Tomato cultivation requires an ideal temperature range of 21-27°C (70-82°F) for optimal daytime and nighttime conditions. The greenhouse should have a temperature of 65-75°F, with humidity between 60-70 to prevent extreme temperatures. Tomatoes thrive in warm temperatures, with an ideal daytime range of 70°F to 85°F and nighttime range of 60°F to 70°F. To produce fruit, the greenhouse temperature should be 60-65 F. (15-18 C.) at night and 70-80 F. (21-27).
To grow tomatoes in a greenhouse, it is essential to maintain a consistent warm temperature (70-75 degrees Fahrenheit, no lower than 60 degrees), plenty of sun, and good ventilation. Tomato plants can tolerate temperatures ranging from the mid-sixties to mid-nineties Fahrenheit but require water. The ideal daytime temperature for tomato production is between 70 to 82°F (21 to 27°C), while optimal nighttime temperatures are between 62 and 64°F.
Tomato seeds require an optimum soil temperature of 21-27°C (70-80°F) for germination. To provide warmth, place pots or flats near bright light. Tomato seeds can be grown in pots or growing bags, whether in a greenhouse or outdoors. In an experiment, tomatoes were grown at 26°C day with 16°C night temperature, and another lot was grown at a reversed temperature of 16°C day with 26°C night.
To ensure the growth of tomato seedlings, maintain constant temperatures of 58-60 F. (14-16 C.) both indoors and in the greenhouse. By selecting the right tomato type and maintaining a consistent temperature range, tomato cultivation can be successful in both indoor and outdoor environments.
📹 Get Your Tomatoes Through Hot (Maybe Humid) Weather
In this video I’ll show you a few ways to get your tomatoes through a heat wave or just regular heat and humidity. I will also show …
Can tomatoes get too hot in the greenhouse?
The University of Delaware states that tomatoes can tolerate extreme temperatures for short periods, but prolonged exposure to temperatures above 90°F (32°C) or 72°F (22°C) can cause the plant to abort flowers and fruit. This is because the pollen becomes sticky and nonviable, preventing pollination and causing the blossom to dry and drop. Most references suggest temperatures between 90-95°F (32-35°C) damage pollen and cause flower abortion. To combat this, greenhouse growers can use shade cloth, which provides shade without sap and falling leaves.
What is the lowest temperature tomatoes can tolerate?
Tomato plants are unable to survive in conditions below 35 degrees Fahrenheit (or 50 degrees Celsius). Gardeners may utilize a frost date calendar to ascertain the average dates of the last frost in spring and the first frost in fall for their region.
At what temp should I cover my tomatoes?
When temperatures drop below 50º F, it’s best to leave tomatoes on the vine for warmer days and nights. However, if temperatures are steadily decreasing, pick mature green tomatoes and bring them indoors. Store them in a shallow cardboard box, grouping them by color stage. Check ripening every few days and cook or compost any that develops soft spots. Fully mature green tomatoes typically ripen in two weeks at 70º F or four weeks at 55º F.
As tomatoes start to color, place them in a visible location and let them sit for a few more days to finish. Although they may not taste as good as those picked in summer, they’ll be significantly better than supermarket-quality tomatoes.
What is an ideal temperature for a greenhouse?
The optimal greenhouse temperature range for most common crops is 18°C (64°F – 75°F), which is commonly found in greenhouses worldwide. Temperatures outside this range can lead to slower growth and suboptimal crop quality. Controlling humidity is crucial in greenhouses and indoor growing facilities, as untreated humidity can cause problems and inefficiencies. Unoptimal conditions can result in slower growth, smaller crops, and reduced crop quality. Unchecked humidity can also cause condensation, leading to diseases like botrytis and downy mildew, which can rapidly destroy large amounts of vegetables, cannabis, or other crops.
Can tomatoes stay in a greenhouse?
There are various tomato varieties available, some suitable for outdoor planting and others thrive best in a greenhouse. Traditional tomato varieties like Cherry tomatoes (favorita), Plum tomatoes (Roma), Gemini, Beefsteak tomatoes (Marmande), and San Marzano are ideal for greenhouse cultivation. These varieties require ample light and the right temperature to thrive, making them suitable for outdoor or greenhouse planting.
Can a greenhouse get too hot for plants?
The sun’s powerful rays can penetrate glass and other manmade materials, damaging plants in greenhouses. Without proper ventilation, shade, or other cooling methods, plants will overheat, damaging their leaves and fruits while drying out the soil. To keep your greenhouse cool in summer, use ventilation as one of the best and most natural ways to keep it cool. It is also important during spring and autumn months when the sun is still powerful. The right type of ventilation will allow you to control the temperature in your greenhouse and provide the necessary warmth for your plants.
What is the best greenhouse temperature for tomatoes?
Tomato cultivation requires temperatures between 21-27°C (70-82°F) for optimal growth, pollination, and development. Nighttime temperatures may be 16-18°C (62-64°F). Tomato plants thrive within this range, exhibiting quick development, large yields, and high fruit quality. Depending on variety, they may grow well between 15-32°C (59-89°F). Germination of tomato seeds should occur between 18-29°C (65-85°F).
Should I shade my greenhouse with tomatoes?
Plant growth relies on light, so only the minimum amount of shading is needed to maintain temperatures below 25-27ºC (77-81ºF). However, allow as much light in as possible, especially for edible plants like tomatoes. Sun-loving plants like succulents don’t need shading, but providing shade can make the greenhouse more pleasant. There are various ways to shade greenhouses and conservatories, including external blinds, which provide shade and a cooling effect by preventing sun rays from passing through the glass, and internal blinds, which allow sunlight to pass through the glass and generate heat but are more easily automated. There are various materials available with varying degrees of shading and permeability to allow air exchange.
Why are my tomatoes dying in my greenhouse?
Tomato plants can wilt and die when they are not properly watered, which can be caused by various factors. Lack of water, fungal wilt diseases, tomato spotted wilt virus, walnut toxicity, and stalk borers are some of the potential causes. Tomato plants require approximately 1 inch of water per week, which can be re-established when soils are dry. A thorough watering once a week during hot, dry weather is sufficient. If using an overhead sprinkler, water the plants in the morning to reduce foliar disease problems.
Verticillium and Fusarium wilt are two common diseases that affect tomatoes and other tomato plants. These diseases overwinter as fungal spores in garden soil or on infected plant debris. The fungus enters the tomato plant through the roots, grows up into the main plant, and blocks water and nutrient movement, causing the leaves to turn yellow and wilt.
How do you support tomatoes in a greenhouse?
To secure a tomato plant in a greenhouse, attach a taut wire across the greenhouse and attach a cane to it. Another option is to tie a soft string to the wire and tie the other end loosely to the base of the tomato plant. The string should be slack to allow the tomato to gently wind around it as it grows. The author, a daughter of a farmer and market gardener, has a background in the outdoors and has worked at Hayes Garden World, focusing on environmentally friendly gardening. She has an HND and BSc in Conservation and Environmental Land Management.
What is the best temperature for tomatoes in a greenhouse?
Tomato cultivation requires temperatures between 21-27°C (70-82°F) for optimal growth, pollination, and development. Nighttime temperatures may be 16-18°C (62-64°F). Tomato plants thrive within this range, exhibiting quick development, large yields, and high fruit quality. Depending on variety, they may grow well between 15-32°C (59-89°F). Germination of tomato seeds should occur between 18-29°C (65-85°F).
📹 Greenhouse Gardening Tips For Growing Tomatoes
Greenhouse gardening tips from lovegreenhouses, footage courtesy of the BBC. We hope you enjoy this greenhousing tips video …
I’m in northeast Kansas. The heat index has been above 100° the past week. I have trimmed leaves back multiple times in the past 10 days, and they just keep growing faster than ever. My tomatoes have been thriving – blossoming and setting fruit far better than I ever hoped. I planted later than usual this year, and it seems my garden is healthier for it. I even have romaine thriving in this heat – and that was very unexpected!
Thanks for all the information! It is nice to have you back from your vacation! I wanted to give an update on what is happening in my “garden”. I live in an apartment and came across some old seeds. I was inspired after perusal a few of your articles. I had come across a bag of soil i had and planted some of the seeds. I planted a whole bunch of corn and two came up and are currently about five feet tall. The other thing i planted that came up was pickling cucumbers. Some came up. One is over six feet tall, you can almost watch it grow. The other one is more bushy and now, i am so exited, has flowers blooming! I have a couple of melons that came up as well and growing so fast. I have a huge patio door and planted all these things in front of it. I had to make a makeshift trellis using string and attached it to my curtain rod. It is not the prettiest thing but they love it. Now you may wonder why i did not put things out onto my balcony, well, we had an inspection and were not allowed to have any kind of trellis on the balcony. i am grateful for that as now, we are not allowed to have anything on our balcony as they are painting all three buildings in the complex. It all does look a bit weird all these strings hanging from my curtain rod but i am so thrilled to see what happens next. I wish i could send you a picture but i do not own a cell phone. I had to give up some things because of the cost. Cable was another one, which i am so grateful for as i would never have come across your website.
I’m in Northern New England, where summers are usually kind to my tomato plants…but not this year! We have had very unusual weather – excessive heat, rain, and humidity and my tomato plants are less than ideal right now. However, beginning tomorrow, the temps are to be back in the 70s/low 80s with dew points around 40%. I think I can hear their tomatoey sigh of relief already!
Just north of San Antonio, TX. Heat is the biggest issue. I’ve got 70% shade cloth over my entire garden. All of my tomatoes are over 10’ (use your trellis method and had to lower them already 😀) and they’re maintaining in the 100+ degree heat and even keeping blossoms and developing fruit but it’s much slower than in June. Seventy-five pounds of tomatoes off 45 plants so far.
Missouri here.. im super new to growing veggies and never knew about shade cloth but the black out curtain has done wonders! I have a few peas out side and they haven’t wilted or anything with this black out curtain that i use in the afternoon till the sun goes down a bit . Even my new bush beans love it. It’s all i had around the house but will for sure look into these shade cloths
Corpus Christi, Texas – we have been upper 90’s to low 100’s since pre-Memorial Day with extreme humidity! My tomatoes have been stressed and suffering since early June. My beefsteak and better boy tomatoes are the size of a golf ball at best, and they are rotting before they ripen. I do have my tomatoes on string trellis to grow vertically . I have done the aspirin but doesn’t seem to have helped. I have taken some splicings and started new plants for a 2nd planting. Also put 40% shade cloth over the new plants.
We live in the San Joaquin Valley in Modesto Ca. It has been an extremely hot summer. I’m not sure how many in total but there was 1 ten day stretch. Especially in my back yard where there is a pool and lots of patio areas. I put shade cloth on the afternoon sun side and has been the best tomato year we have had in 12 years.
Arkansas. Extremely hot. Heat index can go as high as 115. We’ve been under a severe heat warning all week. I just finished putting shade cloth over the tomato arches my husband did with hog panels. I had some shade cloth over them but it was low and needed more airflow. Now it’s high up with good airflow. Since pruning even my determinate tomatoes are coming back to life. I used white shade cloth and 50 %. A little more expensive but doesn’t soak up the heat. Need all the help we can get here!! Thank you for this article. I know it so frustrating when you work so hard in the garden and the sun burns it up. Blessings ❤️🌺
Atlanta 7B, high 90 degrees for three weeks little rain and my raised beds on concrete driveway and tomatoes doing well but slowing down. Best year for tomatoes in past 3-4 years and no blossom end rot that was prevalent last year. Humidity high as always in summer. Hand water most every day is very helpful. Thanks Bryan for all the information and help!
Thanks for this, Brian. We are in central Indiana (zone 6b) and it’s in the upper 90’s the past week with a lot of storms (3+” rain in the past 7 days) and very humid. So far, my hundreds of tomatoes (on just a few plants) are doing okay, ripening well… I am worried about them if the high temps/humidity continues much longer OR if we continue to get these storms every couple days. We have even had golf ball size hail. Again, thanks for all you do, Brian! 🙂
HUMIDITY in all caps, yes. I live in Tennessee and today it’s 97 plus 90 percent humidity. Shade, good pruning, and proper watering have been my tomato’s salvation. I placed them where they get shade from the tall trees during the afternoon (when the sun is most brutal). This works well. Shade cloths are also good but this year I haven’t needed them. Side Note: I appreciate that you’re a good teacher in explaining things like leaf curl etc. I’ve learned a lot from you. Thanx!
I am in East Coast Canada (PEI). We are running 28C most days with 75-90% humidity. This year we are also getting torrential rains (4-6 inch) about 2x a week. Most of my garden is showing signs of too much nitrogen from the rain. My cherry tomato plants (sungold) are already 6 ft tall. Trimmed off a lot of extra leaves today to help air flow. Also found a lot of fruit, hoping they will ripen soon!
I found the answer for west Texas. I accidentally tried a new type called Heatmaster. It survived the weeks of 100 degree heat bloomed the entire time and has produced dozens of tomatoes. Right now in mid September we have 90 degrees and the plat has dozens of tomatoes on it. I got this plant from a local nursury, so you likely will have to start this type from seed. It does get afternoon shade and I am sure that helps.
I live in ill and humid weather is bad right now . The weather has been 90 plus and I am also having green bugs eating my Tomatoes. I just want to thank you for this website. I feel more confident in gardening now. I would love to know your thoughts on keeping the green bugs away from my tomatoes. Even though it is not the topic of the article.
Comment solely based on the title… Here in Spokane, we’ve either been in the hi 80’s to low 100’s for the last several weeks. Had a few “cooler” days a couple of weeks ago and decided to put up some 60% shade cloth to help protect the tomatoes. Glad that I did… tomatoes are happy and thriving. Today, I’m in the process of shading the beans, radish, and future peas. It’s 11:30pst and already 85.
Southern Delaware here. Temps this week have been in the 90s with up to 90% humidity. Tomatoes are producing well under 40% shade cloth in containers. It rained so hard here last night that we got .56 inches of rain in about 10 minutes. It broke some of the stems on the beefsteak tomatoes even though they had some protection from the deluge from the shade cloth. No new flowers are being produced until it gets cooler. I grafted my own tomatoes this year and it has made a big difference. I advise most people who are thinking about trying grafting to go for it. There are lots of articles on YouTube that explain how to do it and it is not expensive.
I live in the HOT Central Valley of California. Not humid much at all, people call it a “dry heat” and yet I sweat just as much so there’s that. July was nearly all over 100 degrees in temps. Today Im canning tomato sauce from the marzanos and romas. So many plants!! I planted six Marzano tomato plants and six Roma tomatoes. In addition Ive got six big boy tomato plants and six early girl plants. So far, I have dehydrated 50 lbs of tomatoes. I have gallons and gallons of tomatoes in the freezer because I cannot keep up with them! Brian I blame you for this tomato insanity! 😂 😊 🍅 🍅 🍅 (seriously, thanks for teaching so well!) what really needs shade are my pepper plants which are getting sunburned. I have not shaded my tomatoes at all because its too difficult for me to build a shade structure.
Both here. And they shut off our water Brian. Last year same thing happened. Too late for mine. Except 1. It was growing a sucker near the bottom. I left it . When the whole plant gave out, I just cut the stem above the sucker. So far it’s doing great. We passed the 90. We are well into the hundreds. I think even the bugs are hiding…lol
We have been hot and dry in southern Kentucky for the last two or three weeks. It hit 100 degrees yesterday and we put up shade cloth over my raised tomato bed. In my potager garden I think I need to get in there and prune some for air flow. One plant looks like it has a lot of blight. I think it’s either a Big Boy or a Beefsteak. The label is under there somewhere. I have drip irrigation and I love it. Hand watering the pots has been brutal in this heat. We have another garden that has to be watered by hand. it is impossible to water it every day but we are trying to keep it alive until it rains. The peppers in that garden were stunted by the cool nights in May and seemed to sit there not growing for a few weeks but they started growing in July and have just now started to produce a lot. They are thriving in the heat! I got your book when it first came out and it’s a great reference and source of answers to questions about garden plants. You did a great job with that book. It’s more than just companion planting.
We are in zone 7B. We have not had a day under 100 degrees since about the 20th of June and no let up in site. Although we have not been in the 110-114 degree days for about a week. As dry as it is here our humidity right now is at 25% which is high for our area. We have a shade cloth that covers our entire section of thirty tomato plants. Each in its own “mineral” tub. Been VERY frustrating the last month or so. Then looking at the plants this morning the tomatoes seem to be making a comeback of sorts!
Thank you! I’m in Zone 7B here under extreme heat advisory/warnings. Real feel 108+ degrees. Hanging 40% shade cloth for the first time. I’m surprised at the lack of good information on the subject. Most articles shows how/methods for hanging. No one dives into any facts or science. What % let’s plants grow but still protect? To much stunts growth or to little not affective? I guess I’m into the details and can’t find any.
Zone 9a Santa Clara Valley, CA so heat. Humidity not so much. I use 15-20 gallon grow bags with a coconut husk mulch and water every third day and check between with a moisture meter. So far so good as I haven’t got the drip reinstalled after the winter so it’s all by hand for the moment. I do water until it looks like the bag is wet all the way to the bottom. I did not shade and have notice a lack of fruit set. My bad. Thanks for the article. The information is appreciated.
Azores, Portugal. Super high humidity all year around 80-90% but not too hot (around 25 degrees celcius during peak summer). First time growing tomatoes and only got 4 out of the 10 I planted left due to disease. However 4 is plenty and they seem to be doing well! It’s also still been raining a lot this month which helps.
Thank you this was super helpful! I was wondering if you have any recommendations for getting rid of winged root aphids. I seem to have thousands upon thousands of them in my garden bed and have no idea how to get rid of them! Or if you already have a article about this I haven’t seen 🙂 thanks in advance!
In the high plains of northeast CO, we’ve had high 90°F to 100°F for a week. Finally down to 90°F today; next week with several days of rain it will cool off to high 80°s F. Temps are just all over the place like the humidity. We did have a record breaking cooler/ rainier spring, so a late start. Shade cloth everywhere, bottom pruned all my plants, and just gave all my plants liquid fertilizer with aspirin drench. I’m checking soil to 6″ with my moisture gauge before watering. Things are taking off, finally! Fingers crossed the storm tonight does not bring hail.
Zone 5b Intermountain Pacific Northwest. Current temperature 90 F, humidity 17%. Very dry and hot. Paste tomatoes and slicers not doing great, but as usual the cherry tomatoes are going wild. In past summers I have used shade cloth over the paste tomatoes and that has definitely helped. We probably will not have any rain until at least September.
Ok Reason I subscribed is…… In Panhandle of Florida. But lived in Franklin, TN last year and had excellent results with my tomatoes. Planted 5 here this year with two squash and one cucumber and not good results. Did have some good results with my cherry tomatoes and Romas. Can I send you picture and you tell me what I need to do. Just planted a Determent (sp) in a pot. Want to plant another cucumber and this time bought a cage that it can grow up. Should I pull all the others up? Picture you could tell me or a article. Thanks
I live in North Joshua Tree California. Elevation is 2800. I have all my tomatoes in a 2800 cu sq ft greenhouse. I have 16mm greenhouse covering over a wood frame. Shade cloth for the summers only. West wall is solid wood because of the brutal desert winds and summer sun. The cooling system is a Bonaire Durango evaporative cooler & three extra fans to circulate the air. Temperatures inside the greenhouse can approach 90 to 91 on very hot days when it is 112 degrees outside. On days in the 100-105 range the greenhouse remains around 80-85. I get a variety of tomatoes on huge vines all year and I DO WATCH the watering and ignore them for a day or 2 then flood them. All tomatoes are in large pots and doing very well. July I get 10-20 cherry tomatoes a week. In the winter months I can get maybe 50 per week. They love the cooler months!! Took a bunch of years to get this system down and I am always making adjustments. I also have grapes, strawberries, cucumbers, basil and an avocado tree in there doing well for now. Bell peppers were moved out of the greenhouse because they attract too many bugs. For bug control I have massive spider webs filled with dozens of these tiny spiders who make a symmetrical web that catches most all over the flying pests! For rodent control I have a couple large rattlesnakes living in there and we get along just fine! I have professionally handled and kept pet snakes for many years! No rats and no mice!!! PS I write gardening articles for Joshua Tree Voice Magazine in the winter months (Rattlesnake articles during the summer) yet I am still just learning and offer my personal experiences over book learning.
I’m in Northwest Montana and my tomatoes seem to be thriving, especially since we got a drip system going this spring. We haven’t had any rain for almost a month now and temps have been in 80’s and lower 90’s. I tried growing some Pineapple Tomatoes which I thought were doing great, however as it’s showing many nice tomatoes, all of them have blossom end rot. So frustrating! I sprayed them with a cal magnesium solution. Do you think that should do the trick? I also put up a shade cloth as the afternoon sun really beats down.
I’m in zone 8b in the PNW. The heat usually isn’t the issue, nor the humidity. In fact, I struggle more with when I can get them outside as it’s normally not in the 50s at night until mid June or later. Though I did notice that when I grew on my rooftop patio with absolutely no shade, the tomatoes all had leaf curl and got really beat up. I figured they would love the sun, but turns out there’s a limit. Shade cloth helped on the most brutal days, but the late afternoon sun just fried them. I have been growing them in my courtyard that last couple years where they get a break from the afternoon sun and these are some of the healthiest tomatoes I’ve grown.
I live in northeast Sacramento County, California. Mostly mid to upper 90s and above. Had consecutive days over 110 and to 112 then upper 90s to low 100s. (Last year it made it to 115). All tomatoes are producing and I’m experimenting with 5 varieties and locations. Have been having some annoying problems with sun scald, getting blistered and essentially cooking on the vine. Beautiful tomatoes until that happened. The ones that are doing amazingly well are planted where they gets morning and afternoon shade. Was worried they wouldn’t get a full 6 hours but it doesn’t seem to matter; they look really healthy and are producing the largest tomatoes. Some in full sun did better than others with some having fewer or no sun blisters. Others had every single tomato blister in a day and are just now starting to stay green. I thought I was going to lose them but the stems still had a lot of green. Still trying to figure out why some did better than others, especially the same variety, in full sun and others didn’t, just curious. I have not put up shades yet. So far no pests, though a friend downtown has had big problems with hornworms and nematodes. Jalapeños planted next to some tomatoes now thriving though at first overcome with something putting holes in the leaves, perhaps they outlived the bugs lifecycle. Love the articles!
Far SE corner of New Mexico. Chihuahua dessert. Zone 8. My entire garden (except corn) is in raised beds. Day temps have been 105-115. Night temps 75-85. Leaf curl is more common than flat leaves. From mid June to mid August I spend my time trying to keep everything alive. Mid August to early November plants recover and grow and produce well again.
Redding, CA. It’s been 110+ for over a week, yesterday it starting cooling down to 98ish. Yea! My problem here is su burn. I cover my tomato bed with an old sheet late morning and remove later when it’s shaded. Is coated aspirin okay to use if I make sure it disolves? Thanks for all your garden tips and tricks!
Zone 6b/7a – HOT & HUMID North/Middle Tennessee. Today we were 96 with a ‘feels like’ of 107. Not sure the exact humidity number but I’m calling it Super Sticky. I have my cherry tomatoes planted in containers by the side of the house, so they can at least get the afternoon shade. I check them daily in the early morning and pick them as soon as they are ripe. Yes, I prune the excess leaves for air flow.
North central Alabama, zone 7b here. We’ve had temps consistently in the 90’s with high humidity for several weeks. I expected production to be down but I’m currently in a battle with critters eating all my tomatoes including my green tomatoes!!! Bird netting didn’t help. They go under it and climb up the plants. Haven’t found any product so far that works because near daily rain washes it away. Any ideas how to save what’s left of my plants?
Mojave Desert, So Cal. Growing on a concrete slab in 5 gal buckets raised up on bricks with lots of half inch holes drilled in the sides & 3 half inch holes in the bottom. 30% topsoil, 30% peat moss & 30% manure soil mixture amended with 10_10_10 when planted. 50% shade cloth on all sides & top – sides more as a wind block. Buckets have 4 foot cages in them, plus side stakes & a center line of paracord attached to a beam 8 feet up overhead to give plenty of support in the wind. Water 3 times a day – heavier at sunrise, light at noon, medium at sundown with a cup of compost tea brewed in a 20″ x 30″ shade cloth “tea bag” inside a 55 gal drum. “Tea” made from 20% peat, 20% steer manure, 20% chicken manure & 20% homemade compost. Misters run under the shade cloth during the afternoon on days when the temps are 80° & above. We have a lot of high, gusty hot winds that pick up around 4 pm & suck everything dry. Fertilize with fish emulsion once every 2 weeks sprayed on the leaves during misters running, and a homemade liquid fertilizer of potassium, phosphate & calcium mixed in the sundown water once during odd weeks between the fish emulsion. High maintenance, but seems to be working. So far. The cherry tomatoes love it. Everything else is hanging in there. Circimstances made us get a late start & we didn’t get anything planted until Mother’s Day weekend, so the youngish plants didn’t have time to really get well established before we hit our usual triple digits. But it’s not like I have to worry about running out of summer.
Fort Smith, AR heat, something turning them mushy and grayish, and some pesky critter just peaking/scratching some of them. I’ve lost probably 20-25/50 by now 😢😢😢 started some news plants, but I don’t know if they’ll reach harvest before winter. The reason I think gest has a lot to do with this is because between the pruning, neem oil, marigolds, and zinnias I really didn’t think I’d lose this many! But my tomato plants look very dry even with me watering 3x a week, growing with compost she mulch, and I’ve fertilized.
Central NJ. My tomatoes had a great start, but they usually stop setting flowers or fruit in the heat and especially humidity we have here. always so disappointing, because by the time the humidity is over, they start with blight, etc. Trying to stagger them a bit this year by taking suckers and rooting them.
Here in North Alabama near the Tennessee state line it becomes almost useless to try and maintain tomato plants after 4th of July. You may as well pull them up. Weeks and weeks of 90 degree and higher temperatures lay ahead with unrelenting and punishing humidity. So get your plants started early indoors from seed by February and set them out as early in April as you can even if you still need to cover them at night to avoid frost. Early Girl Tomatoes are ideal. By end of May you are looking at the first 90 degree days. Good news is you get a second chance for another crop in Fall. Last year my Fall Tomatoes produced better then Spring and Summer did. I start them from very small suckers of Spring plants before diseases have occurred. I put them in 5 gallon buckets of potting soil. keeping them indoors in a sunny area under air conditioning out of the humidity and heat. Last week of August I take them outdoors into the Sun leaving them in the buckets to grow. I harvest right up to Thanksgiving and sometimes even Christmas or near to it. I still have them on the dinner table New Year’s Day. In the Fall I know the blasting temps are over so I grow verities like Black Krim and others that won’t take humid hot weather. I don’t plant verity that take more then 70 days however. To risky for 80 and 90 day verities with Winter just ahead. Do those in late March or early April. This is based on my 47 year experience since moving here. It works for me!
I am having issues with blossom end rot after a 105° humid day. I am still taking them off the plant as they show themselves. smh I am up in the Tehachapi’s of CA and we are in the 90’s on a daily basis. Such weird weather the last two years. I have gotten rid of a lot of leaves for better air flow and I am watering every other day at the bottom of the plant. They are under a shade sail as our UV Index is between a 10 -11. I have also mixed in calcium into the soil.
Both for me. I fortunately have mid afternoon shade and while it takes longer for mine to mature, I don’t have as much problem with cracking. I also use the water from my air conditioner. The heat is an issue. This week we have had temperatures at or above 100. This heat wave is about to end fortunately.
South Central Kentucky drought conditions. While other parts of the state have had rain we have not. We have a lot of humidity in the air but no rain. So it is hot (upper 90s ) and dry (no rain) but still it’s humid. Night time temperatures in the mid 80s The heat is oppressive and dangerous to be outside and work in here! It gets hot early too. At least we don’t have the smoke from the Canadian wildfires the last few days. It was bad last week. It looked like fog last week but it was the wildfire smoke.
I’m in west central MN, just east of Fargo, ND. I used to have a problem with blights but since I tuned into Brian, I’ve been using the string technique and trimming the bottom leaves to keep air flow. I haven’t seen blight since. This year, I am dealing with more than wanted hot humid weather. I don’t have a shade cloth yet, but am putting shade cloth on my list. August has yet to happen. Drip irrigation is also on my list. Hoping to get something started before fall. Never a dull moment in the garden :)). Thank you Brian.
Central Texas and temps staying above 100! But my tomatoes are doing ok! Some get afternoon shade where they’re planted. Something got 2 plants, one early on so I pulled before it could damage the others. The next got pulled a few weeks ago, but it produced a good bit of tomatoes so I’m ok. The 3 plants I have left are doing ok! 2 get good afternoon shade, the other not as much but it’s still looking pretty good. I just sprayed everything for diseases so hopefully I won’t lose these last 3. But I have a freezer shelf full of Roma, and other tomatoes so I’m happy! Good amount to can once it cools some.
Questions; Here in Oklahoma it’s in the 100’s with very high humidity. The Qu: I have is anyone else in my area or surrounding States experiencing a black beetle looking bug that’s ravishing all their leafs in their garden? If so what are they and how do get rid of them. 2. Will the plants come back from this attack on them. Like my tomato plants? They have fruit still on them. Thank you for your help and advice.
I live in south florida, zone 10b. And most of my tomato plants are sying off and giving their last fruits, here the problem is the heat (90-100 degrees during the day. sometimes more) and the humidity, florida is always humid. To that, add that we get heavy rains at night, so gardening has been very challenging these months because during the day, plants get cooked, and at night, they get drowned.
Brian can you send some of your heat over to Scotland. Contrary to what the BBC might pump out in the east of Scotland the beginning (2 weeks) were cold and cloudy. July has been bad all month. With my solar generation in June I was regularly getting 30kwh generation. July I’ve been lucky to get 20kwh and it has rained sometimes heavily every day. My tomatoes and cucumbers are suffering and I won’t get a good yield unless August improves dramatically. Hope your plants do well.
My tomato plants look terrible. We have had so much rain in MA I think they’ve been drowned. It looks like wilt but not sure if it is that or just too much water. Branches are turning yellow too. So disappointing to see all the hard work go down the tubes. We’ve had sooo many earwigs this year too. We usually have to deal with them but this year they’re everywhere. They’ve done a job on my pepper plants. I’ll be lucky to get anything out of 3 large raised beds this year.
north Texas here, 100+ for three weeks, and no rain for over a month. I garden on Black clay, have heavily modified my soil for three years, and mulch heavily with wheat straw. Lost all my tomatoes and beets this year for the second year in a row. Water with harvested rainwater, until it ran out, then with city water. Finally gave up when i just couldn’t put enough on and no fruit set anyway. I’m about to give up. This Texas heat is just brutal.
Central Valley CA (Fresno) 100+ most of July – Sept. All in containers/grow bags early morning shade, some late afternoon shade. On drip daily for 30 min. They get pretty rough by Aug but I’ve had them start producing again in Oct/Nov in the past. My Kellogg’s Breakfast finally has 1 fruit after being planted the same time as all my others in April. Disappointed but still hopeful.
I live in Southern California, Riverside County (about an hour north of you), and we are in the triple digits, with high humidity, especially in the mornings….it’s pretty disgusting, honestly. My cherry tomato varieties are producing, not as well as they should, but I DO have tomatoes. My romas and slicers have REALLY been hurting!
In southwest Florida, temperatures are in mid 90stwo upper 90s at times., Doesn’t get below 80 even at night time. Humidity runs very high most people here just don’t grow tomatoes through the summer we can grow them in the fall and we can throw them in the spring.And unfortunately our summers do run a little long doesn’t start cooling down till late September October.
I’m in west mid South Dakota. Last year tennis ball size hail took garden out.. This year it’s been unusually wet. We had a downpour, almost a flood. We on and off get 70MPH winds. Growing our tomatoes on strings, not as professional as your set up. We have a dozen plants grown from seed. Some are about 6′ tall. We have about 20 green tomatoes but many flowers just fall off. 2 plants have never had flowers and leaves are curled. Green tomatoes were getting bigger then temperatures got into the 90s. If we don’t get a boat load of tomatoes I don’t think I’ll try the string method again.
It’s hot here.. and humid (mid-GA) so heat blight is an issue but not nearly as annoying as horn worms (and birds) I’ve been nabbing 3-4 a day off the tomatoes and peppers for weeks now. I was told that it’s too hot to be spraying oils, like neem, on plants ..high 90s and triple digits makes leaves cook.. allegedly.
Shade – and indirect sunlight, UV rays, infra-red et al heat, (humidity), shade cloth, or “shade gazebo” with shade curtaining Airflow – properly pruned out tomato plants, cool winds, drying winds, cut off lower limbs 1-2 feet height older plants, prune out non-fruiting branches between fruiting branches allowing greater sun-maturation of fruits, and greater airflow through plant (dry plant, no mold, mildew, fungus leaves) Properly grown tomato plants – vertical is the most-logical Knowing “when” to water tomato plants for hydration – pre-dawn, early dark morning 2-5 AM watering of the roots Knowing “when” to water-mist tomato plants for cooling down (and any needed humidity-reduced plant heat/leaves/roots wilt) – dusk, post-night, depending on the last sunlight, 6-10 PM, cooling leaves, branches, limbs, stalks, plants, soil mulch Proper mulching of the soil cover keeping the plant’s roots moist and cool (and irrigated) allow proper transpiration through plant throughout the entire 24 hours. Gardens need 3-4-6 inches of proper mulching and compost (that turns to black gold soil) – seems a lot but starts turning 1+ inches into black gold soil in first year, and so on. Pile on the mulching, stops rain bounce and single-celled soil blight virus from infecting plants, and allowing wet molds, mildews, fungus crawing up from mulch onto stalk and up onto plant – bare stalk and sunlight UV kills off that attitude (!) Proper fertilization (in-cycle water) irrigation in early-morning versus soil surface compost/mulching (separate issue) and surface drip (or sub-surface) irrigation.
Are you kidding! Where I live, it’s the gates of he** all summer(North Central Texas-8a). I pull 90% of my tomatoes by mid-June. Sometimes I leave indeterminates doing well without much disease. Ill then add compost & fertilizer & plant my seedlings by early July. My fall crop of tomatoes is almost always better, unless we get an early freeze. I only plant paste tomatoes as I prefer canning when it gets somewhat cooler-usually in October. Both in the spring & fall, if any green tomatoes remain, I ferment them with pickling spices.
Well I got some Tomatoes. They started growing. And then it was over 100° with about 90% humidity for weeks. And they’re still just small and green. My whole garden this year has been a mess. We’ve had horrific storms that have wiped a lot of it out. Or it just didn’t grow after that. Don’t get me started on my onions, lol. I just can’t grow onions.
Scientific studies show that above 25 degrees Celsius, tomatoes begin to lose productivity. However, these studies also show that very high humidity, between 70 and 85%, is favorable to tomato growing. Personally, my tomatoes benefit from air humidity of between 60 and 70% during the day and 85% at night, and I have no disease problems while enjoying good production.
Just a little bit of history, from México to southamerica, before the spanish came to America, the INDIGENAS cooked and ate these fruits. Aztecs and Mexicans used to call them xīctomatl and that meant the fruit with bellybutton. Now, in México it is called JITOMATE. Here in USA and most of the world are called tomato, thanks to the spanish who did not know how to pronounce xīctomatl.
Can anyone tell me if I use fine mesh garden netting to keep bugs away from my tomatoes, I assume that will keep the bees away as well which means they can’t pollinate my plants. Does that mean I have to use the electric toothbrush to pollinate my tomatoes once I put the netting over the plants to keep the bugs out??????
It’s 103°F with 38% humidity in Southern California. My tomatoes are surviving so far. Although I have noticed the bottom of some come to a point and its almost see through and tan/brownish looking. I remove those as soon as I see them. Anyone know what it might be? It doesn’t look like bottom end rot.
Tomatoes want sunlight, not heat. Anything over 80 will ruin them in San Antonio. You’ll have better luck growing them in a pot underneath a ceiling fan on your porch, or planted under a tree. Potted works great because if they start to look taxed and exhausted then you can move them to a cooler place to recover.
Tomatoes buried deeply do not grow extra roots, they grow replacement roots, & there is an important difference: the time & energy taken to replace these roots is wasted in what, in the UK is a short growing season. Tomatoes have surface roots, which they use to drink & breathe, and a tap root, which is for times of drought. When you bury a leggy tomato deeply, it does not grow roots all along the buried stem. Why not? Easy, they’re of no use. ERGO, the roots you have buried are of no further use. Furthermore, in terms of the stability of the plant, this method is unnecessary too. In the USA, its normal to grow all tomatoes as bushes, as the far better light there allows this successfully, & burying deeply does give far more stability, but in the UK we grow cordons as single, or at most double, stems & support them with canes or strings, making deep planting unnecessary.