Who Else Has Late Plants?

Everything About Tomatoes
Setec Astronomy
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Who Else Has Late Plants?

#1

Post: # 22604Unread post Setec Astronomy
Mon Jun 15, 2020 9:59 pm

Here in NJ it was very warm back in March I guess it was, and it looked like an early spring was coming. My 50% last frost date is April 29th or so, and looking at the forecast I decided to plant a week early, which I did for most of my seedlings. Then of course we had that frost here in early May ( viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1106&p=20814#p20814 ) and the rest of the month was very cold. Even here in June we're having some very cool nights, down below 50 degrees, maybe that's normal, I don't know.

I track when I planted things and what the listed maturity is for that variety, and based on my transplant dates I should have had some fruit June 6, and several more plants at the end of this week. My plants all seem to be doing well and seem healthy, plenty of flowers and fruit growing, but from the look of things I'd say I'm going to be 2-3 weeks behind what I expected, anyone else seeing this? I presume this is from the frost or the cold weather, or a combination of both. In the past I believe I usually got fruit a little sooner than the listed maturity, so I guess I'm getting impatient.

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edweather
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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#2

Post: # 22605Unread post edweather
Mon Jun 15, 2020 10:25 pm

June 6 for fruit seems a bit early imo, if your last frost date is basically May 1. Certainly cool weather will slow growth. You might be a bit behind, but I can relate to waiting for that first tomato, is seems to take forever.
Southeast GA, USDA 9a, HZ9, Sunset Z28

Setec Astronomy
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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#3

Post: # 22607Unread post Setec Astronomy
Mon Jun 15, 2020 10:48 pm

I planted a 42-Day on April 25, hence the June 6 maturity date. It's got some fruit on it, but certainly a week or more before anything will be ripe. I also put in 2 Maglia Rosa the same day, which are 55 days to maturity, so that's this Friday...very small fruit on those, certainly a couple of weeks away if not more. It just seems like in previous years, I got fruit earlier than I expected, and this year it's way behind.

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root_grow
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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#4

Post: # 22611Unread post root_grow
Mon Jun 15, 2020 11:31 pm

Cool daytime temperatures and cold nights definitely slow tomatoes down. That's exactly why in the Pacific Northwest I add 20-25 days to the advertised DTM for any tomato, including the earlies, when figuring out what to grow and expect - it just never really gets hot. Maybe it was warmer in your area the last few years and your expectations adjusted accordingly? They'll get there eventually!

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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#5

Post: # 22619Unread post brownrexx
Tue Jun 16, 2020 6:13 am

I am in PA and have never had ripe tomatoes before July at the earliest no matter how early I have planted them. If I plant too early and it's cold at night, they just slow down.

One year as an experiment I planted one plant a couple of weeks earlier than another one. I protected it with plastic and gallon jugs or warm water but the later planted one grew faster and they both produced their first ripe tomato on the exact same day so I don't rush the season any more.

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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#6

Post: # 22620Unread post Clkeiper
Tue Jun 16, 2020 6:33 am

ha. early was not in mother natures vocabulary this year. we had a freeze in mid May this year. I just got my outside tomato and pepper plants in the garden. I do have 150ish tomatoes in the hightunnel that are bearing but I don't expect to see ripe ones of those before July either.

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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#7

Post: # 22622Unread post slugworth
Tue Jun 16, 2020 6:42 am

I didn't start seeds until may 1st,which is way late for me.
90% of my plants are store bought,the started saved seeds are the oddball stuff.
A lot of the tomatoes are determinate type,so when they expire I can insert the plants I started myself.
"A chiseled face,Just like Easter Island" :lol:

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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#8

Post: # 22623Unread post Setec Astronomy
Tue Jun 16, 2020 6:57 am

brownrexx wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 6:13 am I am in PA and have never had ripe tomatoes before July at the earliest no matter how early I have planted them. If I plant too early and it's cold at night, they just slow down.

One year as an experiment I planted one plant a couple of weeks earlier than another one. I protected it with plastic and gallon jugs or warm water but the later planted one grew faster and they both produced their first ripe tomato on the exact same day so I don't rush the season any more.
You're not too too far from me and in the same zone, and I think usually around fourth of July for me, for the early varieties, although I'm pretty sure I've had some in late June. Due to the warm weather we had in Jan-Feb-March I figured it was going to be an early spring so I jumped the gun probably (and some excitement about growing my own seedlings for the first time since I helped my father when I was a kid...not to mention I'm growing 4 times as many tomato plants as last year). Lot of lessons learned this year--I think.

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Labradors
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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#9

Post: # 22625Unread post Labradors
Tue Jun 16, 2020 7:28 am

I planted some micro tomatoes in containers. I started them in mid-Feb and we ate the first ones a few days ago. It takes around 4 months from seed to ripe fruit, and that is for ultra-early varieties.

Linda

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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#10

Post: # 22654Unread post SQWIB
Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:42 am

Same here, about 2 weeks behind but everything seems to be catching up, that polar vortex messed a lot of us up.
One thing I have noticed is unusually cold dips in the temps this week.
Also it seems to be windy every single day.

I looked over my notes and here's what i came up with for my area Zone 7A. I garden in Raised beds, hugelkultur beds, air pots, pots and aquaponics.


2017
  • June 27th - Indigo Blue Berries Tomato
  • July 12th - Box Car willie Tomato, Patio Princess Tomato, Sprite Tomato, Celebrity Tomato, Black Vernisage Tomato, Black Beauty Eggplant, California Wonder Green Pepper
  • July 18th - Brandywine Red Tomato, Cherokee Purple Tomato


2018
  • May 29th - Snowpeas
  • June 17th - Jalapeno, California Wonder Green pepper
  • July 7th - Rutgers Tomato, Brandywine Tomato, Corno di torro giallo pepper, Giant Marconi, Artichoke
  • July 10th - Gardeners Delight Tomato, Red Marconi Pepper, Cherokee Purple Tomato, Zucchini, Listada di gandia Eggplant, Black Beauty Eggplant

2019
  • June 3rd - Hungarian Wax Pepper
  • June 12th - Abe Lincoln Tomato
  • July 3rd - Kosova Tomato, Big Beef Tomato, Gardeners Delight Tomato, Jet Star Tomato, Beefmaster Tomato, Rosa Bianca Eggplant, California Wonder Green Pepper, Pepperoncini, slicing cucumber
  • July 7th - Clemson Spineless Okra, Jimmy Nardello Pepper
  • July 18th - Poblano Pepper, Listada di Gandia Eggplant,

2020
  • May 30th - De grace Snow Peas

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pepperhead212
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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#11

Post: # 22656Unread post pepperhead212
Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:01 am

[mention]Setec Astronomy[/mention] You must be N of me, since I have only gotten down in the mid 50s in these cool June nights, and my 50% frost date is April 15 (which I pay no attention to, as I'm not a gambler, and am not going to be losing my plants half of the time!). My usual date for tomatoes going out is 5-1, or thereabouts, though they went out a few days early this season and last season, due to the warm April, then we had that cold May! First a good number of years since we had not a single day in the 90s. I dodged that frost on those 2 really cold and windy (the reason there was no frost here) days, and some of my tomatoes were definitely delayed; seems the cherries, more than the rest, as several others got fruits on them before I saw any on the cherries. However, the cherries will probably still ripen first.

Usually, I consider it lucky when I get a slicer on or around 7-4. I occasionally get some small types, besides cherries, in late June, so I'm not sure if this year will be behind - there are a lot of fruits on a bunch of my new plants, but I don't know how long they take to ripen. Usually the cherries would be loaded with green fruits, but like I said, they seemed to be the most affected by that cold.

The good thing is, there has been far less rain, than last season. The tomatoes, and some other plants, had horrible bouts with fungus last season, due to the non-stop rain, until mid-July.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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KathyDC
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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#12

Post: # 22659Unread post KathyDC
Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:08 am

I got a late start too, and planted out right before that one night in May that it froze. I covered my seedlings and they all survived, but the cooler than normal and wetter than normal spring, combined with my own slow start, has me feeling behind also. I planted about half of my seedlings a week or two before Memorial Day weekend, and the rest that weekend, which is late for me as our last frost in DC is usually April 15 or so.

I'm honestly just resigned to being a few weeks behind -- I just finally saw one flower on one plant open this past weekend -- and that's ok. Maybe we'll make it up with an unusually temperate fall!

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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#13

Post: # 22664Unread post Setec Astronomy
Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:30 am

pepperhead212 wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:01 am @Setec Astronomy You must be N of me, since I have only gotten down in the mid 50s in these cool June nights, and my 50% frost date is April 15
Yeah, I'm about 100 miles northeast of you.
pepperhead212 wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:01 am Usually, I consider it lucky when I get a slicer on or around 7-4. I occasionally get some small types, besides cherries, in late June, so I'm not sure if this year will be behind - there are a lot of fruits on a bunch of my new plants, but I don't know how long they take to ripen. Usually the cherries would be loaded with green fruits, but like I said, they seemed to be the most affected by that cold.
Well, I usually grow only cherries, so that's probably partly why I expect earlier fruit. I am also growing several "saladettes" this year, as well as an Indigo Apple, which is maybe a little bigger.
pepperhead212 wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 11:01 am The good thing is, there has been far less rain, than last season. The tomatoes, and some other plants, had horrible bouts with fungus last season, due to the non-stop rain, until mid-July.
Yes, I remember you telling me that it wasn't something I was doing wrong last year, it was the weather. That being said, I really need to do a Serenade spray as a pre-emptive...but I'm still trying to get my drip irrigation set up so that's kind of my priority right now.

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Growing Coastal
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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#14

Post: # 22672Unread post Growing Coastal
Tue Jun 16, 2020 12:02 pm

Labradors wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 7:28 am I planted some micro tomatoes in containers. I started them in mid-Feb and we ate the first ones a few days ago. It takes around 4 months from seed to ripe fruit, and that is for ultra-early varieties.

Linda
Micros are great for staving off that tomato hunger with wee ones until the rest are ready.

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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#15

Post: # 22677Unread post bower
Tue Jun 16, 2020 1:00 pm

Today is baby tomato day! First sign of a mater on several plants. Yes I'm late too, mostly because the greenhouse wasn't ready for planting and then things started happening outdoors... so I delayed planting my gi-mungous plants far too long.
Normally I aim for July 1 as the beginning of ripe tomatoes. This time will be past mid July I expect or into the last week.
AgCan Zone 5a/USDA zone 4
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yearly precip 61 inches/1550 mm

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JosephineRose
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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#16

Post: # 22678Unread post JosephineRose
Tue Jun 16, 2020 1:13 pm

Would love to know your transplant dates for these fruits.
SQWIB wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:42 am Same here, about 2 weeks behind but everything seems to be catching up, that polar vortex messed a lot of us up.
One thing I have noticed is unusually cold dips in the temps this week.
Also it seems to be windy every single day.

I looked over my notes and here's what i came up with for my area Zone 7A. I garden in Raised beds, hugelkultur beds, air pots, pots and aquaponics.


2017
  • June 27th - Indigo Blue Berries Tomato
  • July 12th - Box Car willie Tomato, Patio Princess Tomato, Sprite Tomato, Celebrity Tomato, Black Vernisage Tomato, Black Beauty Eggplant, California Wonder Green Pepper
  • July 18th - Brandywine Red Tomato, Cherokee Purple Tomato


2018
  • May 29th - Snowpeas
  • June 17th - Jalapeno, California Wonder Green pepper
  • July 7th - Rutgers Tomato, Brandywine Tomato, Corno di torro giallo pepper, Giant Marconi, Artichoke
  • July 10th - Gardeners Delight Tomato, Red Marconi Pepper, Cherokee Purple Tomato, Zucchini, Listada di gandia Eggplant, Black Beauty Eggplant

2019
  • June 3rd - Hungarian Wax Pepper
  • June 12th - Abe Lincoln Tomato
  • July 3rd - Kosova Tomato, Big Beef Tomato, Gardeners Delight Tomato, Jet Star Tomato, Beefmaster Tomato, Rosa Bianca Eggplant, California Wonder Green Pepper, Pepperoncini, slicing cucumber
  • July 7th - Clemson Spineless Okra, Jimmy Nardello Pepper
  • July 18th - Poblano Pepper, Listada di Gandia Eggplant,

2020
  • May 30th - De grace Snow Peas
Melissa
Zone: 10A
Climate: Warm Summer Mediterranean
Avg annual rainfall: 23.96"

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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#17

Post: # 22684Unread post slugworth
Tue Jun 16, 2020 2:22 pm

brownrexx wrote: Tue Jun 16, 2020 6:13 am I am in PA and have never had ripe tomatoes before July at the earliest no matter how early I have planted them. If I plant too early and it's cold at night, they just slow down.

One year as an experiment I planted one plant a couple of weeks earlier than another one. I protected it with plastic and gallon jugs or warm water but the later planted one grew faster and they both produced their first ripe tomato on the exact same day so I don't rush the season any more.
bloody butcher and 4th of july hybrid are both july tomatoes I am sure would do good for you.
Ground temps have more of an effect than air temps for sluggish growth.
"A chiseled face,Just like Easter Island" :lol:

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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#18

Post: # 22697Unread post GoDawgs
Tue Jun 16, 2020 4:48 pm

Ohmygosh! Thank you for posting this! It just rang a bell with me and I had a sudden panic about the fall tomatoes. Surely I should have started them by now. I looked at my schedule for fall and sure enough, I had been figuring start dates and must have gotten pulled away to do something else and never finished the task! They should have been started two weeks ago. That two weeks can mean make or break when it gets near frost time. :shock: :shock: :shock:

Time to get crackin' and cross my fingers.

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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#19

Post: # 22706Unread post Nan6b
Tue Jun 16, 2020 5:29 pm

I had a disaster and lost all my tomato seedlings before plant-out, which would have been May 15. A second seeding let me get some out the end of May. I just put out the last ones yesterday. Hearing that a lot of folks are 2 weeks late, when they put their plants out on time, makes me feel not so bad about getting a late start. Thanks for the lift, everyone! :D

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Re: Who Else Has Late Plants?

#20

Post: # 22710Unread post slugworth
Tue Jun 16, 2020 6:16 pm

Sometimes I put the plants out during the day to take advantage of the sunlight,then bring them indoors for exposure to grow lights and warmer temps at night.
"A chiseled face,Just like Easter Island" :lol:

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