For those foolish enough to have set out 'maters and peppers

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

So, the incredible heat/sun have done wonders for leggy (crazy NY spring) tomatos in just a weeks time. The general lack of rain has helped keep weeds at a minimum. Looking like the banner year of 2010 for the growers, yes?!?

NO

Heading for mid/low 40's, so it's time to get inovative about keeping the plants +50.

Fill clearish containers (1-5 gal) with "black water" to absorb the days' sun's daily heat.
Place the largest stones removed during preparation between plants to re-radiate heat at night.
Cover small plants with hot caps; large ones with 5-gal buckets. Make sure to vent them when the sun hits them the next morning.
Cover the whole mess with poly, but keep it from touching the plants as this creates conductive cooling

And of course, take all the plants that you held back and move them back inside for the next few nights.

Should be interesting to see which do better . . . the earlier plants with a few cool nights, or the later plants with the sheltered nights.

Oh, yeah, you people with the high tunnels? Keep yer smug comments to yerselves

 

[Lousyweather]

So, the incredible heat/sun have done wonders for leggy (crazy NY spring) tomatos in just a weeks time. The general lack of rain has helped keep weeds at a minimum. Looking like the banner year of 2010 for the growers, yes?!?

NO

Heading for mid/low 40's, so it's time to get inovative about keeping the plants +50.

Fill clearish containers (1-5 gal) with "black water" to absorb the days' sun's daily heat.
Place the largest stones removed during preparation between plants to re-radiate heat at night.
Cover small plants with hot caps; large ones with 5-gal buckets. Make sure to vent them when the sun hits them the next morning.
Cover the whole mess with poly, but keep it from touching the plants as this creates conductive cooling

And of course, take all the plants that you held back and move them back inside for the next few nights.

Should be interesting to see which do better . . . the earlier plants with a few cool nights, or the later plants with the sheltered nights.

Oh, yeah, you people with the high tunnels? Keep yer smug comments to yerselves

eh, my dang cutworm cropis killing me this year more than any other!

 

[begreen]

Are you locating the tomatoes in a different spot each year? Continued planting in one location can bring on cutworms, nematodes, etc.. Fortunately cutworms are pretty easy to spot and destroy. They come out at dusk after the birds have gone to sleep. Go out with a flashlight and they should be easy to spot. I used to pay my kids a penny a worm and sometimes they'd catch dozens, especially on the clematis.

 

[Lousyweather]

I move them around as much as possible. eh, I get em, but there always seems to be the ones i miss!