If you don't mind me asking, how will you keep the tomato plant alive?, Isnt it too late in the season?.

Looking good Janice! Not sure though if they are ready for the great outdoors yet. Some of the taller plants look like they could use some additional potting mix added to the cups so they can grow more roots from the stem. Do that and then wait a week or so for the new roots to develop and then start the hardening off process at about 30-35 days weather permitting.

Not too late in the season in South Carolina bua the man. With their mild fall/winter weather they can grow a spring crop and then a fall crop planted out in August that will produce in October/November.

Here in the middle of the US I can't do a fall crop of tomatoes but I can sometimes keep my spring planted tomatoes producing until late September. I am just now starting to plant my fall garden with Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Green Onions, and Lettuce.

Thanks Sey. I fed them one time with a weak solution. I will bump it up. Thanks.

Bau, I am in zone 9 A. I get two summer seasons. Right now it is too hot for the plants to pollinate (pollen is clumpy from too much moisture in the air and the high heat also interferes). Those that do pollinate only grow to a small size from the heat. High heat stunts growth. The right amount of heat works magic. Summer Season Number One started 10 March and ended near end of June. I am getting ready for Summer Season Number Two. The high temps (105 + heat index most days with 85% or greater humidity) will eventually subside sometime in September. When conditions are right, pollination will be possible again, and if there is any justice in this world, my plants will be big and full of open blooms on that day. There should be no frost until after Thanksgiving. The waning fall sun will present some challenges. Ripening will slow. The early varieties will likely fully ripen

. For the later varieties, I will learn. This is my first Summer 2 Season.

Jack:. I have been topping up with mix along the way as the plants grow. Some are bigger than others. The Mortgage Lifters and Big Beefs are doing really well.

bau, once again, we see the limitations of zones. Just because you share an average low temp with janice doesn't mean you have the same climate at all. She has a significantly longer portion of the year that is warm, and her summers are way more brutal than yours. People in the southern US can have a spring growing season and a fall growing season. Summer is just for the most heat-tolerant plants, and tomatoes don't usually survive it. So there are 2 opportunities to grow tomato crops, one harvested early in the summer and the other harvested much later at frost.

This is why, even when someone posts their zone, we often ask people where exactly in the world they are located. Because zones offer very limited information and the classification by zone is really only to determine whether your plants will be killed in the winter or not. There's a lot more to growing than that.

Charleston SC is on the same latitude as Tripoli, Libya.

Well, zone numbers can give a clue as where you are. For example, zone 4 will be way up north. Not always though. I am way up north (Seattle WA, ) and my zone designation is almost 8. But today our high was 69F...ARRRG.

I am moving to Carolinas for the next season. The temps over there are running like 73 to 97F right now. I can plant out in late Feb. By now It would be over.

Sey

My peppers and eggplants are still gong strong. Picked these today.

Sey, are you relocating for the purpose of growing tomatoes?

No, Janice. Not because of growing tomatoes.

Sey

I can almost understand relocating for a better growing climate. Especially since you lived in Georgia before. Trying to grow a tomato where you live now is kind of like swimming upstream. I saw your lettuce in another post. I can grow small lettuce, but nothing like you had in your photo. Starting in January I have to succession plant lettuce to keep a steady supply because they bolt so often.

Here are the seedlings. I need to learn and improve. When I add soil, what should I use? When can I switch to regular potting soil vs the special seedling starter? When adding soil, do I need to compact it some and water it in? I am concerned it is to fluffy to support the roots with zero compression/compaction. On the other hand I don't want to injure the roots by mashing too firmly.

My lights:. One 54 Watt grow light (a purposed plant growing bulb) and two 32 watt shop lights that are not specialized. If I want some nice seedlings do I need to swtich out the two shop bulbs (plus fixture) for a high intensity two bulb fixture and some real grow lights with peaks in red spectrum for best results?

all the lights are 48" long.

The seedling photo:

I just have to say your basket of produce is absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful picture!

You can switch to potting mix (not soil) at any time after your seedlings germinate. The seedlings in your picture are a perfect size for that. If you're just adding mix to the top of those cups, I'd just make sure it's a little moist, maybe water gently from the top to let it settle and then bottom water from there on out.

IMHO you don't need anything other than shop lights with some daylight bulbs to successfully start plants. Grow lights aren't necessary really unless you're wanting to grow plants to fruiting stage indoors. Been doing it with cheap shop lights for years, just replacing my bulbs every spring (but I start plants throughout the year, you may not have to replace them that often, depending).

Edit - I'm assuming you raised the lights for the picture - one thing that will make a huge difference is making sure those lights are no more than 2-3" above the tops of the plants. It'll keep them from getting leggy and weak.

Thanks Humsi. I moved the plants into direct sunlight this morning(inside an air conditioned room), then put them back under the grow lights later. The lights are as low as I can get them without touching the plants.

Gorbelly i was not comparing zones, i know her area and climate is completely different, i just didnt know winter tomatos were possible, anywhere, wether it's a warmer winter or not, im curious, im not stupid, i know america is completely different from where I live.

Bau