Help?.....a tomato germination question

[Hot_Potato]

on the 28th March (last Wednesday - 5 days ago) I sowed about 15/16 tomato 'Gartenperle' seeds  (the hanging basket one) as instructed into a small pot and covered with a plastic bag (cos I'd not got a spare mini-propagator then put it into my airing cupboard where temperature is a steady 24c

Today I decided to have a look at them and find (to my horror I think) that 9 have so far germinated but 5 of them are already at least 1" or more tall and very white (with tiny little yellow bent over bits on top!!...

what have I done wrong?.................thought they were supposed to go in airing cupboard......what should I do now, or do I have to start again?

advice please :o

[Hot_Potato]

[pakaba]

Hi
I am no expert but i would put them on a window sill with plenty of light,(not direct sunlight though) take off the plastic bag, and just let them green up, i guess it's just yellow as they've had no light.  once they are a bit sturdier pot them up and plant them deep, as then roots will sprout from the stem.  I always plant my toms deep so they make exrtra roots, and are really sturdy..

As  i said i am no expert... infact a complete novice so if anyone offers any other advice then listen to them instead  ;)

hope this helps

P.

[Mrs Ava]

HP, I agree with pakaba, but you still have time for another sowing if you want to.  My toms germinate no bother with no propogator or anything.  And number one daughter has just chucked a whole flipping packet of a cherry tom (can't think of the name) into a pot, and now there are about 60 tom seedlings in a 1 inch pot!!!!!  :o

[tim]

Goldfinger?

[Hot_Potato]

thanks for the above info....have taken them out of cupboard, removed plastic bag and now they're sitting on my window-sill which altho light, doesn't get any sun at all (none of my windows do as I'm North facing) & my windows all face one way (I live in a flat)....also think I'll put a few more in another pot as you've suggested Emma and sit beside them together & see what happens?

Emma - sounds like you're gonna have loads & loads & loads of toms  ::)

oooo one other thing!.....have also got a pot with parsley seed in it, sown on the same day but not in airing cupboard!...this is already on the same window-sill but has a plastic bag over it......is this wrong, right or what?...I know it can be really difficult to germinate so thought the plastic bag would 'warm it up' a bit!

H.P.

[robsa]

Germinating in the airing cupboard is a good idea for tomatoes, which like a higher germination temperature, but you need to check morning and evening. Whip them out at the first signs of life - remove any covering and let the air get to them.

If you can't check every day or you're likely to forget then a light windowsill may be better for you.

Robsa

[telboy]

Hi all,
If you plant seeds & place the pots on saucers on a window sill, wrap some aluminium foil around the pots (about half way) & 4" above the top secured by rubber bands.
This will help prevent 'leaning' & you can add water to the saucers.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I did as you did, germinated them in a warm dark cupboard, and then put them on the windowsill. Mine are fine so far.

[cleo]

An airing cupboard???-well OK as long as you check them about every hour-sorry just not into that-plants need light as soon as they bother to wake up.

Sorry I sound cross,not my style,but the only reason for an airing cupboard/dark place in the garden is to force chicories.

[Amazin]

Yes, but it's the bothering-to-wake-up bit where the airing cupboard comes in handy, especially for those of us who don't have the luxury of heated propagators and/or who don't have enough of the seeds to easily replace those which fail - it provides that extra touch of heat to give some plants the wake-up call they need.

[amphibian]

My tomatoes are very leggy, As soon as i see a true leaf I will bury them in new pots right up to the cotyledons, they will be fine. My peppers are always leggy too, I treat them the same and always get nice stocky plants. As long as you can keep them alive, even toppled over, they should make it (even though they may look a gonner).

[Hot_Potato]

just 'transferring' this part of my last message up above as it may not now be seen - should have done it as a seperate item but it's a similar problem and I'd be glad of advice please?

oooo one other thing!.....have also got a pot with parsley seed in it, sown on the same day but not in airing cupboard!...this is already on the same window-sill but has a plastic bag over it......is this wrong, right or what?...I know it can be really difficult to germinate so thought the plastic bag would 'warm it up' a bit!

H.P.

[telboy]

H-P,
Just sprinkle seed with a cover of 1/4" of seed compost.
Pour hot water over the top(Yes)!
Leave to germinate! spray top if dry!

[Hot_Potato]

Oh Telboy - thanks so much for your reply!.....well as nothing seemed to be happening when seeds were on windowsill....decided to pop the pot into the warmish cupboard for a day or two and as soon as I saw 'something happening' I removed it and it's now back on windowsill with about 5 seeds so far, having germinated.....so am really chuffed about that!

thanks....H.P.

p.s. the first lot of tomato seeds that germinated (in the cupboard) and were very 'leggy' & white now look quite healthy & have just about got 4 leaves altho a bit tall....don't think that will matter from what you say but did sow my last 5 seeds  ??? just in case and they're also just beginning to show signs of germination (without the aid of the airing cupboard) so that's good news too!  :)

[supersprout]

have also got a pot with parsley seed in it, sown on the same day but not in airing cupboardI know it can be really difficult to germinate
H.P.

For the reason why parsley takes so long to germinate, see first post at http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,18588.0 ;D

[Hot_Potato]

Ahhhhh....guess that's what was happening then S.S......it seems to be doing well now, more & more little shoots showing thru day by day  ;)

thanks for the link :)

H.P.

[carloso]

i use a bit of cling film layed over the top not tightly enclosed and leave on the window sill over the radiator

so far 68 plants out approx 75 planted ! not bad going id reckon (well this yr at least)

I did use this method for my aubergines peppers etc

very pleased with the results
carl