In Pheonix area and surrounding valleys --If you cut the plants back after a frost will they return to normal or should I start over?
I'm in Zone 5. This means the season is short for tomatoe growing. If my tomatoes get frost damage to any large amount in the Spring, I invarably replace the plant. The frost damaged plant will present new growth, but the damage delays the production of fruit A new plant generally produces earlier even though it a smaller plant than the ones with frost damage. In your case I would leave one or two of the frost damaged plants in situ, and plant a similar variety as an experiment. This would answer your question to your satisfaction, plus being an interesting experiment.
Thanks for the advise. I had 4' plants with golf and tennis ball size green tomatoes. The only frost we had was short and 1 time dried all the outer leafs and basicly left the stems. I cut each plant back to about 2' and burried the tomatoes for acid since our soil is way to alkuline here. Its been nearly a week and new leafs are starting to shoot on some and others are yellowed and stunted. The night temps have been the coldest theyve been here in a long time. Late Feb last yr I had producing 5' plants. I also learned to plant some in the shade and some in partial sun and some in sun. When summer hits the sun tomatoes were gone with heat. The others I trimned back in early Nov and were growing just fine but the frost took them and I dont think they will keep going so I will replace most of them. I like the beef stake tomato for bacon/lettuce and tomato sandwiches. Early girl I put in the sun and big and better boy partial shade. What is a black tomato? Back home in Ia the cherry tomatoes came up in the spring and refurnished themselfs. My one potted one did here too until the frost took it. I probably picked 4qts of yellow and green chery tomatoes before I cut it back. I tried a bush and patio tomato and wasnt impressed. Ill replace my stand bys but you got any trial suggestions for me?
The green peppers and the red peppers--chili peppers 3 types. I have nice green stems and all the leafs turned brown and the peppers shriveled and wilted except for small little ones starting to produce on the bottom of some of the plants. They somehow avoided frost-probably because the leafs took the damage. I removed them as I want the growth to go to leafs. Arent the roots larger and more stable and when the plants recover wont they produce a better and larger pepper than starting all over again?
For those starting indoor plants--In Iowa we used plastic milk gal jugs as protecters and added humidity as starters. You cut off the bottoms and the tops and it serves as a tempory terrium for faster starts. My plants were above the start stage when they got hit by the unexpected frost. We started in March with upside down flower pots at night and then went to milk jugs until lthey towered above them. It also protected them from rabits while yet tender. Im in plant haven here in Az as I also have a sunroom with 4 skylights and large windows. I discovered however in summer even with air conditioning the windows that jet out with shelfs--I think you call them bay--are to hot with to much sun for tender plants. I first noticed this when I went to watering daily instead of weekly. The windows were ok until mid july-August.
What is a black tomato? http://www.tomatogrowers.com/black.htm I started growing some black tomatoes three years ago. They are considered to be our favourite tomato. I always grow about six plants. Black Krim, Black Prince, and Cherokee Purple are our favourites. Probably others are as good, but I haven't tried them. http://xrl.us/qv9q Close-up photographs of the tomatoes in my garden. http://xrl.us/q4dv I have added the Cherokee Purple tomato to the list For the small cherry type Sweet Million is my favourite. One plant is more than enough if in suitable place with good soil, and a good open trellis. http://uixef.notlong.com/ 14 September 2007 Cherry Tomato Sweet Million. (Lycopersicon lycopersicum)
Growers in warmer climates may do different but we always start out with new plants at the beginning of the growing season here in the UK.
