Hot Weather Tomatoes

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texasweed

Hot Weather Tomatoes

Post by texasweed » April 4th, 2013, 10:56 pm

Well it is that time of year again, and I thought I would share some Hot Weather Growing Tips I have learned over a few decades living in Texas. I am certain others like me have a terrible time getting tomato plants to bear fruits in hot weather. In addition the plants just up and dieing when it gets hot. Well fear not my friends I have some proven methods.

Th every first thing is picking the right tomato varieties. Don't fear i even have ways for those tomatoes that do not do good in Summer heat. More on that in a minute. So here are some proven hot weather performers. As you can see there is quite a good selection.

Bingo
Carnival
Celebrity
Heatwave
Merced
Sunmaster
President
Sunny
Late Surefire
Surefire
Porter Improved
Porter's Pride
Red Cherry Grande
Small Fry
Better Bush
Big Beef
Carmello
Dona
Floramerica
Jet Star:
Wild Texas Tomato

If you notice many of these are Early and Mid season tomatoes and a few late season fruits. The reason for the early varieties is straight forward, they will develop and rippen fruit before the hot weather arrives. So here is the first two tips:

1. Choose proven hot weather varieties.

2. Plant as early as you can. I start from seeds at Xams and New Years. I also start seeds in 2-week successions for a total 3 successions. I hedge my bet. The first succession goes out late February or very early March.If those get froze out, I have two more chances. Any left over I give away. I also start seeds in mid July, more on that in a moment.

The next 2 tips have to do with mulches and watering. Most probably know this already, but I may have a twist you might not know and may want to try. So the tips are.

3. Use mulch, use mulch, use mulch but not any ole mulch. Use light colored mulches as they will reflect the sun light and keep the soil from heating as much compared to darker mulches. I use two mulches. Alfalfa hay with newspaper on top of Alfalfa. Many I know just use newspaper.

4. Do not water from overhead. Use either Drip Irrigation or Soaker Hoses. When you water from over head, you will get one of the fungal diseases guaranteed which will do the plant in and yu will not be able to enjoy late season mators.

Ok the next tip has to do with light.

5. Plant where the tomatoes get afternoon shade after 3:00 or 4:00 pm. Either that or use shade cloth.

OK next tip you may think I am crazy, but I learned this one from my friend one of the greatest tomato growers there is by the late Darrell Merrell aka Tomato Man out of Tulsa OK. This also has to do with growing late season tomatoes to get a bumper crop in the fall. In about the second week June or whenever the daily temps start getting up in the 90's and the blossoms start dropping off. PRUNE THE PLANTS hard. That means about 50%. So th enext tips are:

6. When it starts getting hot Prune the plants and reduce them a good 50% or even more if they are excessively large. Start with the bottom branches or any vine likely to touch the ground.

7. Do not fertilize the plants after the first fruit sets and it gets hot. We want to slow the growth down to a crawl. Keep them Pruned until cooler weather arrives in late Summer or early Fall.

8. Keep the much up and heavy application of mulch.

9. Keep them watered.

10. Give them shade starting around noon or 1:00 pm. Shade cloth is your friend.

OK now for the next tips is the reward for all the hard work you have done. You will be awarded with a bumper crop with late season mators. When the weather starts cooling off in late Summer or Early fall and some rains return.You are looking for the period of time day time highs are below 90 degrees.

11. Remove shade cloth if used.

12. Give the plants a good shot of fertilizer with nitrogen to rejuvenate the plants.

13. Give them one more light pruning by removing any sickly vines.

OK the last 3 tips are for a Fall harvest. It is also the time to get a lot of fruit for those tomatoes that do not produce in hot climates like my favorite Cherokee Purple. The cooler weather will revive the plants like new again and set fruit like crazy. So here are the last tips.

14. You are blessed living in a hotter climate. Not only do you get to plant early and have mators in April or May, You get a second planting season for a fall harvest all the way up to Turkey day or first frost whichever comes first.

15. In mid July, start seeds indoors to transplant them after summer heats breaks.

16 You can take cuttings in August, use rooting hormone compound, root the cuttings to plant when Summer heat breaks.

Hope you found this helpful and enjoy them home grown mators.

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