Late Tomato Blooms

We're getting lots of blooms on our tomato plants now. Unfortunately I think it may be too late. The weather forecast is calling for low temperatures in 45 degree range (7 c) all week. That may be too cold for the plants to set tomatoes and, even if they do, I'm not sure that they can ripen before even colder weather arrives. That's one of the most challenging aspects of trying to grow vegetables in this climate. The optimal weather conditions in the Spring and Fall just don't last long enough. It seems always to be too hot or too cold. Anyhow, the good news is that we already have several tomatoes ripening on the vine.

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Little Tomatoes

Since the temperature has cooled off a bit, our Early Girl, Sunmaster, and Hawaiian Tropic plants have started putting on tomatoes. All of them are still very small, but they are rapidly growing larger.

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Early Girl

Sunmaster

Hawaiin Tropic

BRRRR! It's Cold!

For the third day now, the early morning temperature has been in the 40s (7.2 c). The highs haven't been much better, climbing only into the 50s and 60s (10 to 15.6 c). That's about 20 degrees below normal for this time of year in Las Vegas. The wind has also been blowing nonstop. It seems to have gone from Summer to Winter overnight. Our plants aren't caring for the cold and blustery weather either. The Habanero and Tabasco plants looked so bad that I decided to bring them inside on Saturday. Our okra also looked very droopy by yesterday. But there is hope. The forecast calls for highs near 90 (32.2 c) by the end of the week!

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Habanero plant looking much better out of the wind and cold

Fall Weather

We're beginning to get some really beautiful Fall weather. This morning the temperature is in the 50s (13.8 c)! That's almost coat wearing weather here in Vegas. Over the next week, the highs are only going to be in the mid 80s to lower 90s (29.4 - 33.3 c). And just two days ago we had an honest to God thunderstorm! Hopefully, with these improved conditions, the tomato plants will start setting fruit.