I just got a pot of totem tomatoes. It has a lot of orange and green tomatoes. The instructions just say full sun. It's been over 100 here and will be for a while yet. Can anybody give me some hints on how to keep my plant from dying from the heat, and yet letting the orange tomatoes ripen? Thank you.Growing tomatoes in Phoenix
I just got a pot of totem tomatoes. It has a lot of orange and green tomatoes. The instructions just say full sun. It's been over 100 here and will be for a while yet. Can anybody give me some hints on how to keep my plant from dying from the heat, and yet letting the orange tomatoes ripen? Thank you.-
Gary350
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7419
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
My parents live in Tempe. They usually plant tomatoes in February and have ripe tomatoes by May.
In Arizona they sell those water mister sprayers people put them on the patio to keep it cool. My parents use those sprayers on the tomatoes. They also water with the garden hose every evening.
Set your pot in a large pan of water. Not deep water but big around. Big enough to hold a days supply of water.
Another thing that works is poke a tiny pin hole in a 1 gallon milk jug and fill it with water. Set it on the plant so the pin hole dribbles water on the plant all day.
Another thing that works is, set a block of ice on the soil it melts slow and waters the plant.
In Arizona they sell those water mister sprayers people put them on the patio to keep it cool. My parents use those sprayers on the tomatoes. They also water with the garden hose every evening.
Set your pot in a large pan of water. Not deep water but big around. Big enough to hold a days supply of water.
Another thing that works is poke a tiny pin hole in a 1 gallon milk jug and fill it with water. Set it on the plant so the pin hole dribbles water on the plant all day.
Another thing that works is, set a block of ice on the soil it melts slow and waters the plant.
I have a mister on my patio and I"ll try it tomorrow. I also have the pot sitting in water. Thank you for your suggestion.Gary350 wrote:My parents live in Tempe. In Arizona they sell those water mister sprayers people put them on the patio to keep it cool. My parents use those sprayers on the tomatoes. They also water with the garden hose every evening.
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Also, the full sun label is meant for us who don't live in the desert. For you, try putting it somewhere where it doesn't get the heat of the late afternoon sun. Also try putting shade cloth (row cover) over them to diffuse the sun a little. Then you can mist the shade cloth and create some evaporative cooling.
Thanks for the advice. I do have afternoon shade on my patio, so hopefully I can cool the plant off, before I lose too many more green tomatoes.rainbowgardener wrote:Also, the full sun label is meant for us who don't live in the desert. For you, try putting it somewhere where it doesn't get the heat of the late afternoon sun. Also try putting shade cloth (row cover) over them to diffuse the sun a little. Then you can mist the shade cloth and create some evaporative cooling.