Tomatoes in containers during a cold spring- help?

10 years ago

I'm in NYC (zone 7A I think) and have an east facing balcony where I keep my Patio and Beefmaster tomato plants in containers. Our spring has gotten a slow start, and we've had consistently cloudy, cold weather. Morning temperatures are in the mid to high 40 degrees, day time temps are lucky to top out at 60 degrees, but have often been in the 50's.

I bought them at a Home Depot that was keeping them outdoors, but I have been bringing them inside at night and not letting them out at all during the days where the temperatures won't stay at or above 55 degrees during the work portion of the day when I'm not home. Out of 5 days they have only been outdoors for 2 of them, and we're set to have three consecutive days of rain with temperatures between 48-65 degrees. When they are inside, they do sit by an East facing window with the shades open, for whatever good that does them with all the clouds.

I had read that I should not fertilize till they had been fully hardened off, about 10 days. So they have not been fertilized, or sprayed with anything to keep pests away. I have only watered them once during this 5 day period because the soil has stayed moist.

My question is, what on earth can I do to take care of them during this cold snap?

I have a space heater, should I sleep with it on close to the plants at night haha? I laugh but..I really have no idea. I'm very new to gardening. Should I fertilize them in the meantime? Any and all suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Featured Answer

Seysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7

10 years ago

Just continue hardening them off.

Definitely 40's is not ideal and optimum but they can be fine at temps range of 40 to 60F , once acclimated. Hopefully some warmer weather is just around the corner. Tomorrow is the first day of may .

APRIL SHOWERS, MAY FLOWERS.

Sey

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Comments (6)

Lisa
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks Seysonn! So should I be leaving them out overnight then regardless of the temperatures? Or is this in and out process I'm doing part of what will get them acclimated?
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Seysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7
10 years ago
I would leave them outside IF the lows are 40F+.if they have been expose to low 50s before. This means that you should not leave them outside if the have been in 50F all the time. Probably, when you bought your plants from HD, the were already out side even during the nights. But at any event, 40F+ temperatures are not going to kill or even damage them.

Sey
daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
10 years ago
50-60F temps won't hurt them, but they won't grow much until it warms up. If the pots are big enough, and they have enough light, keep them indoors. If they've outgrown their pots, you probably don't have much of a choice but to transplant outside.
Seysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Speaking of my own experience for over 3 season, I express my opinion as follows:

I started hardening off from March 28 to April 4.

I started planting out as of April 5th and did a few a day until I was almost done by April 18th or about.

During all this time our lows were mostly around 43F (+/- 2) and few nights we had in 38 and 39F.

Day highs were mostly in 58 -62F range. We had a few days of heat wave.

By the end of April some of my planted grew from 8-10" to about 18 - 30". with buds on them already. Yesterday I saw the first flower.Definitely the one planted earlier are ahead.

SOIL TEMPERATURES MATTER MORE:

Before planting out i took measures to warm up the soil to about 50F, watered them with lukewarm water and the beds are still covered with black plastic ( starting early Feb).

Yes, I know 40 to 60 is not optimum and ideal. But it can be done with some degree of success.

EXAMPLE: Today (May 4) our high was 57F and tonight's low will be 47F. This is after a month I started planting out.

In my climate, if I wanted to wait and plant out when the lows get up to 50F+ , it would be mid June. (June average : 52 to 70F, (per weather data)

Sey

PS: Historical
Monthly Avg (Samm., WA)

APRIL 58° 43° 2.75

May 64 ° 48 ° 2.16

June 70 °52 °1.63

July 76 °56 °0.79

note: The highs go up by 6 degree in a month
digdirt2
10 years ago
Agree that they can and should stay outside. Bringing them in and out only stresses them more and plants stored outside at the big box stores, if they haven't died there since they start their sales well before good planting time, are hardened off enough already. Next year I'd wait a couple of weeks longer and check your forecast well before buying. Much less work and stress for you.

And yes, you can and probably should feed them. Just make it a well diluted feeding - 1/2 strength or less.

My main question would be the size of the containers they are in? Especially the Beefmaster? Are you prepared to transplant it into at least a 10 gallon container?

Dave