Tomato plants basically stop growing if the soil is not warm enough, probably 18C is minimium. Tomatoes will tolerate absolutely no frost. There is no improvement in growth by placing tomatoes out too early in the season. I understand ripening tomatoes on the vine is an iffy situation in Vancouver under typical conditions, due to lack of sun, cool temperatures, and excessive moisture. Not from personal experience but from a person who grew them there.
I planted a big beef tomato plant about 3 weeks ago in a container and it's doing quite well only because i never let it cold. With these last days of cold weather I've brought mine inside and taken special care of it. they don't like windy weather either, so if you can bring the plant inside and remember to water your tomato transplants alot as they grow up. moist soil...but never soggy...GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!
Thanks for that. My garden space (sunny) is limited can you leave a beefsteak tomato plant in a container all season and move it around for maximum sun, or do you have to plant it in the ground sooner or later?
well this is my first time in a container so, we will have to see if it topples the pot over! lol. I've done quite a bit of studying about them and I've seen them very large in containers and i would be sure that they'll grow up just fine as long as the roots aren't over crowded. i have limited space too and my fence isn't tall enough to keep tomato prowlers away!! haha..
I had a bunch of seedlings (4-6 inches tall) on the deck to get some sun, got stuck out till late working, came home at 1am and all my tomato plants were wilted. Last year around this time I had them all in the ground already... it just seems to be a bunch colder this year...
i've got mine in a green house shelf in small pots and plan to keep them there for a long as possible, it's just too cold. last year was cold too and for all my ten tomato plants i think we got five ripe ones! My neighbour puts his in pots pretty early, but covers them with plastic covers every night usually right until mid july sometimes even into august. He got a lot more ripe ones last year than I did.
I put mine out yesterday. (I hardened them off last week). They are heirlooms that are about 12' tall already. I put them in 5 gallon pots with a tomato cage then covered the entire thing with a large size clear plastic garbage bag. I plan on keepong the bags on them until the heat really starts to kick in here. I've had lots of success doing them this way here on my patio in Whiterock.... They are protected from the wind and stay nice and cozy in thier makeshift hothouse. Fingers crossed that it will be another great year!
WOW! 12' tall already!! that's awesome. how long ago did you start them? mine are all heirlooms this year too, but they're just babies about 3' tall.
I'm a very lucky gardener... I have a friend that grows commercially. For the last 3 years, I've gotten first pick of the litter! I've had them for only a month now and they've taken off (grown about an inch a week). Good Luck with your tomatoes... this year I'm growing Black Krims, Hazel Maes and Russian Oxhearts. I've grown the Krims before, but the other 2 are new to me this year.
Just curious... has your neighbour put his tomatoes out yet??? I think I may have jumped the gun this year... but I needed to get them out... I had an "itchy" green thumb that needed to be scratched!
Cooperative Extension down here used to say first week of June (and may still do so). Tomato plants grow well only under hot, summer-like conditions. Nights here have been too cold for them, stock I am seeing set outside for sale continues to have the telltale yellowish growing points indicating it has been chilled. This is supposed to result in stunting that may linger for some time - probably plenty long enough to cut into results in this climate where there is already a bit of a race to get these into production before it turns cool and damp again. Since full selection at outlets falls off before the suitable June planting time you either have to find plants that have not been set outside and chilled, continue sheltering and growing them on yourself until it warms up enough for them to be subjected to full exposure, or buy seeds and start your own. Some here grow tomato plants under cover the whole season.
I'd like to try oxhearts, I don't have them this year, but might next. All of mine this year are new to me - i got the seeds from my mom who grows heirlooms in ontario. I can't remember all the names, i have 11 - some are for friends. I know theres yellow pear, chippawas wild and one called Elfin and a "green" one. My mom grew Pink Oxhearts a couple of years ago. She saved seeds from one plant and planted them again the following year- the plant that grew did something really strange on the SAME branch it grew Pink Oxheart and what looked like just regular tomatoes. We've both read about it often taking a couple years or more for a hybrid to breed 'true' (Am I useing the terms right?) but to have two different tomatoes on the same plant? That was weird. Unfortunately she forgot to take any pictures and decided not to save seeds from it. Your mention of the Oxhearts made me think to ask. Has anyone else heard of this or seen it happen? A.
I'll check when i go out later today and see if they're out yet. The sunniest spot in his yard is actually his driveway. He grows them all in containers and parks his car on the street.
