February 25 , 2021
Top Tomato Tips for Hot Climates
Texas gardener can suffer from tomato enviousness . “ By golly , ” we ask ourselves , “ If everyone else has such luck , what is wrong with ME ? I must be a full failure , right?”Wrong ! Late icing , former passion , and humidity convolute our tomato dress suit . “ We are not failures ! ” take Sheryl Williams , Travis County Master Gardener and Horticulture Program Assistant , Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - Austin . So , Sheryl hooked up with CTG to come to the BASIC that she learned as a new transplanting from the Pacific Northwest . We taped this section on March 6 , 2020 , never realizing it would be the last one recorded in historic Studio 6A at Austin PBS on the UT campus . Coronavirus shuttered us all the next week . in the end , I edited this at nursing home ( with fellow worker Paul Sweeney ) and here we are , almost a twelvemonth subsequently . In a few months , we ’ll move to our new home plate at ACC Highland Mall and immortalize new platform once the pandemic is corral . Although tomato need ardent temperatures , they ’re not fan of our uttermost oestrus . “ The pollen bring forth on the flower anthers will actually become unfertile if nighttime temperatures surpass 75 ° , ” Sheryl said . Pollen also may become unviable if prolonged daytime temperature exceed 90 ° . And if it ’s over 70 % humidity , the pollen becomes sticky and wo n’t fall properly , so the flush wo n’t be fertilized . To beat the heat , some risk - taker plant the first few weeks of March . Others grab favored assortment in 4 ” containers and keep them in protected warmth , pot up to turgid containers to germinate stronger roots . Even if we plant in late March or early April , the retiring few weeks for sure remind us that Texas weather is wily . We plunge from balmy 80 - ish temperatures to freezing in mere hours , so be ready to protect if temps drop below 50 degrees . First thing to determine : indeterminate or determinate variety ! Determinate tomatoes — bush tomatoes — spring up to a more thickset height , usually under 4 ’ . They prepare yield all at once and then they ’re done . Roma love apple are a coarse one , often used to can for sauces . There ’s also a small ‘ Patio ’ loan-blend good for containers . “Indeterminate tomatoes grow until they kill by frost or some other external component . Many heirloom and cherry tomato varieties are indeterminate tomatoes , ” Sheryl say . These tomatoes definitely require staking or caging!you’re able to make cattle dialog box cages reenforce with T - Posts or rebar . In the Marble Falls Helping Center garden , reinforce love apple cages and a cattle panel arch reinforcement cantaloup and tomatoes . Watch our story!Reinforce standard tomato cages , too . AtThe Natural Gardener , I spot this bamboo and T - bet interpretation one year . Watch CTG ’s videoabout how San Antonio cinder cylinder block gardeners Richard Alcorta and Christine Cunningham twine up their love apple . Sweet - tasting cherry tree tomatoes are easy to grow and just keep on producing ! fecund orange - colored Sun Gold is a favourite that Sheryl ’s found to tolerate a wide mountain range of heat and frigid . Extension test have bump that undetermined motley Black Krim , Cherokee Purple , Juane Flamme , Stupice , Juliet , Sun Gold , and Yellow Pears all execute reasonably well .
Get Travis County Extension ’s vegetable planting guide for varieties and monthly gardening calendar .
When we confab Susan and Matt Snyder ’s garden , they distinguish us that their Paul Robeson tomatoes grow so well that they have plenty to share , can , and freeze . Jana Beckham and Don Iden often get down tomato seed inside to grow Roma , Celebrity , Sun Gold and Patio tomatoes . Here ’s our video . Heirloom Black Cherry tomatoes always top the list atSunshine Community Gardens’summertime love apple savouring ( not being held this pandemic year).Get their ratings for every varietythey grow in their greenhouses .
This March , they ’re not holding their democratic annual sales agreement , but get Sunshine bozo Randy Thompson’sfavorite love apple and pepper varieties along with Sunshine ’s love apple tricks . AND here ’s great news program ! TheAustin Organic Gardenersare holding an online plant sales agreement . Members , admit Erin Hollis , start lots of vegetable seeds week ago to get your garden growing this spring . Pre - rescript here ( online on Friday , Feb. 26)for contactless pickup locating around Austin on March 21 . They ’ve get 182 tomatoes ( all tried - and - true smorgasbord for us ) , peppers , eggplants , tomatillos , and leafy Green . They also sourced aboriginal plant fromEcosystem Regeneration Artisansand herbs ( always the best ) from wholesale nurseryGabriel Valley Farms . cracking books to produce withGrow Great Texas Vegetables : Trisha ShireyTexas Fruit & Vegetable Gardening : Greg GrantThe Texas Tomato Lover ’s Handbook : Bill Adams ( now sack out Extension horticulturist)Gregarious Bill joined us on CTG with hisexpert tips from grime and plant food to planting .
Plus , watch hisyummy tomato superstars try review article at CTG with Tom Spencer .
And now , watch Sheryl and her on - target tips to pep us up after this brutal weather hit . Let ’s spring on !
Thanks for stopping by ! See you next workweek with our interview with Bernardine and Conrad Bering of Barton Springs Nursery , Linda
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