I started my plants a little later then it's suggested in our area.
When I repotted to 3 1/2 and 4 inch pots I used miracle grow potting soil.
They took off, and this past Saturday I started the hardening process.
At that point a third of the plants mainly the black Cherrys were 19-20 inches tall.
For the last few nights the temps were in the higher 50's and during the day 65-69 with cloudy skies and very high humidity. Tomorrow a front is moving in temps and it
Will dip anywhere from 30-33. Plus the winds will be quite high along with some rain so I brought them inside this evening. Now I recently dropped my shelf on the seed rack to 30 inches. It's not enough. Those same plants are now 26 or higher.
My other issue was the rain we got last week and I was able to till under my cover crop of Crimson clover and added compost I made last summer this part Sunday. Plus we got a fair amount on Monday maybe an inch. I don't know how much rain we will receive tomorrow. Hopefully the front will move thru quickly. So now I have to hope by Sunday the garden will be dry enough to plant the tomatoes.
If not and I have around 70-72 plants someone mentioned cutting off the tops and it would not hurt the plant. As it is when I turn on the shoplights tomorrow some of them will be on top of the t-8 bulbs
Any advice is appreciated.
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applestar
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Yep! Been there. 
OK what are they planted in? If flats of cells, you maybe in for more work. If in individual pots, first sort them by height. (If you can pop them out of the cells and rearrange, this may be worth the effort). See if there are any groups that CAN stay under the lights without touching.
Touching T-8's EQUALS burned/scorched leaves. You want to avoid that at all costs. Damaged leaves are invitation for pests and diseases.
Look into season extenders for the tallest ones. Try Wall-o-water or wrapping CRW tomato cages with plastic. Low poly tunnels. Prep the ground and set those out NOW where you will be planting to warm up the soil. Obviously plant deep. But if the ground is still cold, plan on planting on their sides instead of digging deep holes into the colder lower soil. So start plopping up one end of the trays they are on while hardening off. Until the containers are at least 45° angle and the plants are bending to keep growing upright.
Will these two strategies be enough or do you have more plants? For in-betweens, rig a shop light to hang just above the top of the foliage. If you can get hold of T-12's they are safer because leaves can touch without burning. I temporarily plopped one up on two supports with a clothes line supporting tied on and hanging from overhead to support in case the fixture got knocked over (a COMPLETELY short term rig) right by the garage door. The extra plants stayed under these INADEQUATE lights left on 24/7 during the night and when inclement weather (too cold, too stormy) and were carried outside every morning after it got warm enough to harden and for the sun.
For a extra protection for hardening off and hardened off plants, I have used with success --
- plastic covered shelving unit (temperature adjustment by zippered openings), covered with included extra shade cloth and blackout covers at night when upper 30's to low 40`s
- translucent storage tubs with snap on or bungeed on covers. Tubs covered with frost cover for extra temperature protection at night
- low poly tunnel with slitted poly. Covered with extra 3-mil plastic at night. -- this is getting into COLD FRAME level and you might want to consider building one.
* YOU NEED TO MONITOR THESE IN THE BEGINNING to determine how hot and how cold they get. *
CUTTING OFF THE TOP -- it will create some delay in first blooming and fruiting. If you can live with that, sure -- even determinate ones will manage though this is not desirable because now you'll only have the side, terminating shoots to grow fruits on. Indeterminates will just grow a sucker/side shoot and will go on as if nothing happened. You can even root and grow these clones. If your plants are old enough, they may have already started growing side shoots that will supersede the main leader.
OK what are they planted in? If flats of cells, you maybe in for more work. If in individual pots, first sort them by height. (If you can pop them out of the cells and rearrange, this may be worth the effort). See if there are any groups that CAN stay under the lights without touching.
Touching T-8's EQUALS burned/scorched leaves. You want to avoid that at all costs. Damaged leaves are invitation for pests and diseases.
Look into season extenders for the tallest ones. Try Wall-o-water or wrapping CRW tomato cages with plastic. Low poly tunnels. Prep the ground and set those out NOW where you will be planting to warm up the soil. Obviously plant deep. But if the ground is still cold, plan on planting on their sides instead of digging deep holes into the colder lower soil. So start plopping up one end of the trays they are on while hardening off. Until the containers are at least 45° angle and the plants are bending to keep growing upright.
Will these two strategies be enough or do you have more plants? For in-betweens, rig a shop light to hang just above the top of the foliage. If you can get hold of T-12's they are safer because leaves can touch without burning. I temporarily plopped one up on two supports with a clothes line supporting tied on and hanging from overhead to support in case the fixture got knocked over (a COMPLETELY short term rig) right by the garage door. The extra plants stayed under these INADEQUATE lights left on 24/7 during the night and when inclement weather (too cold, too stormy) and were carried outside every morning after it got warm enough to harden and for the sun.
For a extra protection for hardening off and hardened off plants, I have used with success --
- plastic covered shelving unit (temperature adjustment by zippered openings), covered with included extra shade cloth and blackout covers at night when upper 30's to low 40`s
- translucent storage tubs with snap on or bungeed on covers. Tubs covered with frost cover for extra temperature protection at night
- low poly tunnel with slitted poly. Covered with extra 3-mil plastic at night. -- this is getting into COLD FRAME level and you might want to consider building one.
* YOU NEED TO MONITOR THESE IN THE BEGINNING to determine how hot and how cold they get. *
CUTTING OFF THE TOP -- it will create some delay in first blooming and fruiting. If you can live with that, sure -- even determinate ones will manage though this is not desirable because now you'll only have the side, terminating shoots to grow fruits on. Indeterminates will just grow a sucker/side shoot and will go on as if nothing happened. You can even root and grow these clones. If your plants are old enough, they may have already started growing side shoots that will supersede the main leader.
I can't even work in the garden to much rain. That is why I hope that by Sunday it isn't to muddy to plant. Plus high chance of rain Sunday afternoon and then throughout the week. This is mobile
We get lots of rain for sometime then a week or 2-3 no rain. We average around 70 inches a year.
Crazy weather due to living near the mobile bay and the gulf. Plus a very short Tomatoe growing season
We get lots of rain for sometime then a week or 2-3 no rain. We average around 70 inches a year.
Crazy weather due to living near the mobile bay and the gulf. Plus a very short Tomatoe growing season
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applestar
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I would go ahead and put up the soil warming stuff any way if you are still expecting dips in the 30's. Just set theem up temporary (enough not to wash away or blow over, but not secured for the season) Then, when conditions permit, remove, work the soil underneath, and put them back up again.
YOU ARE NOT PLANTING UNDER THESE YET -- just warming the soil so planted tomatoes don't go into shock.
Don't rush the planting in the ground if the soil is too wet. Seedlings planted in cold and wet soil will turn purple and yellow and won't recover even if the upper part of the plants are covered and kept warm, and the damaged foliage won't turn green even after temps warm up -- they are useless for chlorophyll/energy production and make the plants weak -- an invitation to pests and diseases. Later planted vigorous seedlings in better conditions will quickly overtake and pass the earlier planted ones in growth
Maybe consider building up the beds or rows. I really like Emilia Hazelip method -- water stay in the (stripped of good soil) paths while the top of the beds avoid getting soggy. The soil will warm faster in the raised rows/beds, too (tested with soil thermometer and confirmed for myself).
YOU ARE NOT PLANTING UNDER THESE YET -- just warming the soil so planted tomatoes don't go into shock.
Don't rush the planting in the ground if the soil is too wet. Seedlings planted in cold and wet soil will turn purple and yellow and won't recover even if the upper part of the plants are covered and kept warm, and the damaged foliage won't turn green even after temps warm up -- they are useless for chlorophyll/energy production and make the plants weak -- an invitation to pests and diseases. Later planted vigorous seedlings in better conditions will quickly overtake and pass the earlier planted ones in growth
Maybe consider building up the beds or rows. I really like Emilia Hazelip method -- water stay in the (stripped of good soil) paths while the top of the beds avoid getting soggy. The soil will warm faster in the raised rows/beds, too (tested with soil thermometer and confirmed for myself).
If they are only going to be inside for a day or two, I wouldn't worry about light. I've brought mine in and out when the temps have gone crazy like this, and it hasn't hurt them at all. This weekend I am putting something in the ground! We've had a lot of rain, too, but I'm putting my tomatoes in large pots. I hope this cold snap is the last of it. I am in SW La., so our climate is pretty much the same.
I feel ok on planting in the containerscatgrass wrote:If they are only going to be inside for a day or two, I wouldn't worry about light. I've brought mine in and out when the temps have gone crazy like this, and it hasn't hurt them at all. This weekend I am putting something in the ground! We've had a lot of rain, too, but I'm putting my tomatoes in large pots. I hope this cold snap is the last of it. I am in SW La., so our climate is pretty much the same.
Just the garden but I will figure it out
I will wait till the end of jan next year