[Arid_gardener] Shipping Tomato Plants

[Carolyn Hills]

Bill -- I think your two best options for buying tomato plants locally are:

1) Baker Nursery in Central Phoenix (40th St and Osborn) is extremely good at offering plants and seeds at the right time for planting here in the Valley (tomato transplants can be set out from mid-July to mid-August for a Fall crop). I just called them (602-955-4500), and was told they will have tomato plants again last part of August.

2) The "big box" stores (Home Depot, Lowes, Target) usually stock their nurseries for a "back East" schedule (I found parsley at Home Depot last August, and it dies here in May). It wouldn't hurt to call around. If you do get plants from a big box store, they were probably grown in a greenhouse, and will most likely die from shock if placed directly out in your garden. I would harden them off by placing them in a shady spot and gradually introducing them to the sun and heat. I would definitely cover them with at least 50% shadecloth after that. 

I went to Google and queried "tomato plants" and got back quite a few sites that say they will ship plants, but I would not recommend having plants shipped here at this time of year. UPS does not air condition their warehouses or their trucks, and with temps constantly over 100 degrees, you are in real jeopardy of receiving dead or severely damaged plants.

Hope this helps!

Carolyn Hills
Maricopa County Master Gardener Volunteer
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: billw9 at highstream.net 
  To: arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu 
  Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 1:58 PM
  Subject: [Arid_gardener] Shipping Tomato Plants


  Does anyone know a grower who will ship a few tomato plants to Phoenix in 
  August?  My calls to two local nurseries asking about their plant 
  availability got negative answers.

  Is August about right for a late fall crop?

  Bill Woody 

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