Northern Zone Pushers: watcha doing? - Page 20

bughunter99 · June 6, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Soooooo, now that we're into June and some of us are well past (we hope!) our last frost, are we still considered "zone pushers?"

Yes, we are Zone Pushers that are now reporting our our results!

Stacy

bughunter99 · June 6, 2014

Most of the tomatoes have blossoms on them now and Stiletz has the first little tomato starting. Perths Pride still has no blossoms. Everything got tied to their stakes this week as they were starting to need the support.

I still have half my peppers in the wall o waters. I'm doing it not as a fear of frost but to see if they do better with the warmer night temps.

Stacy

Salaam · June 6, 2014

This has probably been discussed before, but I was wondering if there is any consensus on the benefits of growing the biggest possible seedlings before planting out. I've planted out tomatoes that are about 2.5 feet tall before, and I thought they bore fruit quicker than their small counterparts. But I don't have enough experience to know whether that was really the main factor.

I'm planning for next year! The plan is to start all my seeds in large yoghurt containers about mid-March to get them over two feet.

BTW, does giving them a lot of artificial light (say over 16 hours) make them skinny?

Father'sDaughter · June 6, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salaam

This has probably been discussed before, but I was wondering if there is any consensus on the benefits of growing the biggest possible seedlings before planting out. I've planted out tomatoes that are about 2.5 feet tall before, and I thought they bore fruit quicker than their small counterparts. But I don't have enough experience to know whether that was really the main factor.

I'm planning for next year! The plan is to start all my seeds in large yoghurt containers about mid-March to get them over two feet.

BTW, does giving them a lot of artificial light (say over 16 hours) make them skinny?

Not enough light makes them tall and skinny because then they stretch out looking for light. Ideally you want the lights within an inch or two of the tops of your seedlings, and running a fan on them for a few hours to simulate a light breeze will also help them grow thicker and stockier stems.

As for starting, think about starting them in something smaller using a soilless seed starting mix, then move them to the yogurt containers with a potting mix after they have developed true leaves.

In past years I have started in mid-March for planting out by late May and I end up with a jungle on my hands! This year I held off starting until a little later and still had a jungle. Next year I'm going to try to resist starting any tomato seeds before March 31st.

salix · June 7, 2014

Planning to finally plant my beans tomorrow. Just took off the Reemay from over 3 beds of tomatoes as it is finally warming up overnights. Temperatures have dipped to 0 C or lower the past 3 nights...

bower · June 8, 2014

Presently I have 48 tomato plants crammed in the greenhouse - that's pretty much twice as many as should comfortably fit. Different layout this year, and using overhead support. And pruning out suckers. Still, a lot of these plants will have to go outdoors.

bower · June 8, 2014

This year I am repeating the 'sandpail pepper' plan: get an early crop of peppers indoors, then plant them outdoors for a second whirl. I figure if a variety can produce as many peppers as would fill the sandpail, that's a nice return.

We had such a crappy May month, not only rain, cold and fog but even snow days. The Mexican peppers (hots) haven't liked that and are later than last year. Alma and Bulgarian Carrot don't seem to mind the low light levels and set right on time - Alma is already ripening. And the sweet peppers have all performed really well in their sandpails. Lipstick and Pimento look like they will just or nearly fill the pail with peppers, and a definite pail full from Frank's, Sweet Banana and Petit Marseillais, which should start to ripen soon...

So we will have some peppers, whether there's a summer or not!

bower · June 8, 2014

Tomatoes are setting, so here are the two largest of the first... Pervaya Lyubov was first of the first and is actually the biggest... Indian Stripe PL is a smaller fruit.. so I enlarged it.

The Pervaya L fruit is actually in it's own chosen position - crooked as shown, artfully self supported, and cuddled with a little leaf above for protection.... I've seen it before and you can't tell me these plants have no maternal instincts.

They'll grow extra limbs if they have to, to support and protect their little ones.

SharonRossy · June 8, 2014

Bower, you continue to amaze me! Gorgeous! We've been having some really hot temps in montreal. Still have about 5 plants to putt in containers and to my surprise, some of the plants that I cut off the growing tips and repotted are quite tall now and ready to go!
Salaam, seedlings need at least 16 hours of overhead lighting, but like already mentioned, don't start too early. Actually, a two and a half foot plant is not ideal for transplanting. Eighteen inches is best. They can get too spindly and break. Start seeds end of March, beginning of April. I. Started too early this year, March 23rd and I also had a jungle. Once transplanted, they take off! You don't want them having blossoms on them before they get transplanted.

Cole_Robbie · June 8, 2014

Bower, you are ahead of or at least even with me, and I am in zone 6 and have a high tunnel. Well done!

Lindalana · June 8, 2014

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this was Tsar Kolokol a week ago, May 31. Planted out April 26 into WOW.
Bower, those tomatoes are large. I have Biyskaya Roza and Bychie Serdse as well as Indian Stripe but they are about golf size now.

kath · June 8, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by bower

This year I am repeating the 'sandpail pepper' plan: get an early crop of peppers indoors, then plant them outdoors for a second whirl. I figure if a variety can produce as many peppers as would fill the sandpail, that's a nice return.

We had such a crappy May month, not only rain, cold and fog but even snow days. The Mexican peppers (hots) haven't liked that and are later than last year. Alma and Bulgarian Carrot don't seem to mind the low light levels and set right on time - Alma is already ripening. And the sweet peppers have all performed really well in their sandpails. Lipstick and Pimento look like they will just or nearly fill the pail with peppers, and a definite pail full from Frank's, Sweet Banana and Petit Marseillais, which should start to ripen soon...

So we will have some peppers, whether there's a summer or not!

Wow! When do you sow the pepper seed? Do you use grow lights at all? Are they sitting in a south window? I'm amazed that you have ripening peppers indoors in early June!

bower · June 9, 2014

Kath,
I sowed these peppers in February and they were nurtured under lights for quite a while, although this time around many of them were in windows at the beer cup stage without extra light and didn't suffer too much. Since they were potted up they have been in windows. West windows seem to do better for me than the south, for some reason. There are more trees south of me, so I guess the west peppers get the full blast of sunshine for part of the day at least... when we get any.

There are only a couple of peppers that will set fruit on the East side windows here, the forest blocks too much of the light. Alma is pretty amazing, and she's peppering away in the east right now and is even the first to set and ripen. Very tolerant of low light.

KarenO · June 9, 2014

Your plants look amazing Bower! you could eat those peppers already!

Karen

bower · June 9, 2014

Tomatoes were really coddled along this year, in a way that a home gardener can but would not be possible on a farm scale. Cole Robbie, I helped my farmer friend plant her tomatoes last week, so they are well behind me as usual.

Even in their greenhouse, the soil was still cold at the bottom of a hole for a tomato... Containers are a big advantage because they warm quickly, and early in the season I keep them close together so the small plants are easily covered. But at this stage they are having to tough it out so they're about to be tested with a string of dreary days and colder nights.

Only 64 F for a high today in the greenhouse.. and very damp.

Lindalana, it's all about the varieties for sure. I've never grown any of the ones you mentioned, and looking forward to see and hear about all your results. Not all of my plants are growing fruit yet, not at all! Every one that sets and grows fruit early is celebrated!!! Pervaya Lyubov, Oaxacan Jewel PL, and Moravsky Div are repeat grow for me, and sure enough, multiple fruit on board. Malachite Box, Belarus Orange, Purple Bumblebee, Amazon Chocolate and Glacier also have bigger than pea sized fruit. Some of my F1 crosses do too (and these are really exciting for me!) And some others have just set and reached that 'pea size' that means they are growing it now, Chernomor, Peacevine, Sasha's Altai...

But lots of others have nothing to show yet, or actually dropped their blossoms or set - Moskvich I'm especially annoyed with since it is a big plant and flowered early but keeps dropping. Siberian Giant Pink... not pea sized. bah. Northern Lights has dropped its first cluster. And many others haven't set or haven't filled those empty nests...Then again, with highs of 60 F, I guess I should be patient!

Sharon, I looked at your forecast...so good! You'll be way ahead of me in no time.

June 7, 2014	#290
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	Planning to finally plant my beans tomorrow. Just took off the Reemay from over 3 beds of tomatoes as it is finally warming up overnights. Temperatures have dipped to 0 C or lower the past 3 nights... __________________ "He who has a library and a garden wants for nothing." -Cicero

June 8, 2014	#296
Lindalana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 857	http:// this was Tsar Kolokol a week ago, May 31. Planted out April 26 into WOW. Bower, those tomatoes are large. I have Biyskaya Roza and Bychie Serdse as well as Indian Stripe but they are about golf size now. Last edited by Lindalana; June 8, 2014 at 10:05 PM.

June 6, 2014	#287
bughunter99 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: zone 5 Posts: 821	Most of the tomatoes have blossoms on them now and Stiletz has the first little tomato starting. Perths Pride still has no blossoms. Everything got tied to their stakes this week as they were starting to need the support. I still have half my peppers in the wall o waters. I'm doing it not as a fear of frost but to see if they do better with the warmer night temps. Stacy

June 6, 2014	#288
Salaam Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ottawa, ON Posts: 128	This has probably been discussed before, but I was wondering if there is any consensus on the benefits of growing the biggest possible seedlings before planting out. I've planted out tomatoes that are about 2.5 feet tall before, and I thought they bore fruit quicker than their small counterparts. But I don't have enough experience to know whether that was really the main factor. I'm planning for next year! The plan is to start all my seeds in large yoghurt containers about mid-March to get them over two feet. BTW, does giving them a lot of artificial light (say over 16 hours) make them skinny?

June 8, 2014	#294
SharonRossy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,140	Bower, you continue to amaze me! Gorgeous! We've been having some really hot temps in montreal. Still have about 5 plants to putt in containers and to my surprise, some of the plants that I cut off the growing tips and repotted are quite tall now and ready to go! Salaam, seedlings need at least 16 hours of overhead lighting, but like already mentioned, don't start too early. Actually, a two and a half foot plant is not ideal for transplanting. Eighteen inches is best. They can get too spindly and break. Start seeds end of March, beginning of April. I. Started too early this year, March 23rd and I also had a jungle. Once transplanted, they take off! You don't want them having blossoms on them before they get transplanted.

June 8, 2014	#295
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Bower, you are ahead of or at least even with me, and I am in zone 6 and have a high tunnel. Well done!

June 9, 2014	#298
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,793	Kath, I sowed these peppers in February and they were nurtured under lights for quite a while, although this time around many of them were in windows at the beer cup stage without extra light and didn't suffer too much. Since they were potted up they have been in windows. West windows seem to do better for me than the south, for some reason. There are more trees south of me, so I guess the west peppers get the full blast of sunshine for part of the day at least... when we get any. There are only a couple of peppers that will set fruit on the East side windows here, the forest blocks too much of the light. Alma is pretty amazing, and she's peppering away in the east right now and is even the first to set and ripen. Very tolerant of low light.

June 9, 2014	#299
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,922	Your plants look amazing Bower! you could eat those peppers already! Karen

June 9, 2014	#300
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,793	Tomatoes were really coddled along this year, in a way that a home gardener can but would not be possible on a farm scale. Cole Robbie, I helped my farmer friend plant her tomatoes last week, so they are well behind me as usual. Even in their greenhouse, the soil was still cold at the bottom of a hole for a tomato... Containers are a big advantage because they warm quickly, and early in the season I keep them close together so the small plants are easily covered. But at this stage they are having to tough it out so they're about to be tested with a string of dreary days and colder nights. Only 64 F for a high today in the greenhouse.. and very damp. Lindalana, it's all about the varieties for sure. I've never grown any of the ones you mentioned, and looking forward to see and hear about all your results. Not all of my plants are growing fruit yet, not at all! Every one that sets and grows fruit early is celebrated!!! Pervaya Lyubov, Oaxacan Jewel PL, and Moravsky Div are repeat grow for me, and sure enough, multiple fruit on board. Malachite Box, Belarus Orange, Purple Bumblebee, Amazon Chocolate and Glacier also have bigger than pea sized fruit. Some of my F1 crosses do too (and these are really exciting for me!) And some others have just set and reached that 'pea size' that means they are growing it now, Chernomor, Peacevine, Sasha's Altai... But lots of others have nothing to show yet, or actually dropped their blossoms or set - Moskvich I'm especially annoyed with since it is a big plant and flowered early but keeps dropping. Siberian Giant Pink... not pea sized. bah. Northern Lights has dropped its first cluster. And many others haven't set or haven't filled those empty nests...Then again, with highs of 60 F, I guess I should be patient! Sharon, I looked at your forecast...so good! You'll be way ahead of me in no time.