First tomato plant in the garden

[The Mama Chicken]

A quick update...
Temps dropped into the low 40s last night and I forgot to put the cap on. I ran out this morning, expecting the worst, and was happy to see my little seedling was quite alive and unfazed by the chilly weather.

 

[catjac1975]

I'm in zone 8a as well... Tho all of my big tomato plants didn't make it thru the "night of the leaving outside" incident. I did start some new ones, which have all sprouted. Only one has true leaves tho! *sniffle* Can't believe I lost all that work! *sigh* It's been SO nice here, that I've been leaving them outside for the majority of the time. TECHNICALLY they can go outside in like 4 days... LOL I think I will keep them in their large container until they get a couple sets of true leaves and then I will think about getting them into the garden. I'll be letting them do most of their growing outside from now on I think tho.

Oh, so sad. I had a strong wind come up and beat up my beefsteak seedlings that were being hardened off, I may loose a couple but I think most will make it. Last year I set my tray of 30 seedlings on the picnic table so I could get my phone before I went to plant them, when I came back out they were nothing but little green stumps. The chickens thought they looked yummy. I cried, I couldn't believe that 8 weeks of work was gone in less than 2 minutes.

My worst "hardening off" incident was when I came home from work to discover the broccoli that I had left on the picnic table had been eaten by WOODCHUCKS. They do leave the tough stems.

 

[silkiechicken]

I think my worst hardening off experience was when I drove 300 miles each way to plant my "hardened" swiss chard, bok choi, and beets... to have it snow half a foot the last week of April and have a cold wet start of May.... They all felt like they had over wintered and shot up flower stalks. LOL

 

[Dascountry]

I just started my tomatoes today. Being in Zone 4b I won't be putting them out for quite sometime. Last year I had plastic milk jugs over most of my plants. And like you said "a mini green house" Works great. Make sure you post some pics of those tomatoes in May so I can get real Jealous because my plants won't even be outside yet

 

[wsmoak]

I put three Early Girl tomato plants out in the garden this week (and it promptly POURED down rain and flattened them. The stems are not broken, I'm leaving them alone to see if they'll recover.)

There are also two Siberians in the greenhouse -- those are the ones with blossoms that I'm hoping to get the first ripe tomatoes from.

-Wendy

 

[The Mama Chicken]

I just started my tomatoes today. Being in Zone 4b I won't be putting them out for quite sometime. Last year I had plastic milk jugs over most of my plants. And like you said "a mini green house" Works great. Make sure you post some pics of those tomatoes in May so I can get real Jealous because my plants won't even be outside yet

We had a cold snap after I put it out (into the low 40s) but it did just fine. I promise I will post pictures of my first May tomato so you can be green with envy.

 

[flyboy718]

I planted all 8 of my tomato's in the garden yesterday evening...although the skeeter's tried to tote me off I was able to get it done.

 

[nachoqtpie]

I'm hoping that my late restart doesn't put me back TOO much!! A few of them have their first true leaves starting to pop up now. I've got them in homemade compost and they seem to be doing really well. I leave them outside for most of the day and bring them in for the evening. Maybe I will be able to get them in the ground faster this way? Who knows! LOL

 

[The Mama Chicken]

The rest of my plants are going into the garden this weekend, as soon as the ground dries out enough to work.

 

[The Mama Chicken]

Here is what it looks like today, I think it's grown about 3 inches and has another set of leaves. The bottle has been off for the last week since temps have been in the 60s overnight.