tomatoes - the tomato issue for season 2003/2004

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by d_donahoo, Feb 17, 2004.

  1. d_donahoo

    d_donahoo Junior Member

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    alright.

    a question.

    has anyone had problems with tomatoes this year (especially those in victoria).

    our first planting - Oct (i know i risked the frosts and won!) has not been that successful. we had a notoriously hot december and i am wondering if this didn't set them back - plus we had some white fly that pyrtherum dealt with and new growth (a symptom of dry winters i am lead to believe).

    anyway - several other folk have noticed much smaller fruit that usual. we have a whole bush of romas the size of your little finger....

    would my hot december hypothesis be right? because those we planted in december and looking #### awesome and should give us an excellent late crop

    cheers

    dan
     
  2. Chook Nut

    Chook Nut Junior Member

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    Hi Dan,

    When we moved here we had tomatoes come up wild in the back vegie patch.... these did pretty bad, and i figured it was b/c of the hot weather and the fact that 2 tomatoe crops in succession in the same place is never a good idea! The chooks enjoyed the dodgy ones though :D

    We are now growing cherry tomatoes as well as another variety that should fruit well b4 the frosts come here.

    So yeah, the weather could have been the factor! I delayed a lot of planting this summer b/c of the heat....the corn and eggplant have done best.... its about 39C today and they reckon it will get over 40C tommorrow :(

    Cheers.... Dave
     
  3. Gardening Rob

    Gardening Rob Junior Member

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    Hi Dan,

    I would bet on the cool to cold January we had... I have a few tiny green ones on a couple of vines, but I haven't got many on the bigger plants (although they seem to be growing like crazy.) I am hoping for a mild Feb/March and hope a few will ripen up. People have been complaining on the radio all over Victoria that they haven't got tomatoes this season... I live in hope. I am also wondering on the bee numbers - perhaps the cold January wiped out a lot of the bees?

    Robyn
     
  4. d_donahoo

    d_donahoo Junior Member

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    ah thanks folks.

    enjoy the fundamental principle ina ction of 'observe and record'...

    ...the challenge is always to establish what has occured and how to create systems that will be less vulnerable to inconsistency...

    ...not that inconsictency should not be celebrated for what it is and can actually produce!

    cheers
     
  5. Chook Nut

    Chook Nut Junior Member

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    Oh boy... we're up to 42C today and had 41C yesterday... this really has knocked the chooks around a bit ... especially my eldest which is an ex-battery hen... i am still off work at the moment recovering from another heart operation and have had time to care for her by setting fresh cool water next to her and feeding her cold vegies from the fridge which all of the chooks appreciate in this temperature!

    This is the hottest Feb we have had on record in SE Qld and has mucked around some of my planting plans.... but that the joy of being taught to observe and work with nature rather than to battle against it!

    Good luck with the tomatoes.... mine are being raised in pots in the shade till the temp drops.... those few i have in the ground are being shaded by the corn which are at the end of their run... these are growing quicker than the pots ... but thats the price we pay eh!

    Cheers.... Dave
     
  6. Guest

    hey dave

    hope you and the tomatoes recover well and are thriving within a month or two.

    cheers
     
  7. Chook Nut

    Chook Nut Junior Member

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    Thanks Dan,

    We got over 43C in the end... most of the farmers lost their pumpkin and watermelon crops.... they cooked in the fields.

    It was harsh on the chooks.... i ended up losing one of my Bantams.... i saved one of my roosters by taking him inside and giving him a cool bath. I had to put the hose on some of the others to help cool them down

    It's cooled down dramatically now and we got over an inch of rain in the last couple of days.

    We are learning the extremes we have out here.... our resident Water Dragon was run over yesterday. On a bright note we have had 2 lots of green tree frogs hatch and have lots of babies around the front and back of the house.... plus some Superb Blue Fairy Wrens have moved into our front garden.

    Cheers Dave
     

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