TOMATOES: I live in Florida year round .....climate zone 9a.........and i'm looking for information on how to grow tomatoes successfully in the EXTREME heat of the summer months. When temperatures reach 95 degrees week after week, month after month, what can be done? SHADE CLOTH seems to be the answer. .........

SHADE CLOTH: I want to know what to buy, where to buy it, and how to use it. The optimum temperature for tomato growing is 65 degrees - 85 degrees. Please reply if you know how to do it.............

TomatoNut95 said: One of my Heinz Ketchup Classic Tomato seeds FINALLY came up, I was gonna replant but now I guess I won't have to. I may plant another seed or two. Is that variety in this forum's plant log? I looked for it and its not there so can I add it to the database if the varieties not listed in another name I don't know of?

Anne, I wonder if this is the one that you have?
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Heinz Classic Processor')

Weedwhacker said: Anne, I wonder if this is the one that you have?
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Heinz Classic Processor')

That sounds very much like it! Thanks! I see there are no photos so it will be my pleasure to provide some as my baby grows.

We bought a shade cloth for our greenhouse last year and it worked great and is still in good condition to use again this year. I will figure out where we purchased it and let you know!

boilinfrog said: LOVE TOMATOES: I live in Florida year round .....climate zone 9a.........and i'm looking for information on how to grow tomatoes successfully in the EXTREME heat of the summer months. When temperatures reach 95 degrees week after week, month after month, what can be done? SHADE CLOTH seems to be the answer. .........

(shade cloth) I want to know what to buy, where to buy it, and how to use it. The optimum temperature for tomato growing is 65 degrees - 85 degrees. Please reply if you know how to do it.............

Tomatoes are my thing! I always grow at least 10 plants in my raised beds. Hope I can connect with someone on this post who lives in a similar and somewhat difficult climate like my Boise, ID one! Very hot summer days, very dry, cool nights. I have had wonderful successes, and plenty of failures, too!

Ann B.

cookiehro said: Tomatoes are my thing! I always grow at least 10 plants in my raised beds. Hope I can connect with someone on this post who lives in a similar and somewhat difficult climate like my Boise, ID one! Very hot summer days, very dry, cool nights. I have had wonderful successes, and plenty of failures, too!

Ann B.

Hi!! Tomatoes are my thing as well!! Nice to meet you! Here in Texas we have hot dry summers and cold wet winters! Ditto on the failures and success for me; hornworms, BER and scrawny plants from having grown them in tight quarters are my main issue. I'm a huge fan of unique heirlooms. What's your favorite variety?

Welcome to this thread, @cookiehro / Ann !

What planting zone are you actually in? 6 ?
At any rate, you will find plenty of kindred spirits here, we all seem to have challenges of one sort or another!

Made my tomato order today ( and eggplant). only a few packets in all- maybe 7 or 8 varieties. Not sure which I will actually grow out yet. Still waiting on our weather to declare itself.

This Winter it is really apparent to me why I need to cut bak on my tomato plants. Too old to do as much as I want.

Trying to drag wet soaked bags of leaves to the big backyard tomato bed. Had to give up after only a few bags, Can;t lift them, get out of breath dragging them. Yup, I need to cut back on my tomato olant growing.

Old, just old.

That is ok,we need to adapt to the aging process.
We just do not give up on gardening!

So very sorry to hear it, Rita, but it happens to all of us.

I am not giving up my veggie gardening. Especially my tomatoes. Just cutting back . Trying to get a more reasonable number.

I do love growing tomatoes and just want too many.

Recently ran across an old calendar (one of many) where I entered the number of hours I worked in the garden. In 2013 it was 765, then 865 in 2014. Last year I doubt if I worked 10 hours.

I do have my little veggie patch but it's small and easy enough to maintain - asparagus, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and basil.

Rita, I'm not liking your being out of breath.
How about a check-up?

pirl said: Recently ran across an old calendar (one of many) where I entered the number of hours I worked in the garden. In 2013 it was 765, then 865 in 2014. Last year I doubt if I worked 10 hours.

I do have my little veggie patch but it's small and easy enough to maintain - asparagus, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and basil.

Yup, lots more help needed in the garden as we get older and simply can't do so much any more.

Deeby said: Rita, I'm not liking your being out of breath.
How about a check-up?

Not a new thing. Been this way for years.

The problem is that the bags of leaves got much more heavy than they were. Lots of rain cycles and they get wet and heavy. Dry, pretty easy to move. Wet, not easy to move at all.

So it is a big effort and I end up huffing ang puffing!!

Rita, OK, but I wish you had some help!

Well, looks like my mators faired better'in i thought. A lotta burn't leaves but their still kickin. Planted two more today just fer the hell'ov'it. And no....i did'nt cover anyof'um.

Deeby said: Rita, OK, but I wish you had some help!

For these past few years I had been getting a truckload of leaves from my grass cutting guy. Then I would pay them to put them put for me. It was all done late fall. But not this year. This year I don't know what his problem is but he just would not bring me leaves.

By the time I figgured out no truckload of leaves it was late. So I went and collected bags myself.

How weird it was that the leaf guy just stopped with no explanation!