Hard Fall

[b54red]

This has been the hardest fall to get my plants started since I started growing fall tomatoes about 10 years ago. We have had some record high temperatures and virtually no rain for the last 6 weeks. The first batch of seedlings I put out in late July resulted in only about 40 % surviving the week due to a heat wave. I have had to replant some of them several times just to get one to live. I am still putting out seedlings though it is probably too late. Right now I have over 50 plants hanging on and some of them are doing well despite the heat but most look spindly. I have also had quite a time with early blight and something causing stem lesions which may just be from the heat. Whiteflies have not been as much of a problem this year as last so I'm thankful for that. Amazingly some plants have actually started setting fruit but most blossoms just fall off.

[Buk]

Had a horrible regular tomato season so decided to try again for fall tomatoes. I started some Marion seeds, hardened them off and set them out the week of July 19th. The weather was hot with most days in the upper 90s (Seminary, MS area). I set them out in two 25' rows four feet apart and three feet between plants. I wanted to try Florida Weave support so drove t-posts at the ends of the rows and between every other plant. Then tied string on the top of the t-posts down each row and across the two rows as well. I picked up a 25' roll of four foot wide fiberglass window screen and attached it to the string with clothespins giving me a sunscreen from the center of one row to the center of the other. I can do my Florida weave between the t-posts. Since my rows run roughly north/south, one row gets full sun in the morning, the other gets full sun in the afternoon, and they both are partially shaded mid day. The plants have grown well, are full, and one plant has reached the shade that is at 5'. I removed the screen earlier this week by rolling it up on a piece of PVC pipe so it is ready to use next year. Most of the plants have fruit with the tallest plant having 25-30 on it up to about golf-ball size. Keeping my fingers crossed.................

[b54red]

I had no luck with my Marions in the spring and didn't replant them for fall. I think I have a few seed left so I may try them next fall instead of the summer. Let me know how they taste when you get some ripe ones. Right now the only tomato with over one fruit on it is a Big Beef. Our temps are still in the upper 90s every day with no let up in sight. Listened to the weather report tonight and they are predicting 99 on Monday. I sure hope they're wrong. I'd love to see some temps in the upper 80s for a change.

[veggie babe]

My fall tomatoes aren't doing well either, they are blooming but I don't see any tomatoes and like yours they are spindly. We still have 90's during day and it is still humid. Oh well, we tried.

Neva

[brog]

Its been hot and dry in Atlanta as been most of southeeast. I planted 20 plants july 15, 6 have died from what ever, two are sick 12 are heatly and have 12 to 20 blooms only 8 fruit dime size wth 3 silver dollar size fruit, one to two each of kbx- chero purple pl- sandul moldovan- nar- gary`0 sena -- rose -brandy boy and j d tex spec.
lets keep each other posted on progress until frost. thanks Bill

[Buk]

I tried the Marions because the only seed I had was it and Better Boy, and I have the idea that a smaller tomato may be better able to make in adverse conditions. When I set these out in July, we were still getting regular (sometimes too regular) rain so I haven't had to water until the past two weeks. I've had a lot of leaf curl due to stress but I think the sun screen enabled them to get through the heat. The screen is down now and the forecast is for 95 degree days but the nights are in the mid-upper 60s so we'll see. I mulched with newspaper and grass trimmings and am using drip irrigation now. I started with 16 plants, one never did grow and I've almost lost three others due to hornworms that appeared out of nowhere. Four days running I picked 10-20 of the green predators each day from the remaining 15 plants then finally sprayed with 4-yr old spinosad and that seemed to work. I made this post primarily to recommend the window screen shade as it seemed an effective, inexpensive aide for my late summer plants.

[RinTinTin]

Thanks. I have been looking at that window screen. I can buy an entire roll for about the same price as a couple panels of "shade cloth". I am also thinking of using it for parts of the chicken run...hens don't "set fruit" very well either in the hot conditions.

[Dewayne mater]

Brutal fall effort in DFW too. The week of the hurricane we had 6 inches of rain in one day. Other than that, it has been really hot and really humid. Since we've cooled down to highs of 95 or so, the plants have started growing. Mind range from 2-3 feet high now, with most blooming. A little cooler and we'll get fuit set. I just hope they have time to ripen once that little cooler temp sets in.

[b54red]

Just went out and checked my thermometer in the shade and it said 102. Way hotter than it should be. Still not even a chance of rain forecast for the foreseeable future. We are in a real drought now.
The tomato that is doing the best is Big Beef. One of the plants has close to a dozen tomatoes from dime to golf ball size set even in these conditions. I don't think there is a better fall or mid summer tomato when the temps are at their highest. There are better tasting but none that can take these conditions as well. The others that are looking fair and setting a few are Mortgage Lifter, Marianna's Peace, Druzba, Bill's Backyard, Andrew Rahart's Small Red, and Cherokee Purple.
I have a couple of plants still alive from my May plantings that are still setting a few and they are Indian Stripe, JD's Special C Tex, Andrew Rahart's Small Red, Kosovo, Cabernet, BTD Pink and Stump of the World.

[veggie babe]

Bill you are doing a lot better than I am. I still have no fruit set on my fall toms, I do have some summer toms producing small amts of fruit; peach tree, San Marzano, Mexican cocktail.....the taste is not as good as it should be but I can still have a salad.

Neva

[brog]

Hi Neva I have 6 carry over from spring planting, 2 sandul muldovan==2 red B.W. ( from sand hill) 2 chero. purple PL, putting on lots of blooms hoping for late frost they look bad but picking 3-6 each week. I put fish- kelp spray each 2 weeks. keep in touch, I`m in zone 7. Bill

[b54red]

I have found something that really helps with fruit set in the extreme heat. I over water the plants every 2 or 3 days. I have soaker hoses that I will run from 6 to 12 hours and then repeat in a day or two depending on the rate at which the soil dries out. In the past I only watered about once a week during times of no rain but I forgot to turn off one of my soaker hoses on one of my beds and it ran for about 18 hours and just left a muddy mess around the bed. The next week nearly every plant in this bed was setting fruit while none of my others were doing much but dropping blooms. I increased my watering frequency in the other beds and the duration of each watering and with no let up in the heat I started getting a significant increase in fruit set. If I tried this with plants that had good sized fruit on them I would have a bunch of split fruit; but it has helped on my fall plantings that are still fairly small with no large fruit. Hopefully we will get a little break in the heat before long and I can slow down on the watering.

[veggie babe]

Bill I may try the extra water this morning, it sure can't hurt anything.
Brog I have been spraying seaweed, fish kelp and molasses on my toms, hopefully they will come on and produce before we have that first frost. Yesterday was the first day of fall, we need to hurry up and do something or it will be too late.

Neva

[brog]

Neva I use Super bloom at 10 day intervals. I start spray on all plants when I see 1st bloom bud on any plant. seems to help fruit set. Some say it dosn`t help. I say they don`t work or finance my garden. HA
good Luck Bill

[veggie babe]

I haven't heard of super bloom, I will look for it and see if I get results. The weather was cooler yesterday 80's so I hope we may be on our way to fruit set. It will soon be too late.

Neva