Chilling Out

[ronsmith100]

We are going to have a race this year (neighborhood gardeners) to see who can produce the first chip dip salsa. I'll win as I already have my tomatoes in the ground and the frosts are not finished. We have temps of 29, 24, and 26 coming up. So here is how I cheat Mother Nature. Hehehehe


This is a little 12" Early Girl already in the ground

Here is the little girl with heat sinking bottles of water hugging her close

Here she is with a clear growing dome

And with a five gallon pot over it all.

Finally sealed off with a garbage bag to keep heat from escaping the holes.

Ready for the frost tonight!!!

[b54red]

You really want to win that race.

[rxkeith]

they say people should dress in layers during cold weather to stay warm, why not tomatoes too.


keith

[Quickstrike]

Looks good!

Is anyone growing in containers? Container growers usually have an edge on earliness because the growing medium will often get warmer than in-ground conditions.

[ronsmith100]

Originally Posted by Quickstrike

Looks good!

Is anyone growing in containers? Container growers usually have an edge on earliness because the growing medium will often get warmer than in-ground conditions.

What? Container growers? Should I... could I be one. I'd do anything legal for a tomato.

Gawd that reads awful

[jeremyhilton]

Yup i have always grown in containers with weird heat saving contraptions over them due to the fact that here in NW Washington we have a short growing season...
looking good, where are you though where the nights are still in the 20's though? Here the nights are finally up in the low to mid 40's :-)

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[ronsmith100]

Originally Posted by jeremyhilton

... where are you though where the nights are still in the 20's though? Here the nights are finally up in the low to mid 40's :-)

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Two things... elevation and the ocean.
We are at 5500 ft and no ocean to warm us.
I expect we have seen the last freeze though.

[jeremyhilton]

Ah I see, good to hear that the last freeze is hopefully done though...

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The five gallon container full of oak leaves and turned upside down over the plants worked well to protect my in ground plants this spring. I had a few nights below your listed lows and the oak leaves provided great insulation. I didn't try to cover the holes in the nurserie containers. They let the warm air escape if I left the cover on to late after the sun came up. The containers were only used to keep the insulating leaves around the plant.

Ted

[ronsmith100]

Originally Posted by tedln

The five gallon container full of oak leaves and turned upside down over the plants worked well to protect my in ground plants this spring. I had a few nights below your listed lows and the oak leaves provided great insulation. I didn't try to cover the holes in the nurserie containers. They let the warm air escape if I left the cover on to late after the sun came up. The containers were only used to keep the insulating leaves around the plant.

Ted

Got to keep the warm air in all night. Cant let the tomatoes get baked the next day. So I am out there immediately after the temp gets to the low 40s to bare them naked.

Like changing diapers on your children.