[Subversive_plot]

October can be a weird month for us, temperature-wise.

In 2019, we reached a record October high of 38^oC.  This year, we are getting a single-night dip down to 7^oC, a week from now.  Until early November, night temperatures will be mostly 50^oC or higher, with days mostly 20 to 25+ ^oC, but as November approaches, we are expecting more nights to dip briefly to 7^oC or so.

The oldest plants are varieties Stupice and Gargamel, and have many tomatoes that are near ripe. and others that are young but developing.  The plants are large enough that covering them completely may not be practical (I will still try).  Would it be reasonable to expect that Stupice might stop setting fruit, but that tomatoes that have developed will continue to ripen as long as they don't get much colder than 7^oC?  Gargamel - it's anybody's guess how cold tolerant they are.

I have younger cherry toms in large pots that are setting fruit.  Through the first cold snap. I plan to cover them.  For later cold snaps, I plan to move the pots up against the house and shelter them with plastic (but they will be shaded). The best producing one or two plants will get moved to the garage, where they can get moved in and out; marauding  deer may still eat the plants.

I am hoping for some tomatoes into November at least.  Any thoughts on the above strategy?

BTW, my yellow grape tomato that had it's first ripe tomato on May 6 is still producing, though at this point it is looking a bit rough. Amazing production, and you can bet I have saved seed from it!  If any plant is going to keep producing into November, it would be this one.

[mumofstig]

The covering/uncovering toms planted in the greenhouse, and moving smaller potted plants into the house  and then out again, is what we usually have to do in Spring, just to keep tomato plants alive, so it should work.

Good luck!