You still have February to go. I plant my tomatoes in January, but keep them in 1-gallon pots until I know all danger of frost is past. Of course, I only grow 3 or 4 , so it's easy enough to bring them indoors to protect them.

Those are amazing! Thanks for letting us know how they did. How many varieties do you have?

This year, we have Cherokee Purple, Crnkovich, Big Beef, Park's Whopper, Jetsetter, Black Krim, Garden Gem, Box Car Willie and Sungold.

Those tomato plants already look lush and happy. My poor tomato plants are from fall and look rougher from battling the windy and humid weather.

What do you spray them with to prevent blight? I imagine it's quite a problem in the humidity here in Zone 9a.

greenthumbs, neem oil is good for fungus, but it's expensive. Some people use milk. I find that if I put cardboard around the bottom of my plants so that the soil doesn't splash onto the bottom leaves and otherwise keep all debris off the ground in the winter, it helps tremendously. Also, I use this cheap and effective spray for everything, even citrus leaf miners: 1 gallon water, 1/3 cup Murphy's oil soap, 1 tablespoon baking soda. It works for me, but like everything with oil, you have to spray really early in the morning or early evening to keep your plants from being burned. I reapply weekly and after a rain.

Hi

For me this has been one of the worst winters .Way too hot through Dec Had none set until late Jan they were promptly attached by gigantic worms Have some growing now but look how late it is!! Too bad I'm not going for plants well over 6 feet and still growing.lol Had MUCH better luck with swiss chard in spite of the winds too much rain and too hot most of the time. Those growing in pots are almost twice as big as those in the tomato bed. I suspect the neighbors cats had something to do with that ??lol I was wise enough this year to not plant any winter annuals BUT the tropicals have done fantastic!!! gary

Garden Gem is the first of our plants to set fruit, but beating that were leftover plants from the Fall which have now given us a few ripe fruits. Not bad for the beginning of March.

Dirty I too use Neem and Spinosad but you're right. They are expensive. I'd like to try your oil soap/soda recipe. How often do you spray it?

Does this Spinosad work for pickleworms and stem borers on squash and cukes? We always get hit by them every year.

bea, I spray it once every 7-10 days, depending on whether it rains or not. For roses, once a week.

That is such a helpful recipe! All of my squash & zucchini plants have died, year after year. Now I will be well prepared.