In my last post to Growing Organic Heirloom Tomatoes, I recommended that you be patient when it comes to both outside temperature and soil temperature. Here in the Northeast the temperature swings have been wide. A few nights ago, the temperature went down to 40 degrees, but last night it was 65 degrees. It's been 85 degrees during the day. Go figure.
This is why when growing organic heirloom tomatoes, you must wait until there are 10 days of consistent warm weather...no lower than 48 degrees.
Here's a tip; To warm up your soil, cover your garden bed with a clear plastic tarp. That will create a greenhouse effect and help warm up your soil.
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Monday, April 27, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
When To Plant Tomatoes....to Get Juicy Tomatoes
It's the end of April and my tomato seedlings are begging me to put them outdoors on the garden bed with all that healthy soil-/compost mixture. But. it is still too cold where I live in the Northeast.
My friends and neighbors , who have seen my multi-colored heirloom tomatoes, have been asking me to tell them when they can plant the tomato plants they bought at the garden center. Have you wondered about that? If you plant your tomato plants too early, you will end up with a small crop of tomatoes. Your plants will be more susceptible to disease...thus fewer good juicy tomatoes.
When to plant tomatoes :
Remember that tomato plants are WARM WEATHER Plants. They do well in hot greenhouses or indoors. If you have a greenhouse, plant them there. Chances are you do not have a greenhouse and you probably prefer not to grow more than one plant indoors. So, you are going to plant your tomato seedlings that you've grown yourself or the plants you've purchased at the local garden center OUTDOORS in your backyard garden.
Outdoor Temperature......Check the weather online and make sure the outside temperature goes no lower than 48 degrees during the day and night. Do not plant your tomato plants until you achieve 48 degrees for at least one full week. If your average daytime high temperatures are at 60 degrees, that would be ideal.
Soil Temperature........Most people forget about soil temperature. While it is true that there is a correlation between outside temperature and soil temperature, it is important to measure your soil temperature. Your soil temperature should be no lower than 50 degrees for 10 days in a row.
Knowing when to plant tomatoes is critical to the health of your tomato plants. Be patient and you will be rewarded with a bumper crop that you will be proud of.
I highly recommend that you check out GrowingOrganicTomatoes.info to learn all about growing organic tomatoes and vegetables. You can get a newsletter that is filled with helpful tips. Just click on the above link, now, while that newsletter is available FREE.
I hope you've found this information helpful. Look forward to more of my posts.
Happy gardening
Phil
My friends and neighbors , who have seen my multi-colored heirloom tomatoes, have been asking me to tell them when they can plant the tomato plants they bought at the garden center. Have you wondered about that? If you plant your tomato plants too early, you will end up with a small crop of tomatoes. Your plants will be more susceptible to disease...thus fewer good juicy tomatoes.
When to plant tomatoes :
Remember that tomato plants are WARM WEATHER Plants. They do well in hot greenhouses or indoors. If you have a greenhouse, plant them there. Chances are you do not have a greenhouse and you probably prefer not to grow more than one plant indoors. So, you are going to plant your tomato seedlings that you've grown yourself or the plants you've purchased at the local garden center OUTDOORS in your backyard garden.
Outdoor Temperature......Check the weather online and make sure the outside temperature goes no lower than 48 degrees during the day and night. Do not plant your tomato plants until you achieve 48 degrees for at least one full week. If your average daytime high temperatures are at 60 degrees, that would be ideal.
Soil Temperature........Most people forget about soil temperature. While it is true that there is a correlation between outside temperature and soil temperature, it is important to measure your soil temperature. Your soil temperature should be no lower than 50 degrees for 10 days in a row.
Knowing when to plant tomatoes is critical to the health of your tomato plants. Be patient and you will be rewarded with a bumper crop that you will be proud of.
I highly recommend that you check out GrowingOrganicTomatoes.info to learn all about growing organic tomatoes and vegetables. You can get a newsletter that is filled with helpful tips. Just click on the above link, now, while that newsletter is available FREE.
I hope you've found this information helpful. Look forward to more of my posts.
Happy gardening
Phil
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