Tomato seedlings, source on SF East Bay's I80 corridor (Berkeley to Milpitas)?

[Dan Musicant]

My main problem with tomatoes at the moment is just that I can't find a

6 pack of Early Girl. Seems that all the Orchard Supply Hardware stores in the area aren't stocking them currently.

Does anyone know of a source of tomato 6 packs (Early Girl is what I'm after) in the S.F. East Bay's I80 corridor? I'm driving from Berkeley to Milpitas tomorrow and could make a stop for seedlings. Thanks for any ideas. Suggest a store and I will call it.

I worked hard the last week to prepare my bed. Usually I have my tomatoes in the ground by now.

Dan

Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

[Dan Musicant]

:My main problem with tomatoes at the moment is just that I can't find a :6 pack of Early Girl. Seems that all the Orchard Supply Hardware stores :in the area aren't stocking them currently. : :Does anyone know of a source of tomato 6 packs (Early Girl is what I'm :after) in the S.F. East Bay's I80 corridor? I'm driving from Berkeley to :Milpitas tomorrow and could make a stop for seedlings. Thanks for any :ideas. Suggest a store and I will call it. : :I worked hard the last week to prepare my bed. Usually I have my :tomatoes in the ground by now. : :Dan

A manager at my local OSH just called me and told me that in 2 days (Friday) they will have 6 packs of Early Girl. He said the supplier was later than usual due to the heavy rains. I'm skeptical concerning that explanation (kept that to myself), but thanked him. I'll go in Friday (after calling them to confirm) and hope to finally score my seedlings.

Dan

Email: dmusicant at pacbell dot net

[Billy]

My experience has been that Home Despot and the fashionable boutique-y nurseries sell by the pot at first and then come out with the six packs when most people have already planted. My best luck has been with small neighborhood nurseries, who need to satisfy their customers.

Do you really get any growth out of your tomatoes at this time of year? Seventy degrees is the suggested soil temp for planting. I suppose you could speed things up with a row cover. My tomatoes usually just sit there until sometime after mid-May, and then start growing.

Anyway, my suggestion is to hit the phonebook, or google "nurseries, East Bay", and then start phoning.

[Marq]

Billy wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Or grow them from seed. SO VERY easy and satisfying

[aem]

I've always read that tomatoes will progress when the night time soil temp is at or above 50=B0F. In addition to Early Girl there are heirloom Siberian tomatoes that are said to do well in cooler climates. I have planted one, called Black Prince, this year not so much for climate reasons--we get plenty hot enough--but because it's said to taste great. -aem

[Billy]

Instead of just chucking all my excess tomato seedlings, I planted some in one of the least desirable locations in my yard (north side of hill, under trees, little sun light, avg. temp 50°F) and they are hanging in there. They are 3" tall as compared to 20" for seedlings that were started under grow lights, and then placed in pots in the sunniest part of my yard. Night time temps here never average 55°F.

Let us know how your tomatoes do for the next 2 months. Your highs are a couple of degrees lower than mine, but you lows are a couple of degrees higher.

I'm hoping to tent my tomatoes in the next couple of weeks for a quicker start to their growing season, and get more plants out of my study.

[Billy]

Big whoops, my bad. I thought I was talking to Dan in the 180 corridor, Bay Area. I can see that in Virginia you are running much warmer than I am. I hope you are prepared to protect that "Black Prince", because Accuweather has you down for a 30°F low next thursday.