Mid-Atlantic - August 2015 - Too Hot For Tomatoes?

**sfg4uKim** 7/29/2015, 6:58 pm

TOO HOT FOR TOMATOES?

Have your tomatoes stopped ripening?

A heat wave means …

tomato blossoms won’t open
pollen is destroyed
no new fruit will set until normal temperatures resume
leaves curl
plants concentrate on simply surviving

**sanderson** 7/30/2015, 3:46 am

Yep, describes my situation right now.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/30/2015, 9:40 am

Ditto. I thought they had a disease, only to find out it is just a normal thing. I am not sure why I never noticed this in the traditional garden, probably because I didn't pay as close attention to the plants. And quite frankly, lby the time the doldrums of summer hit my old gardens, they were engulfed in weeds, or falling down, or just given up on!

MackerelSky 7/30/2015, 10:04 am

We've only been in the mid to upper 80's the last few weeks but well above normal for us. We still don't even have a 'pink' tomato yet with some leaf curling but for the most part, the plants are looking good. Monday evening, I topped each branch to keep them from growing anymore and any suckers that didn't already have tom's on them. Might be a lot of fried/pickled green ones this year.

Marc Iverson 7/30/2015, 12:47 pm

Thanks for the reminder about that site. I've always liked the articles there.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/30/2015, 12:49 pm

MackerelSky wrote:We've only been in the mid to upper 80's the last few weeks but well above normal for us. We still don't even have a 'pink' tomato yet with some leaf curling but for the most part, the plants are looking good. Monday evening, I topped each branch to keep them from growing anymore and any suckers that didn't already have tom's on them. Might be a lot of fried/pickled green ones this year.

Mackerel, are your tomatoes blooming? Only my rogue nameless cherry is here.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/30/2015, 12:50 pm

Marc Iverson wrote:Thanks for the reminder about that site. I've always liked the articles there.

What site, Marc?

Marc Iverson 7/30/2015, 1:01 pm

Tomatodirt.com. It's linked to in the first post.

**Scorpio Rising** 7/30/2015, 2:01 pm

Thanks, missed it.

MackerelSky 7/31/2015, 4:04 am

Scorpio Rising wrote:
MackerelSky wrote:We've only been in the mid to upper 80's the last few weeks but well above normal for us. We still don't even have a 'pink' tomato yet with some leaf curling but for the most part, the plants are looking good. Monday evening, I topped each branch to keep them from growing anymore and any suckers that didn't already have tom's on them. Might be a lot of fried/pickled green ones this year.

Mackerel, are your tomatoes blooming? Only my rogue nameless cherry is here.

My lady planted five plants across the front of our house and four more down in the main garden. These by the house have the best chance of getting us some ripe ones as they won't be quite as easy of a target for frost in 6 or 7 weeks. The blossoms seem to be opening and doing ok, there just don't seem to be many of them. Still not sure if it's the heat now or the cold/damp spring we had.

Mid-Atlantic - August 2015 - Too Hot For Tomatoes? Img_8211

But I guess a late tomato is better than no tomato?

Mid-Atlantic - August 2015 - Too Hot For Tomatoes? Img_8212

And we have a few larger ones hiding out lower on the plants.

Mid-Atlantic - August 2015 - Too Hot For Tomatoes? Img_8213

Just not the best year for tom's I guess but maybe I'll be surprised at the end of the season.

Brad

**sanderson** 7/31/2015, 5:13 am

MackerelSky, Your tomato leaves look so healthy! Shocked

Wish mine looked like yours. Some folks have said they pick the green tomatoes if there is a threat of freeze and they continue to ripen indoors.

MackerelSky 7/31/2015, 7:58 am

sanderson wrote:MackerelSky, Your tomato leaves look so healthy! Wish mine looked like yours. Some folks have said they pick the green tomatoes if there is a threat of freeze and they continue to ripen indoors.

Yeah, when we get tired of covering after a couple of frosts and it looks like poor weather for any more development, we yank'm all, cover the island(30" x 60") in the kitchen with cardboard and place all the green tom's stem up so they are not touching each other. Takes 10 to 15 days for them to ripen as best they can. We find that cutting the tom off about a half inch up the stem, leaving that little nub is crucial for development off of the vine. It's an adventure every year...especially with cats..

Thanks
Brad

CapeCoddess 7/31/2015, 4:13 pm

Lookin' good, Mackeral! I see lots of flowers. How's your heat sitch today?
CC

MackerelSky 7/31/2015, 6:17 pm

CapeCoddess wrote:Lookin' good, Mackeral! I see lots of flowers. How's your heat sitch today?
CC

Sorry CC, I had to look up sitch and I don't understand Embarassed

**Scorpio Rising** 7/31/2015, 9:42 pm

MackerelSky wrote:
CapeCoddess wrote:Lookin' good, Mackeral! I see lots of flowers. How's your heat sitch today?
CC
Sorry CC, I had to look up sitch and I don't understand

Situation, would be my take! Lol

Marc Iverson 8/1/2015, 1:21 am

Natch!

MackerelSky 8/1/2015, 4:11 am

Thanks Guys, should have got that one.

Upper 70's, low humidity thru the weekend. Embarrassingly pleasant compared to a lot of folks.

Brad
now where's that slang dictionary?

**sanderson** 8/1/2015, 4:32 am

Could have been heat stitch!

**Scorpio Rising** 8/2/2015, 9:10 pm

Hahaha

Mid-Atlantic - August 2015 - Too Hot For Tomatoes? 931411784

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