Frost Warning – First One of Season

Tonight we have a Frost Warning. The first one for the season. I have that Lone Tomato plant to cover, as it has many tomatoes on it still maturing. It’s the best plant I’ve ever grown, though I haven’t really grown this one, if one knows about it as I wrote about it earlier. [do a search for ‘lone tomato’]

At any rate, it’s put out lots of growth and flowering and fertilization … I’ve pinched off many flowers and just fertilized buds as there just won’t be time for them to grow, and I want the plant to put it’s energy into maturing the many other fruit it previously started.

I’ve been doing that pinching back for a few weeks now. It’s STILL wanting to send up flowers. 🙂

I have three very red tomatoes this week, the first fruit to be picked. I haven’t opened them up yet, will this weekend. They are a nice size, not overbig, so not sure what “variety” of tomato they are … the mysterious self-grown lone tomato plant that it is.

A few weeks ago we did have a Hornworm invasion. I spotted three, and before they were done being picked off (thanks to my hubby) there were many more. All small, but about to chow down. I then sprayed the plant with BT and there haven’t been any other pests. The worst damage done was one smaller tomato had an inch-and-a-half top eating out scar, it didn’t go deep, so I let it keep growing. It’s near starting to ripen stage now.

We had just so much overcast weather the past few weeks I’m thankful now for the Sunnier days we’ve had, that helps the tomatoes grow and ripen. We could have used it though, in October.

I hope that I can protect the plant tonight and keep it going. This one cold night should be alone, and not continue a pattern, as far as I know.

November 15 is the “average first freeze” date. This would be an early first frost for us. Weather is expected to be down to 34 degrees F. but clear and still air, making freezing temps possible.