Tomatoes In Milk Jugs April Update

I wanted to catch you all up on how those tomato plants I sowed in milk jugs are doing.

It has been at least 10 degrees cooler than normal for the past 2 months which is bad enough, but add to that record rain falls and record cloudy days for both months and that adds up to some slow growing when it comes to my tomatoes.  They are still alive and growing slowly and once the weather perks up (hope hope) they will take off like rockets.

Cold nights, chilly days, hail and a lot of rain and still growing.

You can see the hail damage on the leaves from those times I wasn't able to get them covered in time.  I sort of have this "either you will live or die" thing going on in order to relieve a lot of anxiety that I used to have about growing vegetables.  Besides, I get tired of running outside to pop the covers back on them and honestly...I'm not one for plants that need babying.

True leaves still look okay so I think we're in the clear

There is some better looking growth coming on which is encouraging and relieves any anxiety I may have when I remember that I spent more on seeds this year.  I guess I have been just a little worried they would die from our wintery spring weather.

With better weather today and this weekend I will be transplanting them into their own little pots before their roots become a tangled mess and plan on keeping them under our front porch with its sunny southeast exposure and warmer cement and brick heat sink action and hope it will help them grow better.  I hear tomatoes don't grow unless its 57 degrees but these have been growing in spite of the low temps all be it very slowly.  Well, I'll let you know how it goes.

By the way, before I forget, I wanted to let you know I plan on am setting up plastic covers to help warm the soil where they will be planted so I can get them in the ground before the Fourth of July.  Wish me luck and stay tuned.

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