Intense tomato growing weather here now. Anybody else?

edweather · April 28, 2019

Weather has been crazy awesome for tomato growing this spring. Sunny, warm, 85F/55F, low humidity. Will continue for another week. Plants are growing at maximum, and I'm forcing them as much as possible. The aphids are pesky though, spray one day, back the next. Am about to go nuclear on them. Anybody else having this great weather? Heat and humidity will be here soon enough, so enjoying it while I can.

Worth1 · April 28, 2019

Only if the rain would stop beating my plants up.

AlittleSalt · April 28, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Only if the rain would stop beating my plants up.

+1

jtjmartin · April 28, 2019

+2 in Virginia. Beautiful lately.

April 28, 2019

This has been the best spring growing season in a long time here in Jacksonville too.

Tomatoes (45), peppers (12) and eggplant (4) all going gang busters. Wish this dry air would stay forever!

I have at least 50 yellow sticky traps around the garden and haven’t had an aphid or whitefly problem - and no lizards caught!

ginger2778 · April 28, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by PlainJane

This has been the best spring growing season in a long time here in Jacksonville too.

Tomatoes (45), peppers (12) and eggplant (4) all going gang busters. Wish this dry air would stay forever!

I have at least 50 yellow sticky traps around the garden and haven’t had an aphid or whitefly problem - and no lizards caught!

Yipee! What a great post! I love reading that things are working out so well.

oakley · April 28, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

+1

+3

Frost seems over well ahead of the usual. Weeks now. Predicted 38 tonight. it has been 45-50
most nights or higher.

Had two inches of hail on our deck a few weeks ago. Common in other places like Alberta,CA
but not in my lifetime on the East Coast. (maybe 20 seconds and a few walnut sized bouncing over
the years). Once every five years.?
So much, then followed by heavy rain in such a short time, that our local waterworks
sent a text that we should expect some murky tap water for a day or two.
(wondering if that water killed one of my seedling trays)
Covered my car with two waterhog doormats.
Scooped up a handful and brought it inside the kitchen door onto a towel.

NarnianGarden · April 28, 2019

Well, it was awesome for a day or two. I had placed all my seedlings outside on the balcony, but had to haul all of them back indoors since the weather got cold again..
Now I am sneezing every few minutes, because so many plants (with their soil..) sitting on my windowsill and I cannot escape..

AlittleSalt · April 28, 2019

To clarify my +1 for what Worth wrote. The weather here is beautiful. The high temperatures for the next 10 days are right around 80F and lows around 65F. Some rain and thunderstorms but not 24/7. I'm keeping the plant protection ready for when or if needed.

oakley · April 28, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

Well, it was awesome for a day or two. I had placed all my seedlings outside on the balcony, but had to haul all of them back indoors since the weather got cold again..
Now I am sneezing every few minutes, because so many plants (with their soil..) sitting on my windowsill and I cannot escape..

Livingroom look like a greenhouse. Pulled everything in except hardy salads/greens. Even brought in the meyer lemon tree. Taking no chances.

edweather · April 28, 2019

@PlainJane, What yellow sticky traps are you using?

xellos99 · April 28, 2019

Apparently the weather forecasters reckon we are going to have a 3 month heat wave this year.

Of course our version of heat wave very rarely will see over 80 F.

70 - 75 F is considered a most excellent day here.

b54red · April 30, 2019

It is very good right now but not as nice as last year this time of the season. We have had a lot of wind and not enough rain the past few weeks and with the windy spring weather watering is definitely required more often than I would like this early. I have had very few pests so far with almost no aphids even on the bell peppers which in the spring are usually magnets for them. I have only seen one stink bug, one leaf footed bug but I did have one plant fall early to TSWV. Our highs have been around 90 the last couple of days and hopefully won't go much higher for a while.

I too have been feeding mine some TTF to encourage as much fruit set as possible before the humidity and heat get higher.

Bill

gssgarden · May 1, 2019

I've NEVER planted so early before here in Charlotte. I actually found my first tomato, albeit tiny on a hybrid called Early Prize. Never had one on May 1st before. Plants are thriving!!

Greg

SteveP · May 1, 2019

We got slammed with heavy rain and numerous tornado warnings last night. 6.5" of some of the heaviest downpours I have seen in my 65 years. The severe stuff is over, but they are saying 3 more days of thunderstorms. Hopefully they will be short lived with minimal rain. If the tomatoes survive I won't have to water for a while.

April 28, 2019	#1
edweather Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Southeast GA, USDA 9a, HZ9, Sunset Z28 Posts: 396	Intense tomato growing weather here now. Anybody else? Weather has been crazy awesome for tomato growing this spring. Sunny, warm, 85F/55F, low humidity. Will continue for another week. Plants are growing at maximum, and I'm forcing them as much as possible. The aphids are pesky though, spray one day, back the next. Am about to go nuclear on them. Anybody else having this great weather? Heat and humidity will be here soon enough, so enjoying it while I can. __________________ You'll be surprised what you'll never have to do, if you put it off long enough.

April 28, 2019	#11
edweather Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Southeast GA, USDA 9a, HZ9, Sunset Z28 Posts: 396	@PlainJane, What yellow sticky traps are you using? __________________ You'll be surprised what you'll never have to do, if you put it off long enough.

April 28, 2019	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Only if the rain would stop beating my plants up.

April 28, 2019	#4
jtjmartin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Williamsburg VA Zone 7b Posts: 1,110	+2 in Virginia. Beautiful lately.

April 28, 2019	#5
PlainJane Guest Posts: n/a	This has been the best spring growing season in a long time here in Jacksonville too. Tomatoes (45), peppers (12) and eggplant (4) all going gang busters. Wish this dry air would stay forever! I have at least 50 yellow sticky traps around the garden and haven’t had an aphid or whitefly problem - and no lizards caught!

April 28, 2019	#8
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Well, it was awesome for a day or two. I had placed all my seedlings outside on the balcony, but had to haul all of them back indoors since the weather got cold again.. Now I am sneezing every few minutes, because so many plants (with their soil..) sitting on my windowsill and I cannot escape..

April 28, 2019	#9
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	To clarify my +1 for what Worth wrote. The weather here is beautiful. The high temperatures for the next 10 days are right around 80F and lows around 65F. Some rain and thunderstorms but not 24/7. I'm keeping the plant protection ready for when or if needed.

April 28, 2019	#12
xellos99 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: wales uk Posts: 236	Apparently the weather forecasters reckon we are going to have a 3 month heat wave this year. Of course our version of heat wave very rarely will see over 80 F. 70 - 75 F is considered a most excellent day here.

April 30, 2019	#13
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	It is very good right now but not as nice as last year this time of the season. We have had a lot of wind and not enough rain the past few weeks and with the windy spring weather watering is definitely required more often than I would like this early. I have had very few pests so far with almost no aphids even on the bell peppers which in the spring are usually magnets for them. I have only seen one stink bug, one leaf footed bug but I did have one plant fall early to TSWV. Our highs have been around 90 the last couple of days and hopefully won't go much higher for a while. I too have been feeding mine some TTF to encourage as much fruit set as possible before the humidity and heat get higher. Bill

May 1, 2019	#14
gssgarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,827	I've NEVER planted so early before here in Charlotte. I actually found my first tomato, albeit tiny on a hybrid called Early Prize. Never had one on May 1st before. Plants are thriving!! Greg

May 1, 2019	#15
SteveP Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Joplin MO Posts: 1,398	We got slammed with heavy rain and numerous tornado warnings last night. 6.5" of some of the heaviest downpours I have seen in my 65 years. The severe stuff is over, but they are saying 3 more days of thunderstorms. Hopefully they will be short lived with minimal rain. If the tomatoes survive I won't have to water for a while.