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Growing Tomatoes

Heat Tolerant Plants

13 years ago

I live in the desert southwest, (60) miles N/E of Las Vegas at the north end of Lake Mead. I don't have to tell anyone that it gets hot here very early in the year. This year I'm looking for a tomato variety that will tolerate the heat and produce and still have a good tomato taste. Do any of you have your favorites? Thanks!

Greg

Southern Nevada

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Comments (5)

thisisme
13 years ago
Greg 2011 will be my first year growing tomatoes in Arizona. I don't have any first hand knowledge yet but I have put in hundreds of hours of study preparing for 2011. My understanding is that soil depth and preparation, mulch, watering and fertilizer regimen are very important. Other than cherry varieties they can't take our full sun and require 40-50% shade from the afternoon sun.

This year I am growing.
Sungold Cherry tomato
Black Cherry tomato
Cherokee Purple

I'm also growing tomatillos which can thrive in full Arizona sun.

Here are a few links you may find useful.

Tomato Watering System. Pay attention to how deep he plants them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUbfpkNEslw

Laurel's Tomato Growing Tips. Lots of good tips here.
http://www.heirloomtomatoplants.com/Growing%20Tips%20and%20Garden%20Products.htm
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whgille
13 years ago
Hi Greg

I grew tomatoes in Phoenix for about 10 years, very successfully. Most cherry varieties did well for me, medium size also, on the big varieties my favorite was Costoluto Genovese and was great. All the ones with heat tolerance on the name did not do any better than the regular ones.
The trick is to get them out in the garden before the heat arrives, you might have to protect them from the cold. Once the heat arrives they will need a shade cloth, otherwise they will burst in the heat.
I had my tomatoes in raised beds and containers. Beds had a shade cloth and containers were in the porch, the garden had an eastern exposure, morning sun, afternoon shade.
When the weather is hot and dry tomatoes get a really nice flavor as long as you protect them from the intense heat, good luck to you.

Silvia
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sandhill_farms
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks to the both of you for your advice. I have plenty of shade cloth so I'm sure I can put something together.

Greg
Sounthern Nevada
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sautesmom Sacramento
13 years ago
This subject comes up every year, and those of us who live in 100+ degree weather have our old stand-bys to share with the newbies. Below is a link to a previous discussion which has my list of hot weather tomatoes, or you can put "heat" or "hot weather" in the search engine for the tomatoes board.

Carla in Sac

Here is a link that might be useful: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/msg0716384122262.html
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neohippie
13 years ago
I live in south-central Texas (hot, but not quite desert) and last year Red Brandywine and Mortgage Lifter did well for me. Cherokee Purple has done well in the past too.

Pink Brandywine and similar varieties are not reccommended.

And yes, pretty much any cherry does fine.
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