Many people at our farmers' market booth ask if it is too late to plant tomatoes now that August has hit, and the answer is no! To start them from seed, it's late, but to transplant them in the ground is still a perfect time. We have some tips on how to successfully grow tomatoes in late summer through late autumn!
Tomatoes are annuals that most people will plant in late February and early March and will dispose of them around mid-summer once production slows down. But wait! Tomatoes can still produce now! Stagger your tomato plants, planting them every three weeks or so for a more continuous harvest. Some advice from local tomato farmers suggest that planting tomatoes near trees, near other tall plants, or even covering them with shade cloth are all great ways to prevent the bright, summer sun from sunburning the plants, not to mention that the sun this time of the season in California greatly rises the temperature of the plant, high temperatures that the tomato plants don't particularly like. Tomatoes love heat, but too, too much can be stressful for it, which is why giving them a little shade is the way to go!
Most tomato plants only have a two-month cycle of consistent production before they slow down, whether they are planted as early as February or later on in August. If you notice your tomato plants slowing own right now, chances are, it is one of two things: Either too much sun, or your tomato plants were planted earlier on in the year and are now reaching the end of their production cycle. This is when staggering your tomato planting comes in handy.
Lucky, many nurseries, including ourselves, have gorgeous tomato plants ready for transplant! Because our weather is still hot through November, we our lucky enough to be able to keep on planting tomatoes this "late" in the season. So, while you're waiting for the temps to cool down for fall plants, continuing on with your summer veggies is still a great time. No need to rush the gardening process! Happy tomato planting!
No comments:
Post a Comment