Re: [tomato] what to grow in NY
spooky@frontiernet.net (Tomato@GlobalGarden.com)
Tue, 16 Feb 1999 17:58:16 -0500
Date sent: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 17:42:03 -0500
To: Tomato@GlobalGarden.com
From: Ian Stoba & Laurie Mandigo-Stoba <stoba@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [tomato] what to grow in NY
Send reply to: Tomato@GlobalGarden.com
> >BTW, do you intend on growing from seed or buying seedlings from
> >local nurseries?
>
> I'll be starting my tomatoes in the basement along with the rest of my
> veggies. Am I too soon to start now?
Oh, yeah, *way* too early! Your seedlings will get all leggy and
icky...unless you have a really good greenhouse and are able to
repot in succession, or have lots of good growing lighting. :-) Last
year, my first year growing from seed myself, I couldn't start
hardening off until the middle to late May! And my seedlings were
started too early (end of February). But, then again, if it's gonna be
warm this year...(shrug) I've yet to look at the Old Farmers
Almanac page to see when the last projected date of frost is to
calculate when to start my seeds.
>Last year in SF I started tomatoes
> early January, and had peas a foot tall by now. I was jumping the season
> there too, but with far less serious results than here. I'm glad to hear
> that this is a great place for tomatoes though. That's something of a
> consolation prize. So, I don't need to focus just on short season
> varieties?
No, not at all! Last year, I was picking ripe tomatoes in late
September and even a few in early October!
>To stray off topic (and probably sound pretty goofy, sorry)
> will things like watermelon and hot peppers have a long enough season to
> ripen here as well?
Sure they will; I've know folks who grow some long-season things,
including melons & peppers. (matter of fact, I'm thinking about
growing a melon or two myself this year, along with a few peppers).
> And one more question- does anyone have an absolute favorite paste tomato
> for making sauce?
Not me; I like them all! :-)
> p.s. Is LaGrangeville here in Dutchess county?
It sure is! I'm near Hopewell Junction & Sylvan Lake; about 10-15
minutes drive east of the Hudson river in Poughkeepsie.
Blessings,
Kimberlee