They are still small and not ready to be outside day and night. I’m thinking about keeping them inside while we’re gone. Our house naturally stays cool, and the kitchen window gets nice sun. We’re coastal southern CA. Just don’t want them to die while we’re gone. I have a week between trips to reassess placement/planting.
I went with the solo cup method after watching many videos, and saw much larger plants before replanting so hoping they won’t be root-bound. Not seeing roots in the drainage holes.
Yes, neighbors would do it. Just think it’s not necessary at this stage. I’ll be taking down my hummingbird feeder camera while we’re gone (see the Outdoor Products You Highly Recommend thread) because I change the nectar every week, so can point that camera tomato way and let someone know if they look sad or if temps get too hot.
We got the veggie garden planted this past weekend. Lots of tomato plants, a few cucumber, eggplant, basil and peppers. We’ll see if the bunnies leave this alone this year - last year, there were hardly any bunnies thanks to a coyote in the neighborhood!
Question on rose bushes and slugs - I just noticed yesterday that both my rose bushes are looking rather sad - something (slugs?) have been eating away all the leaves. What do you use to prevent this?
I was just noticing one of mine was showing some signs of lacy leaves. I have thought it was aphids in the past. I have some spray I’ve had for quite some time that has helped in the past but was also thinking of trying a homemade spray. I’ve read vinegar/water and I’ve read a little Dawn soap/water in a spray bottle.
Who has a homemade suggestion for spraying roses??
My thumb is brown, at best, but you are the one group that might appreciate this:
my tomato plant managed to overwinter, outside, and now has new fruit growing. I’m celebrating small wins (and living in a temperate climate)!
That’s what I kept telling people lol. Windex - the old formula - was basically some ammonia and soap in water. I’m positive it was reformulated, and I’m not sure if the new formula is as effective!
We are experiencing a multi-day heat wave: the temperature high today was above 90 degrees and will be again tomorrow. I finally started getting flowers on my four big tomato plants and I didn’t want to lose them. So I got up early and dragged all the extremely heavy pots to the best shade that I could find before I left for work this morning. Keeping my fingers crossed… Especially since I had started with 6, and accidentally broke the main stem on two of them - one was when I was transplanting it, so that was upsetting, but not heartbreaking, but the other one was doing well and already had a bunch of flowers on it.
Have you considered leaving the pots in the sun, and giving them a good drenching with water in the morning to keep the soil in the pot from drying out?
Also, I have had tomato plants where the main stem has gotten broken or torn off; and I have let a sucker grow out to take the place of the main stem, and gotten tomatoes off the new stem.
Thanks but no hope for a sucker from the tomato plant that broke. It broke at the bottom of the stem. I put the whole bushy top that broke off in a tall bottle of water in hopes that roots will grow and I can replant it as there are a fair amount of flowers on it. Don’t know if that’s a fools errand but so far, it’s been staying alive so I guess I have nothing to lose.
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I have three more! Had them since 2020 when everyone and their auntie decided to grow gardens, lol.