Today was a very exciting day. I planted my very first tree! It's a beautiful, 10 foot 'Prairifire' crabapple tree. It cost too much, but it sure looks nice in my yard.
I almost planted my tomatoes today. They are about two feet tall. I think one is about to get blossoms on it. Although their aren't any days in the 30s predicted in the weekly forecast, I'm trying to be patient. It's tough, but I would hate to have to find a dozen things to cover them up with. It would be too stressful for me...and the plants. I just have to keep in mind that the last frost we had last season came on May 23rd! Our average last frost is between May 10th and 15th.
Here is a picture of how my tomatoes are doing. Also you can see in the picture the pink, salmon, and red impatiens that I took cuttings from last season. A Thumbelina zinnia plant on the bottom left. Scarlet Starlet marigolds are to the right of the impatiens. In the foreground I just started some morning glories and more herbs.
Wow! I'm insanely jealous of your tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteI started heirloom tomatoes from seed for the first time, and got them started around April 15 (six weeks before planning on moving them outside). They are only five inches or so long, and VERY "leggy". I hope this works.
Your plants look GORGEOUS!
Thanks. I started all but one in late February. Next year I plan on starting them all on March 14 like the Cherokee Green I started "late". That one didn't get too tall by the time I planted them out on May 7th. A nine week early start will be my goal for next season. In fact, the Cherokee Green is the best looking tomato out there right now. It is shorter, but it is forming blooms just like the others.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of this season I had bought an "economy" two-tier plant light stand to use for primarily the tomatoes and peppers. I would turn on the lights around 7am and shut them off around 6pm.
Things I might have done differently: I would have left the lights on for another two or three hours a day in a perfect world. Also, for more stocky plants, I would place a fan near the plants to help toughen them up. I received good results without the extra hours under the lights and without a fan, but I'm sure that would have resulted in stockier plants.