Topic: overwintering tomatoes in the ground to prove a point.

[plainleaf]

I was looking though a stack  dirty flats that i had plant tomato seeds earlier in season.
low an  be hold one of the seed i thought had been no germination decide to finally germinate.
So  my little experiment will be that  this late comer will be planted out in 5 weeks.
I will using my early set out  set up on this plant and I will hopefully have the plant survive the winter. my winter get as cold as -11 C/12 F.  place your bets now if think the plant will survive the winter.

[Digeroo]

Probably will survive if you set your mind to it but if it becomes very leggy it will not do anything worth having in the new year.   Perhaps in the house with a light system.

[kypfer]

I've had a tomato root system survive the winter outside, from a plant that had been cut down but not dug up ... unfortunately I only found it when digging over the soil, and it got badly damaged, so I didn't get to see if it fruited for a second year ... temperatures weren't nearly as cold as yours though.

In an unheated greenhouse that I had use of at a previous accomodation I regularly kept plants through 'till the following February, but again, temperatures didn't drop below freezing ... good luck  ;)

[Jeannine]

Is that the system with a stacked pair of walls of water Plainleaf. I have recently bought 2 dozen of them for the spring. How do you get one to stay on top of the other..if that is what you do,,I am not sure. I think it was you who told me

XX Jeannine

[plainleaf]

Jeannine yes i was one who told you about stacked walls of water.
How i stack them will have to be a separate thread since showing you the step by step will take at least a dozen picture. or i with pm you the step by step  if you would like.

[Jeannine]

That would be great but if  don't mind could you put them on a thread on the forum more folks will see it and I think it would be interesting.

I shall look forward to seeing them

XX Jeannine

[Digeroo]

Wall of water systems are not available here but I have found reference to using 2ltr plastic bottles filled with water.  This sounds like good idea.  But I cannot find what you use to cover the top.    I have found cozy coats by having a quick google and they are are red, I donlt understand how the plant gets enough light though it.

[Jeannine]

Red is the latest craze here, there is red plastic  that folks plant through too, , they maintain that the red plastic mulch put under tomatoes and strawberries aids the colour .
There is no covering on the top,of the walls of water the top  is open, some folks may put something over it but it is actually open. They are quite high, about 15 or 18 inches..guessing.Mine are not red.

XX Jeannine

[Chrispy]

I have found cozy coats by having a quick google and they are are red, I donlt understand how the plant gets enough light though it.

Never seen that before, interesting.

They will let through more light than you think...
They are red so they block green and blue light, but plants do not use the green light for photosynthesis so it does not matter that it is blocked to heat the water.
Don't know about the blue, and UV, someone who knows more will have to fill that bit in.

[Digeroo]

they maintain that the red plastic mulch put under tomatoes and strawberries aids the colour .

Perhaps if you wage a red flag the tomatoes will ripen quicker.  I have been wearing a red top all morning so I have high hopes of some ripe fruit tomorrow. ;D ;D  PRefer foil reflects the light.

I have managed to keep courgettes through -4C with plastic milk bottles full of water so it sounds like a good challenge to surround tomatoes with clear plastic bottles of water.  Is this aided by the Latent Heat of Freezing (Fusion). 

[Jeannine]

Did you really intend to say  that.. good luck

[plainleaf]

Digeroo there are several places online that sell walls of water in UK
chrispy walls of water are blue not red. Also red plastic does not help tomatoes ripen that much.

[Jeannine]

Hi Plainleaf, they do come in red now by several suppliers, not the same name brand but certainly the same thing, I think they are new this last year when all tht "RED" stuff came popular.

Would you explain how you fill yours and get the plant in'' several ways I am curious which one you prefer.


XX Jeannine

[Digeroo]

Digeroo there are several places online that sell walls of water in UK

Please could you post a link.  My googling skills are slipping again.

[nilly71]

I remember reading a thread on another forum about a year ago about someone making a radiator for their shed, made out of beer cans. They drilled out the bottom of the cans then stuck them together, filled with water, painted them black and placed it outside with a tube running inside the shed to act as the radiator.

Under the grapevines I was thinking of using water filled plastic milk bottles, layed on their side and stacked up then painting black or covering with black plastic to keep the plants warmer in the evenings.
Just never got round to trying it ;D

Neil

[Digeroo]

The plastic milk bottles work very well for courgettes.  I actually bury the first few inches in the soil and leave them standing up.  So it warms the roots  and soil as well.  Did it also with the early challenge potatoes and they all survived several frosts.  I put a bottle between each potato plant and covered with plastic. 

I did not bother to paint them black.  The first night they were filled with warm water but after that I found they warmed up quite well during the day.  In general the coldest nights are on sunny days. 

[plainleaf]

: Jeannine  when planting a tomato plant in a none stacked wall of water.
 you wait till reasonable weather day after warming the soil under some such.you plant the tomato plant. cover the plant with 5 gallon bucket open side down. handle facing up.
place the wall of water around bucket. fill the water tubes in manner that allows opposite sides not fall over and fall.

[Digeroo]

How do you get the bucket out?  or is the wall of water stable once it is full.

Still need uk link please.

[plainleaf]

the uk supplier does not seem to be listing currently but ebay sellers seem to ship uk.
as for getting bucket out this video demonstrates how simple it is.
sorry there are no videos online of some filling a wall o water.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPCDVDDeqfY

[Jeannine]

Thanks PL that's the one I used to use before when I used them

 XX Jeannine