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Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

Welcome to the Neno's Place!

Neno's Place Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality


Neno

I can be reached by phone or text 8am-7pm cst 972-768-9772 or, once joining the board I can be reached by a (PM) Private Message.

Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

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Established in 2006 as a Community of Reality

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    When To Start Tomato Seeds

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    • Post n°1

    When To Start Tomato Seeds Empty When To Start Tomato Seeds

    Post by Neno Tue 11 Mar 2014, 8:08 pm

    When To Start Tomato Seeds
    Start tomato seeds indoors or in a greenhouse (find greenhouse plans) before planting season. When spring comes, seedlings will be ready to plant outdoors. Plus you'll grow a more successful crop than if you sow them directly in the garden.
    What's the best seed starting date?

    Start too early and your plants will outgrow their pots quickly and become leggy, root-bound, and weak. They’ll spend their first weeks in the garden regaining strength, rather than producing new leaf growth and flowers.

    Start your seeds late and you can have a delayed crop.

    By mid-winter, most gardeners are itching to get growing. Have patience to not start too early.

    Start dates differ from region to region
    Timing your tomato seed starting is not a one-size-fits-all. Much depends on your climate.
    How to know when to start tomato seeds
    Try these 2 easy steps to calculate the best time to start your seeds where you live.

    1. Determine the last frost date for your region. If you’re not sure, contact your local extension office. You can also view the freeze/frost information provided by the [url=http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/climatenormals/climatenormals.pl?directive=prod_select2&prodtype=CLIM2001&subrnum to Freeze/Frost Data from the U.S. Climate Normals]National Climatic Data Center[/url]. Select your state from the drop-down list. On the opened chart, choose the city closest to you. You’ll see the average last frost dates for spring (and first frost for fall) dates – among plenty of other data.
    2. Count back 4-6 weeks from the last frost date for your region to know when to start your tomatoes.



    Plant your tomato seedlings outdoors 1-2 weeks after the last frost date
    Waiting longer to plant after the last frost date will reduce the chance of losing your tomato crop to freeze and will allow the ground to warm – which is the kind of environment in which tomatoes do best!


    Sample calculation
    The last frost date in upstate South Carolina: April 15
    Ideal tomato seed starting date: March 1
    When to plant tomato seedlings: April 25-May 7


    http://www.tomatodirt.com/tomato-seeds.html

    tips for growing better tomatoes from seed
    When To Start Tomato Seeds TomatoseedlingsTHAT OLD, DISCARDED ELECTRIC FAN that isn’t strong enough for the hot summers of global warming…hey, bring it on. It’s perfect for accomplishing one of the tricks to growing better tomato seedlings, which is (after all) the only thing you probably really care about right now. To hell with winter. Onward!
    It’s still too early for sowing tomatoes here, with April 15 my target date, but I can dream. Those of you in warmer zones can stop dreaming, and do (and if you already sowed, it’s not too late to start petting your plants to help them grow sturdier…really). The goal is not a tall seedling by transplant time but a stout and sturdy one, about 4 inches high and wide.
    The tips:

    • Work from your final frost date to determine when to sow (calculate it here; mine’s early June).


    • Count back from 5 or 6 to as much as 8 weeks. Everyone has their own beliefs on this. I like a strong little plant grown in a medium-large cell, so 6 is plenty; my seedlings would need larger quarters (like a 3- or 4-inch pot each) to thrive for 8 weeks indoors; more work, but to my mind no extra benefit.


    • Seeds germinated on a heat mat in flats will get off to a particularly fast start. A soil temperature of 70 degrees is essential; higher (like mid-80s) is better in those early days.  I did not use a heat mat until recently because I sowed directly in APS cells (insulated, self-watering foam trays that last many years), not seed flats; lately I’ve been doing some of both.


    • If you’re re-using seedling flats or APS or Speedlings (another polystyrene system) or other containers, first clean everything with a 1:10 bleach:water solution.


    • Start with fresh seed-starting mix. A soilless mix (they are usually peat-based) is best. This is not any old potting soil; it’s specially formulated for seedlings.


    • My hero, James Underwood Crockett of the original “Victory Garden” series, would sprinkle 6-8 seeds per 3-inch seedling pot, then after about two weeks, or when the plants were 1½ inches high, transplant them into 6-packs, one plant per cell.  Confession: Rather than transplant, I usually put two seeds per cell and use a nail scissors to cut out the weakling, skipping the potting up. I start with slightly larger cells than a conventional plastic 6-pack, however; others swear by transplanting each baby to its own 3- or even 4-inch pot.


    • Barely cover seeds after sowing with ¼ inch more mix and tamp down, then moisten thoroughly (easiest with a spray bottle). If you are using a bottom-watering system like APS, mist the tops, then fill the water wells.


    • Keep the covered trays in a warm spot (no light needed or even desired).  Again, 70 degrees is the minimum requirement, and the desired temperature throughout their young lives.


    • Do not let the seeds dry out before they germinate.


    • Germination will take place from a few days (with early varieties) to 10 days or so. A consistently moist environment is essential, but don’t let them cook or drown, either; vent the lid or bag so no moisture beads are ever running down the sides.


    • Once up, it’s critical to move the babies fast off the heat mat and into a high-light situation or they will stretch out and be useless. Forget low light . See my big seed-starting rig story for details about how much light (14 hours minimum a day; some think 16 is better) and how close to the plants it needs to be (a couple of inches, meaning some form of adjustable setup). And read my seed-starting basics. Even new T-5 grow bulbs in a reflective hood provide only a fraction of the light outdoors; read up on why seedlings stretch and get spindly.


    • Feed with half-strength water-soluble fertilizer after the first true leaves appear. IMPORTANT: If the seed-starting mix you bought includes fertilizer, go easy or skip this step. Overfertilized baby plants can stress out and even die. If using unfertilized mix, plan to feed at half-strength twice during the plants’ indoor growing period.


    • They will grow fast now, and this is when you must transplant if you sowed in “community pots” or they’ll become overcrowded.


    • Don’t water with cold water; and never douse. Mist, with tepid water, or use a device whose spout delivers gently. I’ve known people to use everything from a houseplant watering can with a very narrow spout to a discarded soda bottle with one of those pop-up tops. Some systems, such as APS, have wick-like mats beneath the cells that draw up moisture.


    • Turn on the fan, on low, not right next to the plants but so they feel it a little bit. This helps strengthen them, like young trees whose trunks grow stronger in the wind. Air movement also helps prevent deadly fungal diseases like damping off.


    • Brush the tops of the seedlings daily with your hand to provide the “mechanical conditioning” that creates sturdy, not spindly seedlings. Not just once, but gently for a half-minute or minute.  (Yes, go ahead, talk to them while you do it. I probably do without even realizing it.)


    • If the weather is somewhat settled, I carry my flats outdoors for at least a few hours a day, setting them in a sunny but protected spot.


    • If any flower buds form on your young plants, pinch them off. Don’t let the baby stress itself trying to reproduce just yet.



    • All sound like too much trouble? You can direct-sow tomato seed right in the garden if your season is 4 months or longer between frosts…and if you are vigilant about weeding, watering and all the other steps in tomato TLC. And of course you can also just buy seedlings, locally or by mail.


    http://awaytogarden.com/tips-for-growing-better-tomatoes-from-seed/
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    • Post n°2

    When To Start Tomato Seeds Empty Re: When To Start Tomato Seeds

    Post by Neno Sun 16 Mar 2014, 11:41 am

    Planting my seeds (Giant Tomatoes) I got from a friend today, into the little pots for beginning growth until time to place in the garden... ;)
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    Post by Rocky Sun 16 Mar 2014, 12:17 pm

    a little tip I learned about tomato plants tall or leggy is to tear of about 6" of leaves off the bottom from the roots plant them about 6-8"deep, where you tear the leaves off more roots grow also keeps from drying out as fast if you just plant the root ball
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    When To Start Tomato Seeds Empty Re: When To Start Tomato Seeds

    Post by Neno Sun 16 Mar 2014, 12:54 pm

    TY rocky, I knew about plunking once I transplant them but not how far. It will be about two weeks before the seeds sprout.
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    Post by Rocky Sun 16 Mar 2014, 2:27 pm

    last year 12 plants gave me 10 heaping gallons of tomatoes 1st picking some were 11/2 lbs beefeaters ,early girl,big boy,cherokee purple,black tomatoes both a earthy taste can't remember the last one but I had 2 each

    Wisconsin plants Memorial day
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    Post by Neno Sun 16 Mar 2014, 7:51 pm

    ... ;)
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    • Post n°7

    When To Start Tomato Seeds Empty Re: When To Start Tomato Seeds

    Post by Neno Wed 26 Mar 2014, 5:01 pm

    About 10 days now and my seeds have sprouted up. Planted about 4 to 6 seeds per container (10) and 39 seeds have grown to the their first inch to inch and a half indoors. Think I have way to many...lol!
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    • Post n°8

    When To Start Tomato Seeds Empty Re: When To Start Tomato Seeds

    Post by Neno Tue 01 Apr 2014, 7:19 pm

    15 days 4 inches tall with leaves developing now. BTW, ended up with 68 plants... lol!
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    When To Start Tomato Seeds Empty Re: When To Start Tomato Seeds

    Post by Rocky Wed 02 Apr 2014, 4:23 am

    what types did you plant,you will have so many that you will be able to sell them at home on week-ends. Salsa takes a lot I buy buy the bushel basket,we eat the home grown ones and give the rest to the neighbors
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    • Post n°10

    When To Start Tomato Seeds Empty Re: When To Start Tomato Seeds

    Post by duck2000 Wed 02 Apr 2014, 5:28 am

    be fruitfull and multiply.. lol
    duck grows big matters >> Lol
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