My local Los Angeles, Calif and San Fernando Valley nursery says is
OK now to plant Brandwine and other similar variety tomatoes.
Other internet sources indicate that night temperatures are not at least
55 F so is too early. They indicate planting tomatoes in too cool soil
sets back the tomato plants. They indicate better to plant late April or
early May.

For Los Angeles, Calif and San Fernando Valley Can someone indicate
when is OK to plant my 4 inch pot 75 day maturing tomatoes in ground?

Thanks, Dave_s

In article ,
Dave_s wrote:

My local Los Angeles, Calif and San Fernando Valley nursery says is
OK now to plant Brandwine and other similar variety tomatoes.
Other internet sources indicate that night temperatures are not at least
55 F so is too early. They indicate planting tomatoes in too cool soil
sets back the tomato plants. They indicate better to plant late April or
early May.

For Los Angeles, Calif and San Fernando Valley Can someone indicate
when is OK to plant my 4 inch pot 75 day maturing tomatoes in ground?

Thanks, Dave_s

Here on the North Coast, if we were to wait for 55°F evenings, we
wouldn't plant until mid-July. If you are past your last frost and have
8 hr. of sunshine, go for it. It would probably help to put some clear
plastic sheeting down, to help warm the soil, along one side of a row of
tomatoes, or a semi-circle for a single plant. Completely surrounding
the plant with plastic sheeting risks burning the plant, if it touches
the plastic during mid-day, and it makes it difficult to water.
--
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

On 3/18/10 8:44 AM, Billy wrote:
In article ,
Dave_s wrote:

My local Los Angeles, Calif and San Fernando Valley nursery says is
OK now to plant Brandwine and other similar variety tomatoes.
Other internet sources indicate that night temperatures are not at least
55 F so is too early. They indicate planting tomatoes in too cool soil
sets back the tomato plants. They indicate better to plant late April or
early May.

For Los Angeles, Calif and San Fernando Valley Can someone indicate
when is OK to plant my 4 inch pot 75 day maturing tomatoes in ground?

Thanks, Dave_s

Here on the North Coast, if we were to wait for 55°F evenings, we
wouldn't plant until mid-July. If you are past your last frost and have
8 hr. of sunshine, go for it. It would probably help to put some clear
plastic sheeting down, to help warm the soil, along one side of a row of
tomatoes, or a semi-circle for a single plant. Completely surrounding
the plant with plastic sheeting risks burning the plant, if it touches
the plastic during mid-day, and it makes it difficult to water.

Yes, plant as soon as the danger of frost is past. Actually, your area
has been know to get frost as late as 1 April.

However, frost highly unlikely, especially after the weather we're
having right now. I'm just 6 miles west of the Valley along US101. In
the last 24 hours, the temperatures ranged from 64F to 79F.
Temperatures haven't dipped down to 55F since Monday morning.

The 55F temperature is really a criterion for tomato plants setting
fruit, not for the plants to establish themselves. If the nighttime
temperatures go below 55F, the tomato flowers will not create tomatoes
unless artificially tweaked with a specific plant hormone.

On the other hand, the flowers will also fail to create tomatoes if the
daytime temperatures exceed 100F, which they surely will do in your area
this summer. There is no hormone treatment that will negate the problem
of high temperatures. Fortunately, small green tomatoes will continue
to grow, mature, and ripen with excessive heat even if no new tomatoes
are formed.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

Dave_s wrote in news:wwqon.88500$K81.22966
@newsfe18.iad:

My local Los Angeles, Calif and San Fernando Valley nursery says is
OK now to plant Brandwine and other similar variety tomatoes.
Other internet sources indicate that night temperatures are not at least
55 F so is too early. They indicate planting tomatoes in too cool soil
sets back the tomato plants. They indicate better to plant late April or
early May.

For Los Angeles, Calif and San Fernando Valley Can someone indicate
when is OK to plant my 4 inch pot 75 day maturing tomatoes in ground?

Thanks, Dave_s

Plant them now and cross your fingers. Tomatoes can take cold temps quite
well so long as you don't get a hard frost. Peppers and eggplants are
another story - I would not rush to put them out, but toms will do just
fine.

We had a hard frost again last night. We have two months to go before last
frost date, I haven't even planted toms/eggplants/peppers inside yet. I'm
going to get a few started now in bigger pots, but the bulk of my crop I
won't plant for another two weeks.

Thank for info about conditions so near to my home in Panorama City.

Ok, I'm going to buy some tomato plants tomorrow.
Probably start with Brandwine and Glacier.
Are there any tomatoes varieties which grow well in your US101 local
that might also do well in my location? I usually grow tomatoes both in
pots and some in the ground also. Prefer full size rather than Cherry
size tomato.


Many thanks again , Dave_s David E. Ross wrote:
On 3/18/10 8:44 AM, Billy wrote:
In article ,
Dave_s wrote:

My local Los Angeles, Calif and San Fernando Valley nursery says is
OK now to plant Brandwine and other similar variety tomatoes.
Other internet sources indicate that night temperatures are not at least
55 F so is too early. They indicate planting tomatoes in too cool soil
sets back the tomato plants. They indicate better to plant late April or
early May.

For Los Angeles, Calif and San Fernando Valley Can someone indicate
when is OK to plant my 4 inch pot 75 day maturing tomatoes in ground?

Thanks, Dave_s
Here on the North Coast, if we were to wait for 55°F evenings, we
wouldn't plant until mid-July. If you are past your last frost and have
8 hr. of sunshine, go for it. It would probably help to put some clear
plastic sheeting down, to help warm the soil, along one side of a row of
tomatoes, or a semi-circle for a single plant. Completely surrounding
the plant with plastic sheeting risks burning the plant, if it touches
the plastic during mid-day, and it makes it difficult to water.

Yes, plant as soon as the danger of frost is past. Actually, your area
has been know to get frost as late as 1 April.

However, frost highly unlikely, especially after the weather we're
having right now. I'm just 6 miles west of the Valley along US101. In
the last 24 hours, the temperatures ranged from 64F to 79F.
Temperatures haven't dipped down to 55F since Monday morning.

The 55F temperature is really a criterion for tomato plants setting
fruit, not for the plants to establish themselves. If the nighttime
temperatures go below 55F, the tomato flowers will not create tomatoes
unless artificially tweaked with a specific plant hormone.

On the other hand, the flowers will also fail to create tomatoes if the
daytime temperatures exceed 100F, which they surely will do in your area
this summer. There is no hormone treatment that will negate the problem
of high temperatures. Fortunately, small green tomatoes will continue
to grow, mature, and ripen with excessive heat even if no new tomatoes
are formed.

On 3/19/10 6:00 PM, Dave_s wrote:
Thank for info about conditions so near to my home in Panorama City.

Ok, I'm going to buy some tomato plants tomorrow.
Probably start with Brandwine and Glacier.
Are there any tomatoes varieties which grow well in your US101 local
that might also do well in my location? I usually grow tomatoes both in
pots and some in the ground also. Prefer full size rather than Cherry
size tomato.

I stopped growing tomatoes years ago, so I don't remember the varieties.

My next-door neighbor always plants more than he needs. He gives me his
surplus, and I give him peaches. This weekend, I'll ask him what
variety he plants. I'll also ask him if he would like some lemons.

My "crops" that are not surplus are asparagus, artichokes, and oranges.
We eat all of them.

Besides peaches and lemons, my surpluses include pineapple guavas,
loquats, rosemary, and kumquats. In the summer, I have excess dill. I
had to replant my grapes, so I'm not getting any fruit from them yet.
My old vines produced a great surplus until the raccoons discovered them.

All this on a standard residential tract lot!

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

In article ,
Dave_s wrote:

Thank for info about conditions so near to my home in Panorama City.

Ok, I'm going to buy some tomato plants tomorrow.
Probably start with Brandwine and Glacier.
Are there any tomatoes varieties which grow well in your US101 local
that might also do well in my location? I usually grow tomatoes both in
pots and some in the ground also. Prefer full size rather than Cherry
size tomato.

You can grow anything.
http://www.tomatofest.com/tomato-var...-by-color.html



Many thanks again , Dave_s David E. Ross wrote:
On 3/18/10 8:44 AM, Billy wrote:
In article ,
Dave_s wrote:

My local Los Angeles, Calif and San Fernando Valley nursery says is
OK now to plant Brandwine and other similar variety tomatoes.
Other internet sources indicate that night temperatures are not at least
55 F so is too early. They indicate planting tomatoes in too cool soil
sets back the tomato plants. They indicate better to plant late April or
early May.

For Los Angeles, Calif and San Fernando Valley Can someone indicate
when is OK to plant my 4 inch pot 75 day maturing tomatoes in ground?

Thanks, Dave_s
Here on the North Coast, if we were to wait for 55°F evenings, we
wouldn't plant until mid-July. If you are past your last frost and have
8 hr. of sunshine, go for it. It would probably help to put some clear
plastic sheeting down, to help warm the soil, along one side of a row of
tomatoes, or a semi-circle for a single plant. Completely surrounding
the plant with plastic sheeting risks burning the plant, if it touches
the plastic during mid-day, and it makes it difficult to water.

Yes, plant as soon as the danger of frost is past. Actually, your area
has been know to get frost as late as 1 April.

However, frost highly unlikely, especially after the weather we're
having right now. I'm just 6 miles west of the Valley along US101. In
the last 24 hours, the temperatures ranged from 64F to 79F.
Temperatures haven't dipped down to 55F since Monday morning.

The 55F temperature is really a criterion for tomato plants setting
fruit, not for the plants to establish themselves. If the nighttime
temperatures go below 55F, the tomato flowers will not create tomatoes
unless artificially tweaked with a specific plant hormone.

On the other hand, the flowers will also fail to create tomatoes if the
daytime temperatures exceed 100F, which they surely will do in your area
this summer. There is no hormone treatment that will negate the problem
of high temperatures. Fortunately, small green tomatoes will continue
to grow, mature, and ripen with excessive heat even if no new tomatoes
are formed.

--
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

David Ross,

Very helpful!

For personal reasons, I cannot produce COMPOST on my residential
property. Can you or your neighbor recommend any COMPOST I can buy
locally. Can I trust the FREE partially composted MULCH distributed by
LA CITY? Want this COMPOST for improving my garden, side dressing,
placing in hole as I plant new vegies and flowers, etc.

Thank you, Dave_S

David E. Ross wrote:
On 3/19/10 6:00 PM, Dave_s wrote:
Thank for info about conditions so near to my home in Panorama City.

Ok, I'm going to buy some tomato plants tomorrow.
Probably start with Brandwine and Glacier.
Are there any tomatoes varieties which grow well in your US101 local
that might also do well in my location? I usually grow tomatoes both in
pots and some in the ground also. Prefer full size rather than Cherry
size tomato.

I stopped growing tomatoes years ago, so I don't remember the varieties.

My next-door neighbor always plants more than he needs. He gives me his
surplus, and I give him peaches. This weekend, I'll ask him what
variety he plants. I'll also ask him if he would like some lemons.

My "crops" that are not surplus are asparagus, artichokes, and oranges.
We eat all of them.

Besides peaches and lemons, my surpluses include pineapple guavas,
loquats, rosemary, and kumquats. In the summer, I have excess dill. I
had to replant my grapes, so I'm not getting any fruit from them yet.
My old vines produced a great surplus until the raccoons discovered them.

All this on a standard residential tract lot!

On 3/21/10 6:08 AM, Dave_s wrote:
David Ross,

Very helpful!

For personal reasons, I cannot produce COMPOST on my residential
property. Can you or your neighbor recommend any COMPOST I can buy
locally. Can I trust the FREE partially composted MULCH distributed by
LA CITY? Want this COMPOST for improving my garden, side dressing,
placing in hole as I plant new vegies and flowers, etc.

Thank you, Dave_S


Be very careful with city compost. Depending on its source, it might
not be suitable for use on edibles. Compost derived from sewage sludge
might contain toxic heavy metals. Compost derived from pruning street
trees and mowing park lawns might contain traces of herbicides or
insecticides; it might also contain spores of plant diseases.

I don't mean to scare you away from using city compost. What you need
to do is inquire about its source and whether it is suitable for a
vegetable garden.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

Dave_s wrote:


For personal reasons, I cannot produce COMPOST on my residential
property. Can you or your neighbor recommend any COMPOST I can buy
locally. Can I trust the FREE partially composted MULCH distributed by
LA CITY? Want this COMPOST for improving my garden, side dressing,
placing in hole as I plant new vegies and flowers, etc.


I wouldn't trust it. You have no idea if it contains plant residues
that were treated with weed killer, insect poison, etc. It might be OK
to use for mulching shrubs or trees, but I wouldn't use it on food crops.

gloria p

On 3/19/10 6:00 PM, Dave_s wrote:
Thank for info about conditions so near to my home in Panorama City.

Ok, I'm going to buy some tomato plants tomorrow.
Probably start with Brandwine and Glacier.
Are there any tomatoes varieties which grow well in your US101 local
that might also do well in my location? I usually grow tomatoes both in
pots and some in the ground also. Prefer full size rather than Cherry
size tomato.


My neighbor likes 'Ace' and 'Celebrity'.

For home gardens, you want an indeterminate variety. That means the
tomatoes don't ripen all at once. For efficient farming, commercial
varieties are usually determinate, ripening all at the same time.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

David E. Ross wrote:
On 3/19/10 6:00 PM, Dave_s wrote:
Thank for info about conditions so near to my home in Panorama City.

Ok, I'm going to buy some tomato plants tomorrow.
Probably start with Brandwine and Glacier.
Are there any tomatoes varieties which grow well in your US101 local
that might also do well in my location? I usually grow tomatoes both in
pots and some in the ground also. Prefer full size rather than Cherry
size tomato.


My neighbor likes 'Ace' and 'Celebrity'.

For home gardens, you want an indeterminate variety. That means the
tomatoes don't ripen all at once. For efficient farming, commercial
varieties are usually determinate, ripening all at the same time.


'Many Many Thanks' to everyone who responded.

for the words of CAUTION regarding the 'FREE/SAFE(?) city COMPOST' for
use with 'food crops'. I'll quizz the city about those details.

Tomato variety and ripen info also very helpful.

Dave_s

David E. Ross wrote:
On 3/19/10 6:00 PM, Dave_s wrote:
Thank for info about conditions so near to my home in Panorama City.

Ok, I'm going to buy some tomato plants tomorrow.
Probably start with Brandwine and Glacier.
Are there any tomatoes varieties which grow well in your US101 local
that might also do well in my location? I usually grow tomatoes both in
pots and some in the ground also. Prefer full size rather than Cherry
size tomato.


My neighbor likes 'Ace' and 'Celebrity'.

For home gardens, you want an indeterminate variety. That means the
tomatoes don't ripen all at once. For efficient farming, commercial
varieties are usually determinate, ripening all at the same time.


'Many Many Thanks' to everyone who responded,

for the words of CAUTION regarding the 'FREE/SAFE(?) city COMPOST' for
use with 'food crops'. I'll quizz the city about those details.

Tomato variety and ripen info also very helpful.

Dave_s

On Mar 21, 6:41*pm, Dave_s wrote:
David E. Ross wrote:
On 3/19/10 6:00 PM, Dave_s wrote:
Thank for info about conditions *so near to my home in Panorama City..

Ok, I'm going to buy *some tomato plants tomorrow.
Probably start with Brandwine and *Glacier.
Are there any tomatoes varieties which grow well in your US101 local
that might also do well in my location? I usually grow tomatoes both in
pots and some in the ground also. Prefer full size rather than Cherry
size tomato.

My neighbor likes 'Ace' and 'Celebrity'.

For home gardens, you want an indeterminate variety. *That means the
tomatoes don't ripen all at once. *For efficient farming, commercial
varieties are usually determinate, ripening all at the same time.

'Many Many Thanks' to everyone who responded,

for the words of CAUTION regarding the 'FREE/SAFE(?) *city COMPOST' for
use with 'food crops'. I'll quizz the city about those details.

Tomato variety and ripen info also very helpful.

Dave_s

Since you may not have access to "safe" compost, consider using worm
castings.
I use them all the time, esp. when planting or transplanting.
As you probably know, worm castings are the result of "stuff" passing
through our friends, the earth worms.
The castings are odorless, fine textured soil modification.

Also, if you are a member of a co=op, or have access to a bulletin
board in a co-op or
similar, why not post an ad offering to buy organic compost. Couldn't
hurt, and you
might get a reply.

HTH

On 3/26/10 2:35 PM, Higgs Boson wrote [in part]:
Since you may not have access to "safe" compost, consider using worm
castings.
I use them all the time, esp. when planting or transplanting.
As you probably know, worm castings are the result of "stuff" passing
through our friends, the earth worms.
The castings are odorless, fine textured soil modification.

Since whatever traveled through the worm could not exit unless the worm
were still alive, castings are generally very safe.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary