Fall garden in S.C, seeds starting?

FILMNET · August 21, 2014

I have started some new seeds of tomato and some herbs this week for a late garden here in South Carolina.
can i leave the seeds outside with no sun. I have them in this kit, it is going to be really hot the 2 days now. Or should i put inside?

feldon30 · August 21, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by FILMNET

I have started some new seeds of tomato and some herbs this week for a late garden here in South Carolina.
can i leave the seeds outside with no sun. I have them in this kit, it is going to be really hot the 2 days now. Or should i put inside?

Tomato seeds started now will be viable plants in 6 weeks or October 2nd. 80 days to harvest would put you around December 20th. Average first frost date for North Charleston looks to be December 1st. I think I'd concentrate on things you can grow and harvest while you have time -- cucumbers, beans, etc. But that's just me.

I started pepper seeds the last week of July and they are ready to plant. I rooted cuttings of tomato plants last week and will be transplanting them out next week and I'm still concerned that they won't produce a harvest in time.

FILMNET · August 21, 2014

My tomatoes a few black cherries in pots which i can move around, My tomato plants were terrible this year to hot for germination in June. Really crazy, I have fruits on dieing plants now, july was so cold here in 8b. Not cold here the next 3 months, easy.

August 21, 2014

I agree with Feldon. It is probably too late in the summer to plant seed and expect tomatoes before the first frost.

I purposely let a few tomatoes fall to the ground and rot beneath the plants this summer. When they looked sun dried, I put about 1/4" of soil over them and kept them moist. I now have volunteer plants growing in a few places where I would have planted them. Most of the plants are about six inches tall and seem well acclimated to the heat. I know which variety each group of volunteer plants is. I'm really interested in how well the volunteer plants will perform this fall with undisturbed tap roots versus some transplants I also planted. I should be able to harvest some tomatoes from them this fall before the first frost.

If it works, I will plant one of the earliest tomatoes from different varieties each summer right beneath the plant it came from. When the original plant dies or stops producing in the heat, I will remove it and let the volunteer plants replace the original plants for my fall garden.

Ted

FILMNET · August 21, 2014

This my first year here, we got a frost only 2 mornings last January. the first frost in over 5 years they said. But only 50 at nights which are not nice for Tomatos, but black cherry plants i hope in pots?

ginger2778 · August 21, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by feldon30

Tomato seeds started now will be viable plants in 6 weeks or October 2nd. 80 days to harvest would put you around December 20th. Average first frost date for North Charleston looks to be December 1st. I think I'd concentrate on things you can grow and harvest while you have time -- cucumbers, beans, etc. But that's just me.

I started pepper seeds the last week of July and they are ready to plant. I rooted cuttings of tomato plants last week and will be transplanting them out next week and I'm still concerned that they won't produce a harvest in time.

Wow! I only know about gardening in S. Fla. It can get really complicated elsewhere. Here, you just grow when it is fall, we don't have winter, just the dry season.
Thats a lot to calculate and pay attention to.

FILMNET · August 21, 2014

Ginger, cherries are under 65 days anyway my 1 black cherry plant had 4 cherries only. way to hot in June now it 96 today, and tomorrow 100 the hotest days here so far. I was told its to hot here by the coast, we are 15 miles from the ocean. But a very old river is only 1/2 mile away so our ground in terrible. Must grow veggies in pots, I did work in Lowe's Garden outside from March 6 - July 20th. There $ was stop really fast before Aug, so 10 people were let go. And me. Tomato's are sold to Nov around here in Farm Market's, the farm's have but new plants in ground Aug 1st. My plants have all died now in ground

feldon30 · August 21, 2014

Despite the extremely late frosts and late cold weather, and this also being my first year in this area, I planted tomatoes on April 25th and got a harvest from all of them, although I'd have gotten a far larger harvest with more fertilizer and more consistent watering. As I am gardening on amended red clay, I was concerned about drainage, but I needn't have worried and instead, my plants were rather dry on more than one occasion. I also should have adjusted the pH with lime as I experienced quite a bit of BER.

It's also worth noting that 4 additional tomato plants I put in the ground on May 29th are now producing quite well.

Next year, I intend to plant large transplants of tomatoes in mid-April, mid-May, and mid-June to provide a continuous harvest through late September.

FILMNET · August 22, 2014

I agree this sounds much better Feldon. I am trying peppers and herbs in pots, it was so sunny the pots would dry easy. So I have put the herb pots out of the sun for June and July. Now they all look bad. The pepper plant in pots I have been around the back of the house, ever month i move the pot around for more sun or less. No flowers on this in July, but now some.

feldon30 · August 22, 2014

Oh my herbs are pretty beat up too. Fortunately it's easy to start more basil plants so I just keep starting them.

August 21, 2014	#4
tedln Guest Posts: n/a	I agree with Feldon. It is probably too late in the summer to plant seed and expect tomatoes before the first frost. I purposely let a few tomatoes fall to the ground and rot beneath the plants this summer. When they looked sun dried, I put about 1/4" of soil over them and kept them moist. I now have volunteer plants growing in a few places where I would have planted them. Most of the plants are about six inches tall and seem well acclimated to the heat. I know which variety each group of volunteer plants is. I'm really interested in how well the volunteer plants will perform this fall with undisturbed tap roots versus some transplants I also planted. I should be able to harvest some tomatoes from them this fall before the first frost. If it works, I will plant one of the earliest tomatoes from different varieties each summer right beneath the plant it came from. When the original plant dies or stops producing in the heat, I will remove it and let the volunteer plants replace the original plants for my fall garden. Ted Last edited by tedln; August 21, 2014 at 01:38 PM.

August 21, 2014	#7
FILMNET Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: North Charleston,South Carolina, USA Posts: 1,803	Ginger, cherries are under 65 days anyway my 1 black cherry plant had 4 cherries only. way to hot in June now it 96 today, and tomorrow 100 the hotest days here so far. I was told its to hot here by the coast, we are 15 miles from the ocean. But a very old river is only 1/2 mile away so our ground in terrible. Must grow veggies in pots, I did work in Lowe's Garden outside from March 6 - July 20th. There $ was stop really fast before Aug, so 10 people were let go. And me. Tomato's are sold to Nov around here in Farm Market's, the farm's have but new plants in ground Aug 1st. My plants have all died now in ground Last edited by FILMNET; August 21, 2014 at 05:12 PM.

August 21, 2014	#8
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Despite the extremely late frosts and late cold weather, and this also being my first year in this area, I planted tomatoes on April 25th and got a harvest from all of them, although I'd have gotten a far larger harvest with more fertilizer and more consistent watering. As I am gardening on amended red clay, I was concerned about drainage, but I needn't have worried and instead, my plants were rather dry on more than one occasion. I also should have adjusted the pH with lime as I experienced quite a bit of BER. It's also worth noting that 4 additional tomato plants I put in the ground on May 29th are now producing quite well. Next year, I intend to plant large transplants of tomatoes in mid-April, mid-May, and mid-June to provide a continuous harvest through late September. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

August 22, 2014	#10
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Oh my herbs are pretty beat up too. Fortunately it's easy to start more basil plants so I just keep starting them. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]