# Planting tomatoes



## tec (Jul 20, 2007)

I'm itching to plant tomatoes here in League City but see that it's supposed to go down into the 30's in another week so think I'll hold off. Anyone braver than me already planted?


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## TUNDRA (Nov 29, 2017)

planted mine last Thursday.


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## stammster - temporary (Jul 20, 2009)

Planted mine today. Any later and they will not be ready before it gets too hot in the summer.


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## MichaelW (Jun 16, 2010)

Mine are in the ground. If it gets too cold, they can be covered.


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## BretE (Jan 24, 2008)

Wife planted hers yesterday along with a bunch of other stuff. Gonna find out how well seagulls like strawberries...


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## jm423 (Sep 18, 2011)

Mine are in ground. In couple days will mulch, cage, put windbreak (aka paper feed sack) on North east side of cage. Later, depending on weather, take paper sack off, put shade cloth on SW side of cage. Trouble/ work? Yes, but it works for me.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

Hedge your bets. Put a few in now and then some later.

It doesnâ€™t have to be all now or all later. Tomatoes tend to sulk in cool weather. If it stays cool for long, the early planting doesnâ€™t give you a bunch of extra production.


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## fishingtwo (Feb 23, 2009)

I put some in the ground yesterday. I went with the roma, husky cherry and regular cherry.


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## jtburf (May 26, 2004)

Mine are 2.5ft tall and baring small mators already.

Just cover them that 1 night.


John


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Experience has shown me its just too early to put mine in the ground yet here just north of Livingston (snow on April 15 years back). 

I have the first group of transplants growing in nice individual pots in warm soil until the time is right. Outside soil temps here are about 50 deg with near freeze conditions predicted for several nights next week. There is just no advantage, in my experience, to putting tomato plants in the ground that cold in this area...in fact, it sets them back and retards production. Yes, they can be covered but you can't warm that soil and they won't recover to ever catch up to plants kept in warmer soils. 

I'll plant in two stages at least. The first group (about 10 pants) will be the Whoppers, celebrity, and cherry tomatoes. The second group(about 10 plants) will be the heat resistant varieties like heat master and also the romos. These won't go in the ground until about tax day. 

I have found this approach to work best for me to maximize production over the longest time period possible. Its a marathon not a sprint. My heat masters produced last year up to September giving us a constant supply of tomatoes. We canned about 30 quarts of Whoppers and romos while eating fresh tomatoes all spring and summer. 

You just can't beat the taste of home grown tomatoes.


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## reel thing (Jul 1, 2010)

Still have to take mine out of the pots they are about 1' 6" inches tall with buds.


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## BillieWillie (Feb 19, 2019)

planted yesterday, hope that they will be OK.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

Looks like a lite freeze from Conroe north next week. I would plant some now but can not find the ones I want. Have seeds but forgot to start them last month. I have a case of 100 watt bulbs that I bought just for times like this.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

MichaelW said:


> Mine are in the ground. If it gets too cold, they can be covered.


That's true but not much you can do about the soil temps. A transplanted tomato plant will quickly go into shock and likely will never recover to produce what a healthy plant will produce....if it encounters low soil temps.

It is easy to prove this to yourself in an experiment. Hold off transplanting one until the soils warm and compare its production to a plant transplanted now.

Here's an excellent article that has a table which takes the guess work out of it.

http://www.gardenersnet.com/gardening/seed-germination-soil-temperatures.htm


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

I put 5 out last week. Put the store bought cages over them, but not the concrete mesh cage yet. I guess I'll put garbage bags over them overnight.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

Mine are up about three or four inches, but are still in my little green house. I will put them out after this next cold snap has past.


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## Shooter (Jun 10, 2004)

My soil temps have not gotten above 60 yet so all are green house kept for now. I'm hoping to fully plant the whole garden with in the next two weeks. Onions are doing great.


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## Sugars Pop (Jul 10, 2008)

Where do you buy your tomatoes and peppers. Lowes , Home Depot , Walmart etc are locked in with the crooks(Bonnies) now and charge $3.79/plant. What happened to 4 packs and 6 packs at these stores. Need 20 Tomato plants and 40 peppers but not spending $200.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

A&A still sells multi packs. In Montgomery. Bonnie has found out they can make more money off the 4 inch single pots. Also Growers Outlet used to sell multipacks in Willis. Gonna stop in and see Terry and see if they still sell the multipacks. He does not handle Bonnie plants.


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## bowmansdad (Nov 29, 2011)

HEB had their 4â€ plants for $1.50, buy 2 and get 1 free with coupon. Donâ€™t know if itâ€™s still on, Iâ€™ll check in the morning.


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## hk (Oct 31, 2011)

I got bonnies tomatos in sixpacks for 3.48 about 2 weeks ago at walmart in pearland.

Sent from my SM-G550T1 using Tapatalk


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## tec (Jul 20, 2007)

The weather forecast seems to be OK so I planted a dozen Celebrity plants yesterday. I bought a couple of 6 packs at Home Depot. Looking forward to some home grown maters.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

Houston garden Centers has all 4" vegetable plants for 1.19.


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## TUNDRA (Nov 29, 2017)

SeaOx 230C said:


> Houston garden Centers has all 4" vegetable plants for 1.19.


I'll be going there at lunch to replace all that the freeze took away.


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## jm423 (Sep 18, 2011)

Not withstanding my previous post, will be re-planting next day or so!


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

I ended up putting buckets over mine. Worked good.
I try to buy from Houston Garden Center when I can. Good east side local boy owns it.


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## CathyS (Mar 11, 2019)

I am such a lazybones this time, didn't plant anything ;( Am I the only one?


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

Just wanted to put a plug out for the 2 feed stores in Coldspring. 6 packs $2.50 at the feed store in town. The main reason I wanted to mention these people was the plants they have are the best looking I have seen around from Coldspring to Montgomery. Seems like this year the plants are a little weak looking but not at these guys and gals.
I did finally find some Super sweet 100 cherry tomatoes in 4 inch pots at a one day sale. Good deal. Got 10. I really like these and they produce all summer.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

I wonder who or which place has the most variety of sets? Thereâ€™s 600 or more varieties of tomatoes and itâ€™s lucky if any one place has more than a dozen. Just ate a â€œblue beautyâ€ tomato variety today. What a beautiful tomato. 

I think next year Iâ€™m going to order seeds and plant something besides Celebrity and the same old same old.


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## jm423 (Sep 18, 2011)

If any of you wander through Yoakum, check out Handy Stop Nursery. Good selection of varieties, at least some of which I think he raises from seed on site. Not especially cheap but as the saying goes "sometimes you get what you pay for". PS--I have no fiscal or financial connection to the above mentioned business other than as a repeat customer.


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