Topic: tomato seed starting day dec 13, 2009

[mrestofus]

today is the day i start my first batch tomato seeds.
the varieties are :
porterhouse f1
Burpee's delicious
big zac f1
phils fantastic
brutus magnum
slankards
beefsteak

Some words wisdom for those have suffered damp off:
1. soak all seeds starting pots in 10 parts water 1 part Chlorine  bleach
2. plastic pots are better then peat or paper post since do not promote mold or siphon water out soil.
3. dampening the soil  with hot Chamomile Tea provide a measure of prevention
damp off starting in the soil.
4. watering your soil with  Chamomile tea instead water also help prevent damp off
5 vent you seedling propagator dome as soon  to as your seedlings sprout also helps.
6. once you seedling have spouted start as small slow fan near by help keep good air circulation for plants.

[redimp]

Clove tea can be used as an alternative to chamomile.

[emmy1978]

Good luck little tomato seeds... ;D

[saddad]

Mine can wait until March...  :-X

[mrestofus]

a bit info  i forgot in my first post:
1.Re-pot and lay down day Jan 15, 2010.
http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae343/mrestofus/tomatolaydown.jpg
2.plant out side date Feb 15 2010 in double stacked wall water /
this can also be used with 5 ft high hoop house and soil heating cables.
this set up works with temps as low as 12 f/ -11.1 C / 6 inches of snow.
http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/ae343/mrestofus/doublewallwater.jpg
date first ripe tomato for eating may 1 2010

ps these methods should help you get tomatoes early enough to beat plant death by blight.
ps ps Chamomile smells better then cloves

[Digitalis]

Mine can wait until March...  :-X

Yep!

[Digeroo]

Maybe early sowing might beat the blight.    Think I shall grow some in pots on the windowsill.  But no much sun at the moment so will wait a while.

[Squash64]

I never realised that sowing tomato seeds was so complicated  ::)

I sow mine in mid-April, pot them on when they need it, plant them out when it's warm enough.

[saddad]

Sounds cool to me Betty
 :)

[mrestofus]

Digeroo i sow and grow under shop lights till I  plant out.

[jonny211]

Whats the idea behind the lay-down stage? I've never seen that done before.

Jon

[redimp]

Whats the idea behind the lay-down stage? I've never seen that done before.

Jon

That'll be to get them to form a better root system resulting in a better and more productive plant.  Plants can also be 'laid down' when they are planted out into soil.  I just plant mine deep.

[mrestofus]

anyone wishing more info on the techniques and limitation of  this method. Feel free to ask.
ps the proven benefits of the techniques can include earlier first tomato , bigger plants with
greater total production  and if done so with the proper varieties larger fruit.

[campanula]

already! I wait till April 1st at least although this year, for the first time, I grew tomatoes inside as well. Major disappointment! The plants looked great, nice big crops but NO TASTE - and they were the same varieties I grew outside. This I put down to the continual watering which they need in pots unlike the starvation and drought system (hah!) which rules my allotments. This year was a great year - 48 plants so loads of passata and sauces bottled but I will not be using precious greenhouse space again. Cost me a fortune in tomato food as well. On the other hand, I got fantastic bell peppers for the first time so I am now a keen glasshouse owner. Aubergines - desperate spidermite - probably won't bother with them again either....and as for the Okra - tragic (although the flowers were nice).

[gardentg44]

[Mine can wait until March...  :-X]

And mine 8)

[terrier]

Mrestofus, is this  http://www.gardenharvestsupply.com/product/season-starter-the-improved-wall-o-water-plant-protector-3-pack the device you mean? If so, are they available in the UK as I've not seen them before?

[Alex Rowe]

Please let us know how these tomatoes grow for you - it will be very interesting to see exactly what results you get from tomatoes that have been planted so early!

I've had good crops of tomato plants that have been planted/grown indoors from the end of January but I really do find that sowing the seeds about three weeks before the last frost gives the best plants/tomatoes.

Cheers
- Alex

[Mike J]

Seems early - presumably you are in UK?! Usually sow in Feb - is this too late? Am open to persuasion.

[Digeroo]

I have not seen the wall of water in this country, I think that Mrestofus comes from the other side of the salty pond. 

Maryland perhaps?  Which is on a parallel with Sicily, so even if the winters are cold there will be more sunlight.  The gulf stream keeps us warm but does not provide more light, until we benefit from the longer summer evenings after the spring equinox.

[davyw1]

I will be setting my first lot away at the begging of Jan but then i have a mighty fine hot house and plenty of warm storage space.