Growing tomatoes in Austin, TX - Page 5

ArcherB · March 5, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by newgardener_tx

ArcherB,
You don't need plants to trade with me. I have ~200 plants. Warning: This is my first year starting from seeds, not successful. The seedlings are small. For any variety if I can buy I will buy for my own garden. I will only plant my own seedlings if it is not commercially available. We can meet at the walmart on west Ben white /I-35.

We can plan a time to meet over email. I get off work at 4:00 and work in N. Austin. I have to head straight home after work today and tomorrow but I should be able to get some free time this weekend.

Also, if I have anything that interests you, let me know and I'll pick out the healthiest plant I have that has not been planted in the ground yet. Here is what I have:
BrandyWine
Cherokee Purple
Marianna's Peace
Coyote Cherry
Black Cherry
Red BrandyWine
Roma
Sweet Million (FromSeed from last year. SMil is a hybrid and seed may not come true)
Sun Gold
Black Krim
Cherokee Purple
Pink BrandyWine
Celebrity Hybrid

Let me know if you don't have something listed here that you want and it's yours.

newgardener_tx · March 5, 2009

Robin,

My backyard is not presentable yet. It is a mess. I still have to clean the bed, plant most of the plants, put in soaking hose and rake all the leaves from last year. Maybe later.

ArcherB,
I could get one Black krim if you have plenty.

ArcherB · March 5, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by newgardener_tx

ArcherB,
I could get one Black krim if you have plenty.

I have four. Two are in "ICU" and are not doing well. I think they'll live, but neither is more than 3-4 inches tall. You certainly don't want either of those.

I have two that are in my guest bedroom window sill. They are in much better shape. They were planted from seed on Feb 2nd and both are about 6" tall. They are currently in 3" peat pots, so you have to watch their water level until they are in the ground. Of course, then just plant the whole thing, pot an all (although, I like to tear a side off the pot just to be safe). They received a little damage from the high winds last weekend. One still shows a bit of damage (yellow leaves) and the other one looks fine. Of course, I'll bring the one that is not showing any damage.

See you tomorrow at 5:00. I'll send you a PM with my cell number.

newgardener_tx · March 5, 2009

Thank you ArcherB. See you.

fourtgn · March 6, 2009

It's been several days now and the tomatoes that were out last weekend are just fine. Yea! I went ahead and put out 8 more in another area that can be covered if necessary, but most of them are waiting for next weekend when I will have time to plant them all.

Hope it's going well for the rest of you in Austin.

Fourtgn

newgardener_tx · March 9, 2009

A busy weekend. I planted ~20 plants starting from seeds (hopefully some will catch up the size to set fruit) and ~35 plants from market. I already lost track how many plants I have and how many varieties. I was thinking to put the cage on then I saw the weatherman saying cold front is coming on Thursday. I can't afford to lose any more plants

Worth1 · March 9, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by newgardener_tx

A busy weekend. I planted ~20 plants starting from seeds (hopefully some will catch up the size to set fruit) and ~35 plants from market. I already lost track how many plants I have and how many varieties. I was thinking to put the cage on then I saw the weatherman saying cold front is coming on Thursday. I can't afford to lose any more plants

I wouldn't worry too much about this cold front it is just going to be in the upper 30's or lower 40's.

The next 2 weeks have me worried because if I plant tomorrow I wont be home to protect them for 2 weeks.

What to do, I have all of my stuff ready to go and am spooked as when to plant.

Worth

fourtgn · March 9, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

I wouldn't worry too much about this cold front it is just going to be in the upper 30's or lower 40's.

The next 2 weeks have me worried because if I plant tomorrow I wont be home to protect them for 2 weeks.

What to do, I have all of my stuff ready to go and am spooked as when to plant.

Worth

Do you have enough plants to take a chance and replant if the worst happens?

Fourtgn

Suze · March 9, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

I wouldn't worry too much about this cold front it is just going to be in the upper 30's or lower 40's.

The next 2 weeks have me worried because if I plant tomorrow I wont be home to protect them for 2 weeks.

What to do, I have all of my stuff ready to go and am spooked as when to plant.

Maybe you could wrap your cages in some row cover? Use the mid weight stuff - the type that protects down to around 29F. It has around 80% UV transmission (depending on the brand), so you could even go ahead and close the top up and just leave it like that, I suppose. If you go with a higher protection, you will get less UV transmission and down to 29F should be more than good enough here at this point.

I am doing that this year, and tomorrow I will be playing catch up and getting the 7 beds I already have planted wrapped. You know my setup, so I won't be wrapping each individual cage, just taking one piece around a bed and attaching with clothespins to the cages. With the cage tops not on yet, of course, so I can flip the excess up to seal the top if need be.

I have just gotten out there and misted in the past to prevent frost from forming when necessary as you know, but will be doing this instead this year.

Also, in your shoes, I think I would put half to 2/3 in now if you can and maybe wait on the rest until you get back next time. That is, if you can rig something that will provide mild protection and won't potentially bake the plants, like row cover.

Worth1 · March 10, 2009

Suze I just don’t have the time, I lost one day because I went to the dentist office in Austin and should have checked my voice mail.
Patty had called and tried to cancel my appointment because her arm was in a sling. I rescheduled for yesterday so I lost 2 days of work.
Today I woke up and found out it was almost 10:00 and I had planed on getting up at the crack of dawn.

Then there is the whole garage thing that has worked my tail off and I really need to get it done before it gets too hot.
It isn’t easy hanging 24 sheets of drywall, taping and floating, priming and painting all by my self.
But this is exactly what I have done including the R-30 insulation and putting in all of the electrical, running wire and putting in light switches and outlets.

Now I have 520 square foot of hardwood floor on order that will be waiting on me when I get home in 2 weeks.

If I had to pay someone to do the work I would guess it would cost around $10.000 after it was all done including the cabinets and work stations that will go in.

But I have gotten off track here, in too many words; I am swamped and am in deep with all of the gardening and stuff that needs to be done.
The problem is I am a lazy person and too tight to hire someone else to do the work.

So I will say it myself, (cry me a river.)

Some how I know it will all work out in the end.

Worth

newgardener_tx · March 10, 2009

amish paste
anna orange
anna russian
ARGG
Arkansa Travelor
beef boy
BHN 444
big beef
big boy
Big Zac
black cherry
black from Tula
black krim
brandywine
bush celebrity
caspian pink
celebrity
Cherokee chocolate
Cherokee Green
Cherokee purple
costolato Genavese
delicious
Earl's faux
gardener's delight
garden peach
German pink
goliah
huang se chieh's
indian stripe
Japanese black trifle
JD special c-tex
jubilee
juliet
KBX
large red cherry
lemon boy
little portor
marglobe
Marianna peace
NAR
old german
persimmon
pink tie dye
reif red heat
roma
rutgers
san marzano
spudakee
sungold
sweet chelssa
sweet gold
sweet hundred
Sweet million
Texas red grape
white wonder
KB
green giant
pork chop

a very,very old German unknown

Finally I counted and record all types I am growing this year. My first massive tomato growing season. If I have more space I will grow the following which I have plants from seeds but no more space. Or I can use them as back up.
Opalka
New yorker
Ramapo F6
Giant tree
Mozark
Giant Oxheart
Omars Lebanese
beef steak
Aunt Ginny's purple
Manano

newgardener_tx · March 10, 2009

repeated the previous post. Can't delete it.

newgardener_tx · March 10, 2009

OOps.
Don't know how to fix. Can we delete a post?

ArcherB · March 11, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by newgardener_tx

OOps.
Don't know how to fix. Can we delete a post?

NG_TX:

There should be an "edit" button next to your posts up by the "Quote" and "Quick Reply" buttons. Clicking on that will enable you to edit your posts.

As for the weather, the 10-day forecast at weather.com and weather underground (wunderground.com) shows that it will not get below 40 degrees. However, the 15-day at accuweather.com shows that it will hit 38 and 39 on Thursday and Friday, respectively. I do find that weather.com tends to be a little bit more accurate than accuweather, but accuweather goes out 15 days whereas weather.com only goes out 10. Weather Underground only goes for five. If you want to take action, of course, you can, but I'm thinking you should be fine. I'm not going to do anything with the ones that are already in the ground.

I should also point out that this if for Kyle TX, not Austin. Although, since you are in South Austin, I don't see it being that big of a difference.

Suze:
I hope you made it through the fires OK.

newgardener_tx · March 11, 2009

Archer,
Thank you for checking the weather. Several plants got killed by last cold front. Now all my plants are in ground I am really worried. So I covered them with plastic sheet (3mm) supported by PVC tube. I am planning to open it on Sunday. Hopefully they will survive.

March 10, 2009	#71
newgardener_tx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: austin, tx Posts: 249	amish paste anna orange anna russian ARGG Arkansa Travelor beef boy BHN 444 big beef big boy Big Zac black cherry black from Tula black krim brandywine bush celebrity caspian pink celebrity Cherokee chocolate Cherokee Green Cherokee purple costolato Genavese delicious Earl's faux gardener's delight garden peach German pink goliah huang se chieh's indian stripe Japanese black trifle JD special c-tex jubilee juliet KBX large red cherry lemon boy little portor marglobe Marianna peace NAR old german persimmon pink tie dye reif red heat roma rutgers san marzano spudakee sungold sweet chelssa sweet gold sweet hundred Sweet million Texas red grape white wonder KB green giant pork chop a very,very old German unknown Finally I counted and record all types I am growing this year. My first massive tomato growing season. If I have more space I will grow the following which I have plants from seeds but no more space. Or I can use them as back up. Opalka New yorker Ramapo F6 Giant tree Mozark Giant Oxheart Omars Lebanese beef steak Aunt Ginny's purple Manano Last edited by newgardener_tx; March 26, 2009 at 10:55 PM. Reason: find room for three more varieties

March 10, 2009	#72
newgardener_tx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: austin, tx Posts: 249	repeated the previous post. Can't delete it. Last edited by newgardener_tx; March 11, 2009 at 03:42 PM.

March 5, 2009	#62
newgardener_tx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: austin, tx Posts: 249	Robin, My backyard is not presentable yet. It is a mess. I still have to clean the bed, plant most of the plants, put in soaking hose and rake all the leaves from last year. Maybe later. ArcherB, I could get one Black krim if you have plenty.

March 6, 2009	#65
fourtgn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 75	It's been several days now and the tomatoes that were out last weekend are just fine. Yea! I went ahead and put out 8 more in another area that can be covered if necessary, but most of them are waiting for next weekend when I will have time to plant them all. Hope it's going well for the rest of you in Austin. Fourtgn

March 9, 2009	#66
newgardener_tx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: austin, tx Posts: 249	A busy weekend. I planted ~20 plants starting from seeds (hopefully some will catch up the size to set fruit) and ~35 plants from market. I already lost track how many plants I have and how many varieties. I was thinking to put the cage on then I saw the weatherman saying cold front is coming on Thursday. I can't afford to lose any more plants

March 10, 2009	#70
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Suze I just don’t have the time, I lost one day because I went to the dentist office in Austin and should have checked my voice mail. Patty had called and tried to cancel my appointment because her arm was in a sling. I rescheduled for yesterday so I lost 2 days of work. Today I woke up and found out it was almost 10:00 and I had planed on getting up at the crack of dawn. Then there is the whole garage thing that has worked my tail off and I really need to get it done before it gets too hot. It isn’t easy hanging 24 sheets of drywall, taping and floating, priming and painting all by my self. But this is exactly what I have done including the R-30 insulation and putting in all of the electrical, running wire and putting in light switches and outlets. Now I have 520 square foot of hardwood floor on order that will be waiting on me when I get home in 2 weeks. If I had to pay someone to do the work I would guess it would cost around $10.000 after it was all done including the cabinets and work stations that will go in. But I have gotten off track here, in too many words; I am swamped and am in deep with all of the gardening and stuff that needs to be done. The problem is I am a lazy person and too tight to hire someone else to do the work. So I will say it myself, (cry me a river.) Some how I know it will all work out in the end. Worth

March 11, 2009	#75
newgardener_tx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: austin, tx Posts: 249	Archer, Thank you for checking the weather. Several plants got killed by last cold front. Now all my plants are in ground I am really worried. So I covered them with plastic sheet (3mm) supported by PVC tube. I am planning to open it on Sunday. Hopefully they will survive.