Topic: tomato seeds started

[galina]

goodlife you make me laugh since the temp and moisture level issues are so easy to prevent.  for temp help I suggest you speak to that English fellow Newton.
And the moisture issue is all matter of redirection. 
and also
gardening methods in the used in USA should would fine in the uk

?  Way too cryptic for me to understand.

But I am glad you are laughing ....

[goodlife]

goodlife you make me laugh since the temp and moisture level issues are so easy to prevent.  for temp help I suggest you speak to that English fellow Newton.
And the moisture issue is all matter of redirection. 

You can laugh as much as you want. But if you are talking about growing outside during winter/ early spring..you can't pull sun down from sky nearer to your plants..ok if you have artificial lighting..but try to get that into allotment is different story.. ::)
As for moisture...yes for certain extent you can cover you plants and prevent plants/soil getting watered directly..but even there is a limit...if you've done your ground preparation as well as you been advising us to do it..it will draw/soak up moisture from uncovered surrounding soil and hold on to it well. Soil doesn't evaporate its moisture same in winter as in summer so any rain will just add on and on to the moisture/wetness on soil. And...you don't really redirect moisture, only moving water and that's another story as well. But try to prevent soil getting too moist/wet if/when the heavens keep dropping the wet stuff by the bucket load. Not so much trouble this year..yet..but only two years ago we had inch of water on top of soil, wells were overflowing and more was coming down from sky... ::)

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gardening methods in the used in USA should would fine in the ukMajority of gardening methods used in USA do work fine in UK but it is the weather and its effects that we cannot predict and is different where ever you are. I wasn't arguing about the gardening methods here.
I'm really looking forward to hear about how your experiment is going to work out...hopefully we all are going to pick something new from it.

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the issue is not method but timing. frost date being the most in important  not light levels. Frost date is not the issue.. frost in general..less the better.

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weather, light, are not deciding factor.
soil and planning are.Don't try to tell me that and light levels don't have much to do with success of growing..if you don't get it right either naturally (by getting your timing right so the sun works for you) or by giving adequate artificial light and protection there is no chance getting tomatoes to grow anything any earlier. Basic horticulture..!
Tomatoes are able to withstand lowish temperature..but only when they've got their feet firmly in and established themself. If you start this early..you need artificial lighting to get them into good growth with reasonably large rootballs..then they need to be acclimatized into cooler growing conditions...
Like I said.. Looking forward to see how you get on with this..

Perharps you should be more specific how you are planning to prepare the ground and your plants against the elements...are you using artificial light..are you growing in GH or open ground??? You don't give much details.

[plainleaf]

goodlife
the plants are started under lights for 6 weeks
they are hardened off 2 weeks

i think you confusing what the last frost date is.

good life water rarely flows up hill into covered raise bed
my tomato bed has been covered since November
the soil is covered by weed cloth and bed is arched by a plastic hoop house.  you will see more details when post picture after Christmas
similar to one in the link below
http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-build-a-hoop-house/index.html

the soil is very loose and Friable Soil

[plainleaf]

as long as your day length is over 10 hours the method for early plant out will work

[davyw1]

i started 32 tomato seeds for early plant out yesterday. the plant outside date is feb 15 2012.
i will post picture of this test as it go along.
first seed pop should be in day or two.

So the first of your photo,s should have been uploaded by now so we can see your propergation meathod.

I dont, normaly set my first seeds till late January but as my heating is free and i have to have it on for my leeks and stock plants i think i may set some away tomorrow just as a comparison check. I dont suppose a month will make that much difference.

[plainleaf]

sorry for not posting pictures sooner but had other stuff i was up to
picture 1 is one of my seed flats


picture 2 seed flat with dome.


picture is my propagator with light and heat mat.
the flat is on a height adjustable shelf. the propagator has space for 8 flats
 
 

[galina]

Nice looking set-up, PL.  How high can your plants get with the growlamp arrangement you have?  How are they doing now?

[plainleaf]

the top level which is seen in picture 3  if the flat is sitting  on the lowest shelf the distance from the top of the flat to light 12 inches/30.5 cm


on bottom level not pictured max distance is 18 inches /45 cm

the reason for the shelf design is when I was looking at other designs before
I built this one,  most designs you raised and lowered lights or had different size boxes under the  flats to get them closer to the lights. this design turned those designs on there head. I got rid of all flaws and it lets you start different type of plants at different times.

there is timer that turns lights on and off. The whole set up only need very little interaction except moving the flats when plants get too tall and  watering.

ps
seed starting setups should be kept away from pets and unsupervised children
both are walking plant destroyers.
 

[davyw1]

For this coparison on germination i went for a more technical approach.

I planted my seeds on the 29th Dec



Put then in the perculator



Closed the frond door



Had a look today and they had poked their heads through

[plainleaf]

davyw1 interesting design but not very flexible

[davyw1]

davyw1 interesting design but not very flexible

Nothing to do with what is flexible, this nothing more than a comparison using your method and my method

Stage 1 being the germination of tomato seeds, you planted yours on the 16th Dec and as yet no photo of germination, i planted mine on the 29th Dec and had germination within 4 days.

When you do get them to germinate the next comparison will be to see what your plants progress like under your grow lights and mine without lights in my greenhouse.

[plainleaf]

davy mine where up after 4 days i just did not take picture. since my bother borrowed my camera to take pictures of my nieces during the holidays
 

[davyw1]

davy mine where up after 4 days i just did not take picture. since my bother borrowed my camera to take pictures of my nieces during the holidays
 

So will be getting it back wont you and then we will be able to compare the growth

[plainleaf]

davy soon or later.

[davyw1]

Plainleaf my progress so far but i expect yours will be bigger by now that presuming that they have germinated

[rugbypost]

Dual at dawn, you are both doing good bit early for me end of feb soon enough do you use all them plants  ;)

[davyw1]

Dual at dawn, you are both doing good bit early for me end of feb soon enough do you use all them plants  ;)

No most of them will be sold on or given away, there may about a dozen i want for myself and a friend who has no GH

[rugbypost]

Good for you , no luck the past 2 years i get them to the fruit stage and must be to cold for them but ready to win the fight this year will watch yours and  ::) good luck  :)

[Aden Roller]

It is so very hard to make sense of peoples planting times when there's no clue as to where in the world they are. Or have I missed something as usual? ???

[plainleaf]

Aden Roller i have post my location several times.