Tomatoes are sprouting, but Peppers are Not!

[applestar]

What kind of peppers?

In my experience here in NJ...

Hot peppers will be productive even in less hours sun than Tomatoes, but hot peppers can take more blazing sun and drier conditions than tomatoes.

Tomatoes can benefit from noonday shade and more even moisture levels but too much will water down their flavor and cause some varieties to split/crack.

Sweet/bell peppers need more LIGHT than tomatoes to fruit well but is a wimp in heat and hot sun, and need more moisture to develop juicy and crunchy thick walled fruits.

BTW -- it's EXCELLENT that you are paying attention to the micro-climates around your garden.

[rainbowgardener]

Oh man! I didn't realize you were in Tucson! You are right to be starting your tomatoes now, like probably around Feb 1. Tomatoes are not a summer plant where you are. Do look for heat resistant varieties. They usually have something in their name to indicate that: Heat Wave, Solar Fire, Sunmaster, etc.

Once the weather has warmed up, definitely provide some shade from hottest afternoon sun.
Even so, you can expect your tomatoes to be done once temps are in triple digits (or maybe even high 90's) They just can't set or ripen fruit in that kind of heat.

In the summer you can grow the really hot weather stuff, like eggplants, okra, hot peppers, sweet potatoes, lima beans.

But you still have a longer tomato season than I do, because you can start tomatoes again for a fall/ winter crop.

[redneck647]

I know I'm late to this one. I don't use heat mat with mine. I just keep the peppers close to the place heater until they sprout. Usually takes them 2 or 3 weeks depending on the kind. Then they go down under the grow lights in the basement.
Also when I use peat pellets I usually have to move them to something bigger before I can transplant outside. When I do that I slice the netting off and toss it.

[paul678]

What kind of peppers?

In my experience here in NJ...

Hot peppers will be productive even in less hours sun than Tomatoes, but hot peppers can take more blazing sun and drier conditions than tomatoes.

Tomatoes can benefit from noonday shade and more even moisture levels but too much will water down their flavor and cause some varieties to split/crack.

Sweet/bell peppers need more LIGHT than tomatoes to fruit well but is a wimp in heat and hot sun, and need more moisture to develop juicy and crunchy thick walled fruits.

BTW -- it's EXCELLENT that you are paying attention to the micro-climates around your garden.

Ok, on the seed package, it says California Wonder Pepper, "Bell Type", "good for stuffing".

So perhaps these need more light than tomatoes?

To Rainbow: The package says Burpee's Summer Choice hybrid tomato. So indeed, it looks like they
are heat-resistant type. The peak in Tucson gets around 114 degrees or so, but it doesn't last long, maybe only part of one day.

The lady at Home Depot recommended 30% netting cloth to shade the tomatoes, if in full sunlight, but
as I said, the wall I share with my neighbor will put a shade down after 1 PM or so, so maybe I won't
need the netting?

When you say I can do a fall/winter crop, what date would be good to start that cycle? The tomatoes are indeterminate.....doesn't that mean they will have tomatoes year-round?

[rainbowgardener]

re: The tomatoes are indeterminate.....doesn't that mean they will have tomatoes year-round?


No, I don't think it does. Marlingardener lives in your kind of climate; I don't. So by her report, if you cut them back when weather gets too hot, you can keep them going until it cools off and then get some more tomatoes from them. But they will not just keep going endlessly. At some point they get exhausted and will continue declining in performance.

But to keep them going through the summer, means they keep taking up space and you have to keep watering them, even though they aren't producing anything. I haven't had to do it, but I think in that situation, I would get hard-hearted and just pull them, and start again in late summer with fresh plants. They will produce a lot better. Hendi_alex, another regular here, talks about keeping frequent fresh starts coming for that reason.

I looked up some Tucson weather data. It looks like your average high temps are essentially 100 degrees June, July, Aug (!). In Sept, it is 95. That would still be high for expecting much tomato production, but it wouldn't be bad for just growing young plants, if you can keep them well watered. So I'm thinking if you can start tomato seeds indoors, anywhere from mid July to mid August would be a good time to do it.

[paul678]

Ok, so it sounds like indeterminate or not, it's best to start a new fresh cycle of plants each time
after the harvest. Should I just stick with determinants, since they have a higher yield per cycle?

It sound like I may not need the 30% shade cloth, but if I do, it would be easy to lean some 2x4s against the
wall to prop up the cloth.

"I cut the tomato plants back by 1/2 to 1/3 in late June." So Marling, what do you mean by this exactly? You simply
snip off about 1/3 of the off shoots?

[imafan26]

Tomatoes are frost sensitive so usually are grown as annuals. Technically in frost free areas like mine tomatoes can be perennial but disease usually kills them. I have grown Heatwave and Heatwave II and they will keep producing up into the mid 90's before they stop flowering but will produce again once the temperature drops. Cherry tomatoes tolerate more heat than larger tomatoes.

The University of Florida has developed several heat resistant tomatoes that can still fruit near the century mark.

Sunflare, Sunmaster, Sun Leaper, Sun Chaser,Phoenix, Solar Fire, Sweet 100, Sweethearts, Sweet Treats, Porter or Porter Pink are some of the heat resistant varieties.

Arkansas Traveler, Sioux, Super Sioux, Pruden's Purple, and Quarter Century (aka Matchless) are heirlooms that have good heat resistance. Even Brandywine has good heat resistance up to the 90's.

When selecting a tomato heat resistance is one consideration, flavor and disease resistance are others.

To get tomatoes all year round I do need to have heat resistant ones, but they also need good disease resistance. I tried but could not get Solar Fire to grow because it does not have the disease resistance.

It would not be a bad idea to grow your plants under shade cloth. As long as the shade house is not that big and open on the sides, your humidity will increase. With larger shade houses, both humidity and temperature increases so you need to use fans.

[paul678]

Yes, I have heard cherry tomatoes do better here in the desert.

I will try them if the ones I have don't do well.

You people are sooo helpful! Thanks, much, and will keep you all posted!

[paul678]

Ok, update:

One of my tomato seedlings is too tall, and it drooping over to the side.

I would assume not enough water will cause a plant to lose stiffness, but I have
been making sure the pellets have remained dark brown, and not light brown.

I'm tempted to help prop it up with a toothpick! Anything I should do?

[applestar]

Give it more light. That's the usual suspect. Is the stem pale? Tomato seedling stems should be frosty green or somewhat purplish and fuzzy.

Other reasons are damping off fungus (too wet) -- is the stem pinched and brown at soil?
Too warm and too much fertilizer.

A gentle breeze from a personal fan, re-wired computer fan, or oscillating fan set on timer blowing on the seedlings helps to develop stronger stems -- isometric training for those wimpy indoor seedlings that get no other exercise.

[paul678]

Give it more light. That's the usual suspect. Is the stem pale? Tomato seedling stems should be frosty green or somewhat purplish and fuzzy.

Other reasons are damping off fungus (too wet) -- is the stem pinched and brown at soil?
Too warm and too much fertilizer.

A gentle breeze from a personal fan, re-wired computer fan, or oscillating fan set on timer blowing on the seedlings helps to develop stronger stems -- isometric training for those wimpy indoor seedlings that get no other exercise.

The stem looks fuzzy and the same color as the other stems, just somewhat longer.

I didn't know you could exercise seedlings!

Ok, I'll try to give it more light, thanks.