Toms

[Mrs Ava]

They are up!  My toms that is.  Sowed them 10 days ago, and finally today I noticed a few poking through.  Fabaroonee!  I just keep getting happier and happier.  

[aquilegia]

cool!

I wasn't going to sow mine yet as i thought it'd be too early. But maybe i will!

[rdak]

EJ- are these tomatoes for outdoors? Thought it was too early.

[Tenuse]

I sowed my tomato seeds on Friday I keep checking the propogator but none are up yet...

Ten x

[Mrs Ava]

Well, some of my tom seed packets say sow in Feb, and I have done that most years, in fact, I normally sow them in January.  I am only really doing what my gramps has always done and I always end up with more toms than I know what to do with.  

[rdak]

when do you plant them out? is it always after the last frost? maybe I will try some a bit early and use Ina's method of taking the lower leaves off and transplanting them deeper - perhaps that will delay the top growth as it develops roots.

[Mrs Ava]

I definately wait until after the lost frost....so long as someone points out that that was most definately the last frost.  I actually normally wait until I see others have theres out and about, I transplant into pots, and like you I am going to do it Ina's way, nice and deep, and then finally into position.  I was hoping to get some at the allotment, but I fear I won't have room.    I have got a touch carried away.  :-/

[wetandcold]

I'm glad to hear that some other people have their tomatoes under way. I planted mine a couple of weeks ago, as usual, and they have germinated and now have their first set of true leaves!

I live near Glasgow on the west coast of Scotland and, strangely (Gulf Stream I guess), we get hardly any frosts ever - my grandparents live in Oxfordshire and they get much worse frost than us!

Anyway, I think that by planting my tom's a bit earlier I will give them a head start to make up for the lack of sun in the summer (and we usually have great weather in April / May so it would be good to give them the opportunity to flourish then!)

[aquilegia]

Hmm - maybe I will start mine now then. I sowed them in January last year (it said you could on the packet) and had a bumper harvest, but then I was put off doing it so early this year. But I'm gonna.

Too much to do tomorrow now!

[rdak]

saw this on a gardening newsgroup:

Professional growers, to stop the plants becoming 'leggy', fool the plants
into thinking they are in a windy situation, by brushing the plants with
their
hands several times day, the movemnet makes the plant think it's being
buffeted by the wind and grows shorter and stronger!

[Ceri]

I've read similar - something about japanese gardeners brush seedlings stems gently once a day with a very soft artists' paintbrush

[wetandcold]

Can you speak to them when you stroke them or would the more established plants get jealous?

[ina]

No!!!! I wil NOT or maybe I will, No I won't.......I WILL wait a bit longer. Last week of februari or the first of march to sow tomatoes. I just can't stand it, wish you guys would hush your mouths hahahaha, you are making in so hard. Isn't it fun to see the first seeds breaking through the soil? Are we going to get a bumper tomato year again like last year? Good luck everybody.

[tim]

What a brave lot! I'm very envious.
With 6 deg frost at the end of April, and cold house temp still at 40 deg in JUNE - I truly dursn't!! Not for another month.

And, really, does one gain significantly by jumping the gun by a week or two? Doesn't everything catch up as the temps rise? Most things hate a check, and with us they usually get it.

How about a prize - or honourable mention - for the first tom in heat, in frame, and outdoors? If you are in the Azores, there will be considerable weighting! = Tim

[ina]

Yes Tim, I think you are right but..................impatience wins out hahaha. Gain? What's to gain? Fun Tim, fun to see them little bitty tomato plants popping up out of the soil and nothing to lose but a few seeds because one can always sow new in a month if need be. Still, I'm going to wait a bit and just enjoy the happy news from others here.

[tim]

What energy!! And looking after a husband at the same time? = Tim

[Tenuse]

Yay! my little tomato seedlings spent all last night popping out of the soil, every hour or so I would go and look at them and there would be a few more out.

I have only sown 12 having taken heed of Tim's dire warnings ...! so I have plenty left for a later sowing.

Ten x

[shifty581]

I always plant my tom seede in erly Jan,put them in on the 9th and showing them selves today.
Q/  Growbags or lare pots which is better ?.

[Garden Manager]

I have always been told second half of march to sow tomato seeds. However I have recently come to the conclusion that this is a little late considering the microclimate in my garden, and that geting them ready to go out at the end of may was way too cautious.

This has been confirmed by advice in a magazine (along with free tom seeds) saying it is ok to sow around now.  I decided then to attempt first sowing as soon as possible, probably at the begining of march (a whole month earlier than last year). Now from what i have read here even this sounds late!

The main thing with tomatoes from seed is the presence of enough heat during germination. If  you can provide this in january or february, then fine as long as the seedlings dont get too cold afterwards. The other thing is light. I january and early february the light levels are generaly too low to grow healthy seedlings in. They tend to be drawn and weak and prone to infection. Come late feb early march the light should be strong enough for growing healthy plants.

Early sowings are though most suitable for indoor crops, outdoor tomatoes should be sown later so that they are at the right stage to go out after your last frost.

As for pots v growbags, I have tried both and have found pots better, largely because watering is easier. Install a 3" pot next to the plant when planting up and water into that.  I normally use a 50/50  John Innes 3/ multipurpose compost mix.

[Tenuse]

Hmm mine are supposed to be for outdoors, but my cunning plan is:

germinate them in the propogator indoors (done!)
let them grow on in their seed tray in an indoors room next to a big window, turn them every day and stroke them too for good measure
when they have 3 good true leaves pot them into 3 inch pots and keep them indoors still
when they look like they are doing ok transfer them into my back garden's cold frame (very sheltered and quite a good warm microclimate)
start hardening them off a few weeks later...
pot them into larger pots if it is still frosty...
plant them in the allotment in - perhaps - May?

Oh for a greenhouse!

Ten x