Tomato plant life expectancy

[BoFuller]

I’ve always had outdoor gardens and when the frost and cold weather came, the growing season was over. Now I have a green house, so I’m wondering how long a tomato plant can last if it continues to stay warm and is weather protected.

Any experiences?

 

[ultrarunner]

We have the same cherry tomatoes that self propagate year after year...

They are outside in the mild climate of Oakland California...

 

[jaxs]

I grow tomatoes outdoors in NC Texas. You will have healthier and more productive plants starting new plants than carrying old plants through a second production cycle. You can get a second crop or even 3 or 4 but the effort isn't worth it. If you want to try some plants I suggest using indeterminate varieties. As long as plants aren't diseased cuttings work well.

 

[Yander]

If it is an indeterminate variety it may continue to grow and grow. I know I planted a single cherry tomato plant in a large hügelkultur mound and it grew and grew all summer and into the fall until it got frosted about a week ago.

I don't know how long it would have grown but it wasn't stopping. It was about 20 feet in circumference before frost got it.

 

[jyoutz]

Tomatoes are perennial, but of course not frost tolerant. Mine froze two weeks ago. But in their native locations in Central America they grow year long.

 

[CADplans]

snip off the suckers, stick them in the soil, and watch a new plant take off.
Not much different than the original, except lower to the ground.

My wife said she plans to start dozens of suckers next year, and find out what the plants can do,,

 

[MossRoad]

I’ve always had outdoor gardens and when the frost and cold weather came, the growing season was over. Now I have a green house, so I’m wondering how long a tomato plant can last if it continues to stay warm and is weather protected.

Any experiences?

Fascinating....

These plants are up to 15 meters long. That's close to 50'.

 

[BoFuller]

Thanks all.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

depends a lot of variety and quality of green house and how they are managed.

We maybe get only 95 days frost free days per year here in a row so greenhouses common.
Generally most varieties will start producing fruit in about 80 days (+/- 15).
Not uncommon for plants to last 2 - 3 years before culled.
After 3 years my experience is the younger generation plants almost always outperform on yield so good decision to replace the old with new cuttings.
We grow mostly indeterminate tomatoes. Small amount of cherry and vine as well.

 

[Sonny580]

Tomatoes here are WEEDS! LOL! They take over everything! Have not planted any plants for 10 years! We just transplant volunteer plants to a row and till/hoe out the rest!
We have several kinds and all do well for us.
As for greenhouse,--cant answer that one, (yet)! Plan on building a small one before spring to start plants other than tomatoes in.
I would think they would go til it froze them in there unless you have some heat in there. Taste will be off cause the sun is too low in the sky in the winter to ripen them! Ya they will turn red BUT not much taste!

 

[BoFuller]

It’s been in the low 20’s at night lately and low 40’s during the day. Green house has not gone below 44 at night and usually goes to low 90’s during the day. I have a propane heater but have not used it yet.
I have beets a few inches high, kale about 6 inches, and some romaine that just broke through last week.

 

[BoFuller]

 

[Oaktree]

View attachment 842475

What are you using for the plastic? Just clear roll plastic or some sort of polycarbonate sheets?

I would think they would go til it froze them in there unless you have some heat in there. Taste will be off cause the sun is too low in the sky in the winter to ripen them! Ya they will turn red BUT not much taste!

Frost is the season-ender here too, but we do still often have blossoms even into Sept. Trouble is, being as far north as we are as well as being in a valley we don't get a lot of sunlight after mid-Oct. Not worth the expense of keeping a greenhouse heated for the winter...we'd also need grow-lights and as you said the taste just won't be there.

 

[jmc]

Here at 39* N, late summer tomatoes just seem to stay green thru fall until frost. Seems warm enough for them to ripen- they just don't. Cant see a green house helping at that point.

 

[BoFuller]

What are you using for the plastic? Just clear roll plastic or some sort of polycarbonate sheets?

6 mil polycarbonate sheets

Frost is the season-ender here too, but we do still often have blossoms even into Sept. Trouble is, being as far north as we are as well as being in a valley we don't get a lot of sunlight after mid-Oct. Not worth the expense of keeping a greenhouse heated for the winter...we'd also need grow-lights and as you said the taste just won't be there.

 

[Sonny580]

The greenhouse I am building will have twin wall 1/4" thick sheets that are 6' x 12' and I will cut them so I have 6' with a 1' bottom board giving 7' ground to truss height.
12' wide and 24' long.
I bought a bunch of leftover stuff from a commercial greenhouse that sold out and thats what they had on their buildings.
The main thing I want to do is start plants early. Might do a little testing on growing later in the season just for the heck of it.