Ask Me Help Desk - Bringing tomatoes indoors

I planted a garden for the first time this year and have really enjoyed it. I planted most of my veggies in boxes that I can move around. I read that tomatoes are perennials, but most people treat them as annuals because the frost will kill them. I live in an area where the first frosts usually hit in October, and we'll get some snow from the end of October through February. I'm wondering if I can move my tomato plants into a sunroom in my house. Can you advise me on how to keep them alive?

Also, I planted 6 grape vines. They are full and lush, but the grapes aren't really developing that well. I think that is just because this is their first year. Do I need to do anything special to the vines to protect them through the winter?

Hi! Just Looking

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Looking

I planted a garden for the first time this year and have really enjoyed it. I planted most of my veggies in boxes that I can move around. I read that tomatoes are perennials, but most people treat them as annuals because the frost will kill them. I live in an area where the first frosts usually hit in October, and we'll get some snow from the end of October thru February. I'm wondering if I can move my tomato plants into a sunroom in my house. Can you advise me on how to keep them alive?

You sure can. First, look over the tom plants you have, and pick out the healthiest/best producing ones, and just like hardening/preparing plants for spring planting, you'll need to do the same for these so they can get used to the indoor heat and humidity of the Sun-room

This link will talk 'bout reverse hardening; Preparing Plants for a Winter Indoors

If you just can't bear to part with any of them, take cuttings of the runners-up and place them in water. They will start producing roots anywhere from one to four weeks later, then you can plant them in soil. Just remember. If you had any diseased plants, the disease will overwinter too.

Just a thought, If your boxes are cumbersome, I've always liked to place mine on plant dollies How to Build a Plant Dolly: 11 steps (with pictures) - wikiHow this will give you the idea.

For next year, here's two opinions on hardening off:
Hardening off Transplants
Tomato plants may need hardening-off

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Looking

Also, I planted 6 grape vines. They are full and lush, but the grapes aren't really developing that well. I think that is just because this is their first year. Do I need to do anything special to the vines to protect them thru the winter?

You are correct. It would be unusual to have viable grapes in the first year. The best time to prune is when the vines are dormant, and this is usually in late December to January. You don't say how cold it gets, but if you have access to hay/straw you could get enough bales to cover a couple of feet around.
Don't worry 'bout pruning too hard, and mind the bud rules you read 'bout in these links.

This is for the first three years
Pruning Backyard Grapevines in the First Three Years, HYG-1429-2004

Prune your grape vines heavily in winter

Protecting Grapevines from Winter Injury pdf

K

Thanks! This info was very helpful. I am in the foothills of Reno, where the temperatures have a large range even in the summer. Currently, our highs are anywhere from 80-100 degrees and we get down to 50-60 degrees at night. In the summer, we typically drop 40 degrees from day to night. In the winter, we typically see lows around 15-20 degrees, but we'll also drop below zero a few times. The coldest night I've seen was a bone-chilling -15 degrees, but that is rare. Daytimes are generally in the 30-40 degree range.

I really appreciate your help. The garden was so much fun, and I felt pretty successful for a first-timer. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Looking

Thanks! This info was very helpful.

Your welcome,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Looking

I am in the foothills of Reno, where the temperatures have a large range even in the summer. Currently, our highs are anywhere from 80-100 degrees and we get down to 50-60 degrees at night. In the summer, we typically drop 40 degrees from day to night. In the winter, we typically see lows around 15-20 degrees, but we'll also drop below zero a few times. The coldest night I've seen was a bone-chilling -15 degrees, but that is rare. Daytimes are generally in the 30-40 degree range.

Pretty much like where I'm at, here in Central Pa. I'm a little higher in Latitude, 40.25, but your probably much higher in altitude I'm 437'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Looking

I really appreciate your help. The garden was so much fun, and I felt pretty successful for a first-timer. :)

Glad I could help. Just stay with what worked for you this year. You might even want to start a Garden Log to help you keep your tips an tricks in.

K

I have moved my tomatoes indoors now. Thanks again for the how-to. The weather forecasts is calling for our temps to drop into highs of 60's and lows of 30's next week, as compared to highs in the 90's and lows in the 60's this week. I'm in the process of taking down my garden, but curious about moving the string beans and strawberry plants indoors. Neither produced much this year, but the plants themselves look so healthy. I don't really care if I get more fruit/veggies from them over the winter so much as preserving the plant itself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Looking

but curious about moving the string beans and strawberry plants indoors. Neither produced much this year, but the plants themselves look so healthy. I don't really care if I get more fruit/veggies from them over the winter so much as preserving the plant itself.

String beans are annuals, you may get a few more months out of them. Since they "didn't produce much this year" don't expect them to recover. They have already reached that phase of their development, and are running out of energy to reproduce pods, but who knows? With tender care you may still harvest a few pods.
Try to keep them in temperatures between 50° and 85°F ~ (10 - 29°C); Check for water, 'bout every third-fourth day. Moist, but not wet.

Easy Gardening...Green Beans
Fall Beans Are Best
Growing Beans in the Home Vegetable Garden

Strawberries on the other hand are hardy perennials, you don't say how many or how you have them planted.

If in containers, they will be comfortable with the bean requirements above.

If already in the ground, wintering strawberries is fairly simple. Run a mower or similar over the bed, late in the fall, to remove foliage and weed tops, then cover the whole area with straw mulch to keep the frost off.

If no straw you could use shredded newspaper, works well.
Then in the spring, just as the foliage starts to show green, transplant into the new bed, discarding old plants.

If you don't like the "lawnmower treatment", put some straw around the roots and lay the foliage on top of the straw. The straw will insulate the roots and the soil.

Garden strawberry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardand...trawberry.html

Something you may want to try, to enhance your berry production:
CO2 Science
Where to get co2, easily? Get a soda water bottle, and a box of chargers.
Cover the berries, and shoot the gas in under the cover... :eek:

I planted everything but my fruit trees and grapes in containers. The ground here is so hard and full of rocks that I chose the containers. Thanks again for the info. :)