzba, BTD Pink, Red Siberian, Black Krim, and Stupice. Big Beef and Jetsetter are outstanding hybrids for producing tomatoes in the fall. They aren't my favorite eating tomato but they are a dang site better than the store bought ones. I will always try planting both of them for fall tomatoes because they are so productive despite the problems of growing tomatoes in the fall. Most of the OPs are hit and miss for me as fall tomatoes even though they are the bulk of my plants. I really like to have a little insurance; but even planting durable hybrids is no guarantee in the fall.