tomato seed

[londoncabbie]

Do these look ok,I think they are too stringy!!

[londoncabbie]

[Trevor_D]

Looks as if they need potting on to me. Put them into individual 3" pots, burying them deep (at least half the stem underground), water them, give them some light and they should be fine. In a few weeks you'll probably need to pot them on again.

[MrsKP]

i've always had trouble getting seedlings as delicate as those out of the modules in one piece. 

what do people suggest ?

;D

[Trevor_D]

Get one of those plastic gardening fork & dibber sets. Prise the seedling out carefully with the fork & drop it in the hole. I sow mine in those flattish 3-4" pots, 8 or 12 to a pot.

[MrsKP]

My Naughty Marietta marigolds were fine, I just left them in the module and they pulled out easily with a good set of roots attached, but they were much stronger than londoncabbie's toms look (and the marigolds obviously don't need as much TLC as his toms do).

I think I'm a bit ham fisted with such delicate souls.

;D

[okra]

A bit stringy but plant them deeper and they will be fine

[tim]

They look a bit dry to me.

If, when well moistened, they won't tip out of their pots, hold only their leaves.

[davyw1]

Never understood the logic of taking up so much space and using so much compost with those modules

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r111/stumpinsci/Picture011.jpg

[Robert_Brenchley]

I'd keep those warm and let them grow on a bit before potting them on. But then that's my way of dealing with them. Mine are currently about six inches high, and badly need moving to individual pots. At last, I've got some time for it this week.

[allaboutliverpool]

Quite honestly, you do not need to use modules and sowing in  3 inch pot, then pricking out at an earlier stage than yours are now into further 3 inch pots, is as good as anyway that I have tried.

To get them out of the modules, cut them open with scissors!

Plant deep as advised, as roots grow out of the stem.

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments2_my_allotment_in_liverpool.html

[Tee Gee]

OK the following examples are not tomatoes but the same principle applies to all subjects requiring pricking out;

Select seedling to prick out by holding seed leave (NOT STEM)


Tease seedling out of compost with dibber mines is a pointed piece of hardwood;



The rooted seedling after removal;



Dibble hole in compost to a depth suited to the length of the seedling i.e from root to seed leaves! Insert seedling;



Tap pot lightly on bench to settle compost around seedling and water in;



And thats how to prick out a seedling!

[sallyann]

I use the blunt end of a pencil to dig about a bit and then pull them out with their leaves. It seems to work ok for me!

[Paulines7]

I use an old dinner fork to get mine out.

[coznbob]

Thanks for the pics Tee Gee, glad to see I am actually doing something right for a change! ;D

[Trevor_D]

Do you remember the days when "Gardeners' World" used to show us what Tee Gee just has?

Recommended viewing for newbies!

[londoncabbie]

Plants doing well in 3in pots.

About 3 1/2 in tall now. How tall should they be till i transfer to coldframe?

Also,when should i plant out?


http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/1007/dsc00245ar2.jpg