Ok, so i want to grow tomatoes and pumpkins (childish Dream) in alaska and i am worried about them not ripening before it gets cold here. If the pumpkins are not ripe by the time it frosts what do i do then. i know that i can make stuff with green tomatoes or ripen them with apples. Any helpfull hints about gardening when it is cold would be great. Thank you Valerie
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts
Posted - Mar 21 2006 : 1:55:07 PM
Do you have room for a hoop house? Both pumpkins and tomatoes love the added heat from the hoop. It would give them a lot of frost protection. I can get my tomatoes planted earlier and keep them going much later this way.
If you don't have room for a hoop you can cover them with sheets when you expect a frost. That gives them added protection. Adding large rocks around the plants will help. The rocks will heat up during the day and release radiant heat at night.
If it looks like some of my pumpkins aren't going to ripen well I move the leaves away from them. The sun hitting them helps a lot.
I wonder if you could start them indoors in large containers? Tomatoes will do well in 5 gal buckets until they are quite large, and a pumpkin should too. You probably would need to put a growth light on them. I know of people who will start plants in cardboard boxes lined with heavy duty plastic sacks. You water a lot less because there is not a drain hole, although you could make one and keep it in a pan. Also you can buy indoor pot tomatoes you might consider that, tomaotes all winter yum! I ordered some from www.tomatobob.com called tiny tim. I can't wait to try them.
I've got these great little things called wall-o-water (something like that I can't remember the exact spelling) Anyways, you can usually buy them at most garden shops and they are these little covers that you fill with water, then place over and around each tomato plant. I creates a mini-greenhouse around your tomato plant, and also protects against wind and any little critters. If you find them, give them a try!
"God's gift to you is life. What you choose to do with that life is your gift to God"
I looked up those wall o water thing and they look great. The next time I get to someplace with a walmart i will get some. They look like they could make all the diffence. Thank you all for your great suggestions. Dp is going to build me a small greenhouse this spring and i am going to get some old tires from my uncle's shop and grow the outside stuff in that. The soil heats up really well in those. What do you guys think about lining them with plastic or something. I want to try to grow as organicly as i can. thank you
Here are some seeds that might also help solve your short season for tomatoes. There is also a pumpkin, but i'm not sure how long your growing season is.
Growing Tomatoes and Pumpkins in a Cool Climate
Posted - Mar 21 2006 : 10:09:36 AM
