Throw Away the Cap?

15 years ago

Hi Trudi and other WSers. This is bigdaddyj from the tomato forum. Well, April 2 and I have seedlings outside in my slitted container! I transplanted just one little guy into the garden. I surrounded it with the cut off water bottle as per the photo intructions. But I expect a couple more frost days in April. Should I save the water bottle cap for those cold nights? Just wondering. The instructions say to throw away the cap. Can you guys help me along here a little until about May 1 when all frost danger is over in my area and I know how to take it from there...:)

My Q. What to do about frosty nights. Thanx!

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Comments (3)

MLcom
15 years ago
I do that with a milk jug hot cap and a circle of jugs filled with water around it and a towel over it at night or a blanket. If they make it super early tomatoes ahead.

If not have back ups.

Most of my tomatos are sprouting now. A fewhold outs.

ML
trudi_d
15 years ago
That's wonderful, I'm happy for you BigDaddy.

I've not done the circle of water filled jugs myself, though I think I will remember it and someday give it a try. On rare occasion I have tossed an old bed comforter over the containers and took it off the next morning as soon as the sun was over the fence and warming that blanket. You must be prompt with removing the blanket because it can trap heat underneath, especially if it's a dark and heavy blanket.

I've seen my tomato seedlings in their containers go through nights just a bit below freezing, say down to 28-29 degrees or so, maybe 27 but I haven't eyeballed it on the thermometer, but the 28-29 I have seen with my eyes. You think they're going to fail but amazingly they take it. If you think the temps are going to drop below freezing I think a blanket will be helpful, certainly emotionally helpful, and it will insulate the transplants against being hit by a hard freeze.

T

PS...ML, you're always a day or two ahead of me on sprouting! I have four sprouts so far, lol.
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bigdaddyj
Original Author
15 years ago
ML and Trudi...thanx for your help. I guess I CAN throw away the water bottle cap. I am only concerned with the one tiny seedling I planted into the garden today with the capless surrounding water bottle as per the photo's on the WS website regarding tomatoes. The rest of my WS sprouts are still in their container on my deck. I took the slitted saran wrap off the container now because the seedlings were nearly touching it. This container I can always pop into my garage on a frosty night. It's the one seedling I already transplanted to the garden and future WS'ed transplants I'm worried about. I guess a big bucket over the plant(s) with a blanket covering will do fine on those frosty nights. Thanx for the reminder to uncover early the next morning!

Anyway, if this works out, it sure is an easier way to grow tomatoes than fussing and babying and potting up and hardening off and all that other stuff you must do the conventional way...:)