Tomatoes go to ground in zone 9 Texas Gulf Coast

[SpookyShoe]

I have room for only 7 plants. These are Kalman's Hungariang Pink, Eva Purple Ball, and Black from Tula. The bed is shaded when I took the photo. Anyone else with plants in the ground yet?

[Jimbotomateo]

Nice work SpookyShoe.lol. I imagine you're one of the first to plant maters this year.

[decherdt]

Only broccoli so far. Just started hardening toms off today, and may risk a few this week end.

http://www.tomatoville.com/album.php?albumid=400

[EPawlick]

Originally Posted by SpookyShoe

I have room for only 7 plants. These are Kalman's Hungariang Pink, Eva Purple Ball, and Black from Tula. The bed is shaded when I took the photo. Anyone else with plants in the ground yet?

Nice plants! I don't see any protection against cutworms? Is it only us up north that have problems with cutworms?

[AlittleSalt]

A couple of years ago, we could have called our garden, "Cutworm City".

I only have onions, elephant garlic, and sugar snap peas planted in the gardens so far.

[EPawlick]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

A couple of years ago, we could have called our garden, "Cutworm City".

I only have onions, elephant garlic, and sugar snap peas planted in the gardens so far.

I'm jealous. I won't be planting onions, snow peas, kale, kalettes until late April!

But I do have Mexican and elephant garlic already in the garden (planted in November).

[whistech]

Yeah, I planted 11 tomato plants last Saturday. Four Viva Italia, 3 Cherokee Purple and 4 Big Beef. I'm waiting until the middle of March to plant peppers. I also planted a 24 feet long row of Semraldo Italian Green beans.

[AlittleSalt]

Wow, planting peppers in the middle of March.

It is recommended that we wait until late April here to plant pepper transplants out. I'm in zone 8A but 7B is very near us to the north. (Zones seem to not mean much this year.) Living 10 miles from where I was born, I've seen frosts as late as May 2, and that was just a few years ago.

I did plant extra pepper plants that are now in the party cup stage. They are much bigger and vigorous than what you would buy as transplants already. The pepper plants look remarkable and I want to get them out ASAP, but I also remember the saying, "Once bitten, twice shy." But then again, there is, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." The Definition is you can't expect to achieve anything if you never take any risks.

That is near a month away to plant out a month early. Sometimes, as a gardener, you can't help but think @#$%^&* - what to do? For me, that's part of the fun of it.

[Gardeneer]

I am going to harden off few tomatoes and plant them out before the end of February..
Then I will do a mass planting early March. That is one month ahead of traditional plant out (early April)
So far 15 days forecast , up to March 7th, shows a consistent warm trend ( 72F/50F). This trend has been going on for a couple of weeks now.
Unless we get a deep freeze (unlikely), I can always protect my plants against frost.
YMMV

[Jimbotomateo]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

I am going to harden off few tomatoes and plant them out before the end of February..
Then I will do a mass planting early March. That is one month ahead of traditional plant out (early April)
So far 15 days forecast , up to March 7th, shows a consistent warm trend ( 72F/50F). This trend has been going on for a couple of weeks now.
Unless we get a deep freeze (unlikely), I can always protect my plants against frost.
YMMV

Go for it!

[UFXEFU]

Early bird gets the worm!
However
The second mouse gets the cheese!!

It is tempting but I am going to wait for the cheese.

Bob

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by UFXEFU

Early bird gets the worm!
However
The second mouse gets the cheese!!

It is tempting but I am going to wait for the cheese.

Bob

Today I started hardening off my plants. That is only for exposure to sun, gradually.
At night they will check in the garage. We'll live the light on for you .
No worries about cold. Night low will be 50F+ and garage should be even warmer.