Growing Inside & Out

AlittleSalt · December 4, 2016

What a name for a title

This is a question thread to learn by.

I rescued a volunteer tomato seedling a few weeks ago from a bed that was about to be tilled. Planted it in a 15" wide pot with the thought of overwintering it. This is my first time growing a tomato plant like this.

My question is a simple one, but I need to explain what winter is like where we live. It does get cold here. Many nights and mornings get down to freezing or lower. The average is 33 freezing events per winter here. But there are many days that are warm. Today for example - the high is in the upper 50s. So, the tomato plant will spend time inside and other times outside.

Question: Right now, it's 47F outside. I turned the heat down inside to 67F. The tomato plant is inside. Will or could taking the plant from 67 degrees inside out to the 47 degrees outside harm the tomato plant? Should I wait to take it outside when the temperatures are closer?

KarenO · December 4, 2016

Critical to keep it out of any wind Robert . A sheltered spot but also treat it as though hardening off. It would be easy to develop sunscald as well.
Between times keep it in your brightest south window and supplement the light with some fluorescent. Even with a reading lamp and florecent bulb

AlittleSalt · December 4, 2016

Thank you Karen. I had thought about using a fluorescent fixture too. Now I need to figure out how to keep our 4 year old grandson from playing with the light.

I forgot to add - I learned about wind damage two weeks ago. I left a flat of young onions out in the wind. Bad idea. It has taken a week of them being inside under fluorescent lights for them to make a recovery.

Salsacharley · December 4, 2016

A tomato plant has very slow growth in cooler temperatures. With 67° as you high, and adding a few degrees for being by a window, you might get some growth if you plant has a few hours in the mid 70's. Below 65° is where tomato plants can survive and even have vegetative growth, but you won't get much flowering or fruit production. If you're just looking to keep the plant in good shape until next season you should be able to do it (with some supplemental light) provided pests and disease aren't involved.

Gardeneer · December 4, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

What a name for a title

This is a question thread to learn by.

I rescued a volunteer tomato seedling a few weeks ago from a bed that was about to be tilled. Planted it in a 15" wide pot with the thought of overwintering it. This is my first time growing a tomato plant like this.

My question is a simple one, but I need to explain what winter is like where we live. It does get cold here. Many nights and mornings get down to freezing or lower. The average is 33 freezing events per winter here. But there are many days that are warm. Today for example - the high is in the upper 50s. So, the tomato plant will spend time inside and other times outside.

Question: Right now, it's 47F outside. I turned the heat down inside to 67F. The tomato plant is inside. Will or could taking the plant from 67 degrees inside out to the 47 degrees outside harm the tomato plant? Should I wait to take it outside when the temperatures are closer?

Robert, it seems that our climate is very simila, especially in the winter.

I also found a volunteer and potted up. It stays inside at night and goes outside during the day

mystery.jpg
Robert, it seems that our climate is very similar, especially in the winter.
I also fine a volunteer .
It is very stocky and healthy looking. The thing is that I don't know what variety it is. I called it "My Winter Garden"

UPDATE.
Tonight it is gently raining and temperature is around 50F.
So I put my plant outside, to get some rain water and get used to the elements. I don't want it to grow to fast anyway. After getting good soaking rain , I will give it some light dose of fertilizer..
if it has a DTM of, say 70 dads, I should pick some tomatoes off of it by mid February.

AlittleSalt · December 5, 2016

That's a good looking plant Gardeneer. I think mine is about the same size.

Today, it is getting some overcast outside sun. The radar shows it's about to start lightly raining.

TC_Manhattan · December 5, 2016

Darrel Jones (aka Fusion Power here) can tell you all about the effects of various temperature ranges on tomato's growth and well-being, and ways to manage and counteract it.

Maybe we can get him to stop by here and share that lecture with us?
He knows more about tomatoes than anyone I've ever known.

Darrel is amazing..

Gardeneer · December 5, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

That's a good looking plant Gardeneer. I think mine is about the same size.

Today, it is getting some overcast outside sun. The radar shows it's about to start lightly raining.

Robert, your plant and mine look like twins. I measured , mine is about 6.5 inches tall. It is in a much smaller pot. This way I can moved around. I might eventually transplant it into a 5 gall. Bucket or fabric bag.

We had over 2 inches of rain last night and I left it outside in the rain. The low was 47F. Tonight's low forecast is also 47F. I will leave it outside. I am training it for cool temperatures.

AlittleSalt · December 5, 2016

They are twins. Mine is 6" tall and 9' across. It is inside now. The weather here is about to turn cold. They are calling for overnight lows around 22F Thursday and Friday.

Hudson_WY · December 6, 2016

We all have our opportunities and challenges when it comes to climate!! I think my GH is going through a cleansing of sorts with our subzero temperatures. The outside temp was -22° F when I pulled up to our GH at 7:00 AM this morning. It is Decemburrrrr - haha

AKmark · December 6, 2016

Hudson, I fully understand. LOL
Salt, it is worth trying. In the future, you can also select some varieties that are cold tolerant, then you can select some that do the best and save seed. If you continue to do this, you may improve upon your choices. I believe it is called epi genetics, if I remember right

Jimbotomateo · December 6, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudson_WY

We all have our opportunities and challenges when it comes to climate!! I think my GH is going through a cleansing of sorts with our subzero temperatures. The outside temp was -22° F when I pulled up to our GH at 7:00 AM this morning. It is Decemburrrrr - haha

Drove west thru Wyoming one nite . Just before we dropped down into Salt Lake City I looked at outside temp on my truck gauge and it read just that! Negative 22! Had the heat cranked wide open, or as my cousin in Oklahoma says when he's racin his motorcycle, " I just grabbed my tallest gear and eared it back! It was warm enough but we weren't about to turn it down any! Jimbo.

Black Krim · January 2, 2017

Robert. Love your willingness to experiment.

I started a couple varieties by seed in mid-November. Just to start figuring out how to have winter tomatos. I laugh now at all the questions that arise....and no clear answers. Like what size pot for a yellow pear? And should this be pruned to a single stem? Being indeterminate s bigger is better BUT is a 5 gal pot crucial.....

A few are determinate and smaller 24" height and those r more promising .

I'm looking forward to mid Feb to see what you have.

December 4, 2016	#1
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Growing Inside & Out What a name for a title This is a question thread to learn by. I rescued a volunteer tomato seedling a few weeks ago from a bed that was about to be tilled. Planted it in a 15" wide pot with the thought of overwintering it. This is my first time growing a tomato plant like this. My question is a simple one, but I need to explain what winter is like where we live. It does get cold here. Many nights and mornings get down to freezing or lower. The average is 33 freezing events per winter here. But there are many days that are warm. Today for example - the high is in the upper 50s. So, the tomato plant will spend time inside and other times outside. Question: Right now, it's 47F outside. I turned the heat down inside to 67F. The tomato plant is inside. Will or could taking the plant from 67 degrees inside out to the 47 degrees outside harm the tomato plant? Should I wait to take it outside when the temperatures are closer?

December 4, 2016	#3
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Thank you Karen. I had thought about using a fluorescent fixture too. Now I need to figure out how to keep our 4 year old grandson from playing with the light. I forgot to add - I learned about wind damage two weeks ago. I left a flat of young onions out in the wind. Bad idea. It has taken a week of them being inside under fluorescent lights for them to make a recovery. Last edited by AlittleSalt; December 4, 2016 at 12:59 PM.

December 6, 2016	#11
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	Hudson, I fully understand. LOL Salt, it is worth trying. In the future, you can also select some varieties that are cold tolerant, then you can select some that do the best and save seed. If you continue to do this, you may improve upon your choices. I believe it is called epi genetics, if I remember right Last edited by AKmark; December 6, 2016 at 07:12 PM.

December 4, 2016	#2
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,926	Critical to keep it out of any wind Robert . A sheltered spot but also treat it as though hardening off. It would be easy to develop sunscald as well. Between times keep it in your brightest south window and supplement the light with some fluorescent. Even with a reading lamp and florecent bulb

December 4, 2016	#4
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	A tomato plant has very slow growth in cooler temperatures. With 67° as you high, and adding a few degrees for being by a window, you might get some growth if you plant has a few hours in the mid 70's. Below 65° is where tomato plants can survive and even have vegetative growth, but you won't get much flowering or fruit production. If you're just looking to keep the plant in good shape until next season you should be able to do it (with some supplemental light) provided pests and disease aren't involved.

December 5, 2016	#7
TC_Manhattan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Ohio Posts: 457	Darrel Jones (aka Fusion Power here) can tell you all about the effects of various temperature ranges on tomato's growth and well-being, and ways to manage and counteract it. Maybe we can get him to stop by here and share that lecture with us? He knows more about tomatoes than anyone I've ever known. Darrel is amazing..

January 2, 2017	#13
Black Krim Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: New England Posts: 661	Robert. Love your willingness to experiment. I started a couple varieties by seed in mid-November. Just to start figuring out how to have winter tomatos. I laugh now at all the questions that arise....and no clear answers. Like what size pot for a yellow pear? And should this be pruned to a single stem? Being indeterminate s bigger is better BUT is a 5 gal pot crucial..... A few are determinate and smaller 24" height and those r more promising . I'm looking forward to mid Feb to see what you have.