Its 94 degrees on LI. How do I protect my tomato plants

[rsg2001]

James, also lots of flowering. Certain plants are ahead of the pack in fruit set, while others are a bit later. As usual, Sungold cherry is way ahead of everything else, but I have more than a couple dozen of regular tomatoes on the way. I also grow some (most) in containers and some in the ground, and the containers as usual are performing better since they get more sun. I have 14 dwarfs (I think that's the final count of what made it out into the garden) from the Dwarf Project, and the blossoms are starting to open on a few of them - I am very eager to see what I get.

We just had an amazing thunderstorm and the temperature dropped 20 degrees from the 90s to the 70s, and I believe we're going to stay at that level for a few days. The thunderstorm warnings are continuing through about 9pm this evening. I'm a little concerned about disease setting in; I checked my garden records from last year and we're close to the time when I started to see some early blight on the black tomatoes. So fingers are crossed. I sprayed Actinovate yesterday, and have been alternating that with Serenade since planting in an effort to try to protect them.

[PA_Julia]

Here in Allentown, PA we just went through three days of 95F or higher.
I did nothing more than water my plants very well in the early morning for two days.
They look very very healthy and the growing tomatoes on them look equally as good.
Just water well and I believe everything will be fine.


Julia

[JamesL]

Originally Posted by rsg2001

James, also lots of flowering. Certain plants are ahead of the pack in fruit set, while others are a bit later. As usual, Sungold cherry is way ahead of everything else, but I have more than a couple dozen of regular tomatoes on the way. I also grow some (most) in containers and some in the ground, and the containers as usual are performing better since they get more sun. I have 14 dwarfs (I think that's the final count of what made it out into the garden) from the Dwarf Project, and the blossoms are starting to open on a few of them - I am very eager to see what I get.

We just had an amazing thunderstorm and the temperature dropped 20 degrees from the 90s to the 70s, and I believe we're going to stay at that level for a few days. The thunderstorm warnings are continuing through about 9pm this evening. I'm a little concerned about disease setting in; I checked my garden records from last year and we're close to the time when I started to see some early blight on the black tomatoes. So fingers are crossed. I sprayed Actinovate yesterday, and have been alternating that with Serenade since planting in an effort to try to protect them.

Sounds like things are going well so far!
I left work early and just missed getting soaked by that blast.
Was a little worried this morning about this storm re the plants. Have needed to put the extension cages on my 'tainer's for the last 2 weeks ( perpetually 2 weeks behind) as a few plants are now out over the cage tops. Came home to find that the tall tops were all layed flat out and hanging down the cage sides.
Fortunately no breakage. Cage extensions just jumped to the head of the task list.

Re Actionvate - Have you considered mixing it with exel lg and molasses as a spreader sticker? (if you are not already) I have been doing the same as a rotation with Serenade. Read the 2 links below for prior discussions. Probably discussed elsewhere on 'tville as well.
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=22472
http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=22259

Edit - Another good thread on it - http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=14422

[rsg2001]

I appreciate the advice, however, I'm very picky about what I choose to spray; first, I have two dogs who go out in the yard, and there are some serious warnings about getting on skin or breathing Exel XG or getting it on one's skin or in the eye.Second, knock on wood, I haven't had to deal with late blight, although I know that it's been an issue in the last couple of years in parts of Long Island, and late blight is the main indication for tomatoes for Exel LG. I might feel different about it if I lived in the South.

There's no indication for early blight which is the main thing that I've had to combat, along with powdery mildew on the cukes, which the Actinovate and Serenade are indicated for among others. Ditto re. fusarium, which I had to deal with a few years ago. For fusarium, it's controversial as to whether it works, but I use a drench of Root Shield in each planting hole in the ground when I plant out; it colonizes bacteria on the roots and supposedly is useful for keeping some soil borne pathogens from getting up into the plant. I also use some grass mulch to try to reduce splash-back.

I had to use Daconil one year when I got gray mold on the cukes and it jumped to some tomatoes. That helped to halt the spread through the tomatoes although the cukes were pretty much done and I pulled them out. I still have the container in the garage just in case. I know that it is a pretty light pesticide as chemicals go.

To sum it up, every season is an adventure... :-)

As far as molasses goes as a sticker, I'm not wild about the idea of spraying sweet sticky stuff on the plants. I just re-spray if there's a rain like there was today.

The thing I could use help on are my two apple trees - they have a very bad case of rust this year because we didn't have them professionally pruned and they grew like crazy with the mild winter, combined with the rainy weather we had in the spring. I know that copper spray is good and I have a good organic copper spray - but every time I've intended to use the hose-on sprayer there has been rain in the forecast. The tree will probably lose most of its leaves in the next few weeks and I'm thinking it's probably too late to bother and will wait till the fall and have the tree service come out and prune.

[lakelady]

Well we've survived the heat wave over here in Jersey. I watered heavily both mornings and even though the plants wilted terribly during the heat of the day, they revived in the evening. Just not used to that kind of heat so fast I guess! Very disconcerting though to see your plants at that wilted stage full of flowers and baby tomatoes!

Now I can go back to the regularly scheduled programming (lol)...

[NGGrant]

It's going to be 95-100 here all week. We have cool night with lows around 60 so I still get great good fruit set in this weather.

[JamesL]

Originally Posted by rsg2001

I appreciate the advice, however, I'm very picky about what I choose to spray; first, I have two dogs who go out in the yard, and there are some serious warnings about getting on skin or breathing Exel XG or getting it on one's skin or in the eye.Second, knock on wood, I haven't had to deal with late blight, although I know that it's been an issue in the last couple of years in parts of Long Island, and late blight is the main indication for tomatoes for Exel LG. I might feel different about it if I lived in the South.

There's no indication for early blight which is the main thing that I've had to combat, along with powdery mildew on the cukes, which the Actinovate and Serenade are indicated for among others. Ditto re. fusarium, which I had to deal with a few years ago. For fusarium, it's controversial as to whether it works, but I use a drench of Root Shield in each planting hole in the ground when I plant out; it colonizes bacteria on the roots and supposedly is useful for keeping some soil borne pathogens from getting up into the plant. I also use some grass mulch to try to reduce splash-back.

I had to use Daconil one year when I got gray mold on the cukes and it jumped to some tomatoes. That helped to halt the spread through the tomatoes although the cukes were pretty much done and I pulled them out. I still have the container in the garage just in case. I know that it is a pretty light pesticide as chemicals go.

To sum it up, every season is an adventure... :-)

As far as molasses goes as a sticker, I'm not wild about the idea of spraying sweet sticky stuff on the plants. I just re-spray if there's a rain like there was today.

The thing I could use help on are my two apple trees - they have a very bad case of rust this year because we didn't have them professionally pruned and they grew like crazy with the mild winter, combined with the rainy weather we had in the spring. I know that copper spray is good and I have a good organic copper spray - but every time I've intended to use the hose-on sprayer there has been rain in the forecast. The tree will probably lose most of its leaves in the next few weeks and I'm thinking it's probably too late to bother and will wait till the fall and have the tree service come out and prune.

Sounds like you have handle on things!
What is the organic copper you are using?

Tuns out upon further inspection I did sustain some branch breakage.
Conducted some first aid and got the extensions on, finally, last night in the dark as we are getting mores storms...

[rsg2001]

James, the organic copper is Soap Shield, which I ordered from Gardens Alive. It's a gigantic bottle. My brother, who lives in Rockland, finds it works better for him than other antifungals like Serenade and so uses it on the tomatoes too. I've only used it in a limited way.

Sorry you experienced some branch breakage, so did my bro in Rockland, although he thinks that the damaged ones will be able to recover. Fortunately I didn't experience damage from the storms we just had. My back yard may give them additional shelter; it's smallish and we have a tall fence. However when it gets into the August humidity-thunderstorm season I usually have a crazy time with overgrowth and breakage with thunderstorms....

[babice]

Holy schmoley - Thursday's forecast here is 98F, with heat index near 110F. I will definitely be pushing those toms into the shade Thu a.m. before I leave for work!