Planting Tomato Seeds for 2007 (Method)
Feb 24, 2007 11:05:32 GMT -5
Post by Durgan on Feb 24, 2007 11:05:32 GMT -5
xrl.us/umgc 3 February 2007
xrl.us/uqz5 10 February 2007
10 February 2007 Tomato seeds planted on the 3 February 2007 have all sprouted. I have them under bright lights for now, since Global Warming has suddenly changed in my area, and the greenhouse is still a bit too cool at night. The germination was almost 100% except for one pot of Russian Krim. The plants reached this stage in 6 days.
3 February 2007 Zone 5. Tomato seeds were started indoors today. The plants will have small fruit when planted outdoors in May and some will be ripe by about the 10 of June 2007. I expect a slightly warmer than usual season due to Global Warming. In my case this phenomena is serendipitous, so I am taking advantage of it.
The fiber pot is soaked in miracle grow to give some nutrients about the time the seedling roots require it. The coffee filter is put into the bottom of the plastic pot to prevent soil from falling out of the drainage holes, and to facilitate transplanting into a larger pot with minimal root disturbance, when the seedlings reach the appropriate size.
I have found if the fiber pot is used alone, it dries out too fast, since the fiber pot acts like a wick drawing moisture away from the seedlings. By putting soil around the fiber pot adequate moisture is kept in the area of the seeding, and watering is not so critical.
Three seeds were used per pot, and as they grow the strongest will be kept and the others cut off at root level. I have previously tested this batch of seeds for viability by putting two or three seeds of each variety in one pot and observing growth, a precaution since these seeds were saved from last years tomato crop. I expect nearly 100% germination.
The compartmentalized holding tray is more suitable than a flat tray since the pots are held more securely, when moving from place to place. Unfortunately, the compartment size is slightly too small for the pots chosen, but it is adequate.
My small heated outdoor green house will be utilized after the seeds sprout. For now, they are on a table in a warm place in the basement. Once sprouted they require more light than what is available in the basement. Artificial lights are not quite adequate for the strong healthy plants, that I desire.
Durgan.
xrl.us/uqz5 10 February 2007
10 February 2007 Tomato seeds planted on the 3 February 2007 have all sprouted. I have them under bright lights for now, since Global Warming has suddenly changed in my area, and the greenhouse is still a bit too cool at night. The germination was almost 100% except for one pot of Russian Krim. The plants reached this stage in 6 days.
3 February 2007 Zone 5. Tomato seeds were started indoors today. The plants will have small fruit when planted outdoors in May and some will be ripe by about the 10 of June 2007. I expect a slightly warmer than usual season due to Global Warming. In my case this phenomena is serendipitous, so I am taking advantage of it.
The fiber pot is soaked in miracle grow to give some nutrients about the time the seedling roots require it. The coffee filter is put into the bottom of the plastic pot to prevent soil from falling out of the drainage holes, and to facilitate transplanting into a larger pot with minimal root disturbance, when the seedlings reach the appropriate size.
I have found if the fiber pot is used alone, it dries out too fast, since the fiber pot acts like a wick drawing moisture away from the seedlings. By putting soil around the fiber pot adequate moisture is kept in the area of the seeding, and watering is not so critical.
Three seeds were used per pot, and as they grow the strongest will be kept and the others cut off at root level. I have previously tested this batch of seeds for viability by putting two or three seeds of each variety in one pot and observing growth, a precaution since these seeds were saved from last years tomato crop. I expect nearly 100% germination.
The compartmentalized holding tray is more suitable than a flat tray since the pots are held more securely, when moving from place to place. Unfortunately, the compartment size is slightly too small for the pots chosen, but it is adequate.
My small heated outdoor green house will be utilized after the seeds sprout. For now, they are on a table in a warm place in the basement. Once sprouted they require more light than what is available in the basement. Artificial lights are not quite adequate for the strong healthy plants, that I desire.
Durgan.