late second planting for a 2nd crop

drew51 · August 26, 2014

This year I removed some suckers early on and I put two of them in a bare spot in my blackberry patch. One died, but the other is now 3 feet tall, full of flowers, and every leaf is on it. I did nothing but water it. My other tomatoes are struggling with wilts and blights, except a couple are fine I planted away from the others, in a different location. This sucker is going to fruit late. If my other plants give out, I will still have fresh production from this one. I just wanted to post my observations. I think i'll plant suckers every year in different locations.
The plant is now surrounded by blackberry canes. It may be a strange companion planting, but niether seem to mind each other. Many of my blackberry canes are new, so some room there left, not next year though. I may just put some in the ornamental flower bed. Hide it behind some tall perennial.

b54red · August 27, 2014

I got my fall tomatoes planted much later than I like with the last ones put in the ground on the 25th and the first ones planted on the 10th. I usually start putting out fall tomatoes in July and finish before August so I don't know if I'll get many ripe fruit this fall from these late plantings. It was just too hot and dry with too many spider mites to set out any earlier. Many of my spring and early summer plants are still producing a few usable fruits so maybe I can nurse a few of them along til it freezes so we can have a few fresh tomatoes until winter gets here.

I worry we may have another early cold winter but down here it is always an iffy proposition guessing what the weather will do other than guessing it will be hot and humid in the summer. I have noticed frantic squirrel activity and leaves are falling from the trees early but that could just be the dry weather. It is 63 degrees this morning at daylight and that is very cool but it is still forecast to be in the 90s every day but I really welcome this cool morning to go out and apply a little fertilizer before it heats up.

Bill

August 26, 2014	#1
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	late second planting for a 2nd crop This year I removed some suckers early on and I put two of them in a bare spot in my blackberry patch. One died, but the other is now 3 feet tall, full of flowers, and every leaf is on it. I did nothing but water it. My other tomatoes are struggling with wilts and blights, except a couple are fine I planted away from the others, in a different location. This sucker is going to fruit late. If my other plants give out, I will still have fresh production from this one. I just wanted to post my observations. I think i'll plant suckers every year in different locations. The plant is now surrounded by blackberry canes. It may be a strange companion planting, but niether seem to mind each other. Many of my blackberry canes are new, so some room there left, not next year though. I may just put some in the ornamental flower bed. Hide it behind some tall perennial. Last edited by drew51; August 26, 2014 at 11:04 PM.

August 27, 2014	#2
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I got my fall tomatoes planted much later than I like with the last ones put in the ground on the 25th and the first ones planted on the 10th. I usually start putting out fall tomatoes in July and finish before August so I don't know if I'll get many ripe fruit this fall from these late plantings. It was just too hot and dry with too many spider mites to set out any earlier. Many of my spring and early summer plants are still producing a few usable fruits so maybe I can nurse a few of them along til it freezes so we can have a few fresh tomatoes until winter gets here. I worry we may have another early cold winter but down here it is always an iffy proposition guessing what the weather will do other than guessing it will be hot and humid in the summer. I have noticed frantic squirrel activity and leaves are falling from the trees early but that could just be the dry weather. It is 63 degrees this morning at daylight and that is very cool but it is still forecast to be in the 90s every day but I really welcome this cool morning to go out and apply a little fertilizer before it heats up. Bill