I guess over the next week my garden will go from one of lush spring growth to that of heat stress coupled with diseases associated with higher temperatures and humidity.
I'll continue with succession plantings but will use micro climates to battle the intense afternoon sun. The first patch of corn will be finishing up in a couple of weeks. Will pull out one or two interior rows and will plant squash and cukes in those spaces, where the remaining corn stalks will filter the afternoon sun. Will also emphasize planting on the eastern side of our oak canopy, thereby providing for afternoon shade. Finally, will construct some kind of support and will break out the shade cloth such that noon and afternoon sunlight is reduced about 60%.
Fall tomato plants have been moved to morning sun only. Am hoping to keep them healthy until time to move them to the garden in late August/early September. I should have started one more batch of tomato plants as these have already outgrown one gallon containers. Hopefully the three gallon current containers will hold the plants for another two months.
- hendi_alex
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I have tried this year to keep a few tomatoes in all stages of growth, but have run into the same thing. Once they decide to start growing, they seem to get ahead of my plans.hendi_alex wrote: I should have started one more batch of tomato plants as these have already outgrown one gallon containers. Hopefully the three gallon current containers will hold the plants for another two months.
- hendi_alex
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You should have excellent luck with a second crop in N.C. The main thing is to have fairly good sized transplants if they go in the ground in July. The first couple of years that I started late tomatoes I waiting until mid June or later to start the seeds or the cuttings. Better to start seeds by mid to late May for them to go into the ground as good sized plants in mid to late summer. You would probably do even better with an early planting, a mid May to June planting, and a late summer planting.