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Gregory’s
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Gardening
Information for Phoenix
From
time-to-time, Gregory will be providing information on various Gardening
topics.
Please
check back regularly to see new topics.
PLEASE CLICK ON A LINK BELOW TO SELECT & READ A GARDENING
TOPIC:
Tomato
Plant & Pepper Plant Care Tips NEW!
Planting
Guide for Fall-Planted Spring-Flowering Bulbs
Growing
Strawberries in Phoenix
READ OUR MOST RECENT GARDENING TOPIC BELOW:
Tomato
Plant & Pepper Plant Care Tips
Here is some
information that might be helpful & a few tips on growing tomatoes &
peppers.
The tomato &
pepper transplants you purchased are not greenhouse grown. They have been
grown out in the
full all day sun, under 30% shade cloth & are as acclimated as any plant
could be to our hot
temperatures & dry climate. This does not mean they are indestructible.
These plants
have been carefully grown in such a way, that the sun did not ever strike the
side of the pot, but
the plants were in the full sun.
When you take
your plants home, plant them as soon as possible. Plants can be held for
several days, however,
the sooner you get them planted, the happier they will be.
Do
not bring them inside the house, or place them in deep all day shade,
this will only “soften” the plants, &
more likely than not,
they will not survive when you plant them
into your garden.
If
you are unable to plant your plants right away, do one of the following:
Put your plants
in a cardboard box that totally shades the pots, but allows the plants
to be in the sun.
Keep them in an area that gets 6 to 8 hours of direct full morning sun,
& afternoon
shade, and water daily.
OR
Put your plants
under 30% to 50% percent shade cloth.
Keep them in an
area that gets full direct sun for 8 or more hours each day,
and water daily.
The greatest
success will come from you covering your newly planted transplants with
30% to 50% shade
cloth, until they have rooted in and put on 6” of new growth, or until
the daytime
temperatures are regularly 100° or lower. Using more dense shade cloth is not
recommended or
beneficial. You don’t have to use shade
cloth, but it will help your young
transplants to establish
themselves more quickly.
This is
especially true if the temperatures are 105° or greater.
Whether you
choose to use shade cloth or not, right now watering properly is the most
important thing you can
do to insure success. You can’t
over-water with any one watering.
You can,
however, keep the soil too constantly wet by watering too frequently.
When the
temperatures are hot it is easy to keep a plant too wet, & cause the roots
to rot.
The best way to
prevent this from happening is to check your plant daily for water--don’t
just assume that it
needs water. It is possible that your plants could look
wilted during
the
heat of the day even when the soil is wet.
When this happens, the plant is letting out
more water through
the leaves than it can pull up out of the soil with its roots.
As the
temperature cools in the evening, the plant should perk up.
Always check the
soil moisture level before making the decision to water.
After planting,
water your tomato or pepper starts very well, so the root ball is wet
& the soil
around the root ball is thoroughly saturated.
For the first week or two, check
your plants for water
daily by sticking your finger in the root ball, not the surrounding soil.
You may not have to water daily, but check daily. Don’t just cruise by & look at the soil,
since it’s possible
for the root ball to be bone dry even though the soil around it is saturated.
By checking
right at the root ball with your finger, you’ll know what’s really going on.
When the root
ball is between damp & dry, thoroughly water it again.
Whether your
plants will be planted in the ground, or grown in pots, place them in an area
that gets 6 or more
hours of direct sun daily. Vegetable
plants that flower & fruit need 6 or
more hours of sun to
produce fruit. In less sun fruit
production will be greatly diminished.
Tips for Tomatoes or Peppers planted in containers.
Until the
temperatures are 100° or less, shade the container. Plants in containers are
subjected to the hot
temperatures more than plants in the ground.
When the temperature
is 110° the soil
in the pot can be 110°. If the sun is
striking the side of the pot, it will
superheat the soil &
cook the roots of the plant. As a side
note, I have never heard
anyone report back to
me that they have had success planting in one of those upside
down, hanging
containers. I don’t recommend planting
in them.
Two weeks after
planting your starts in containers, begin to fertilize on a monthly basis.
Use an organic
liquid fertilizer specially formulated for vegetables & tomatoes, or
vegetables & flowers,
or fish emulsion. Follow the application
rate on the package.
Remember: more
is not better.
Tips for Tomatoes or Peppers planted in the ground.
Two weeks after
planting your starts in the ground, begin to fertilize on a monthly basis.
Use an organic
fertilizer specially formulated for vegetables & tomatoes, or vegetables
&
flowers. Dry granular fertilizers are usually more
economical than liquid fertilizers, &
better suited for soil
application. There is no reason,
however, that you cannot use
liquid fertilizers or
fish emulsion for in-ground plantings.
Be sure to follow the
application rate on the
package. Remember: more is not better.
Things to expect.
Plants may wilt
during the heat of the day. Once
temperatures are cooler, & plants
begin to establish,
they should stop wilting.
Tomato plant
leaves may curl up or curl down. This is
usually a reaction to heat stress.
Once the
temperatures are cooler, this should stop happening.
There are a lot
of moths & butterflies at this time of year. Moths & butterflies are
responsible for a variety
of different types of caterpillars. Pick
caterpillars off as you find
them & squish
them. If that is too much for you to
handle, then spray with B.T.
This is a
natural insecticide that only kills caterpillars; it won’t kill aphids, mites,
beetles
or beneficial insects,
just caterpillars. It is most effective
when the caterpillars are small.
The caterpillars
must ingest the B.T., so be sure to spray the plant’s leaves very
thoroughly, front &
back.
For aphids, try
hosing them off with water. If that
doesn’t control the problem,
use insecticidal
soap.
For beetles, use
Pyrethrin.
Always spray
early in the morning or late in the evening.
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Gregory’s
Gardening Guide |
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[This page was
last updated on May 17, 2018]
GregorysGardeningGuide.com/TipsInfo