Any tips on this? We bought that little Harbor Freight greenhouse. It sure is cute. I built Tammy a nice bench inside, plus put in her potting bench that I built for her birthday about 8 years ago. So she is tickled. Using two birthday presents.
We sowed some seeds direct about 4-5 weeks ago, and they are doing OK, but a little leggy. We have two to three in each pot, They are about 3-4" tall. Should we seperate them and put in bigger pots? We just put a few seeds between damp paper towels and are trying to germinate them before planting. Just playing. The Okra seeds sprouted in about 4-5 days. One Roma tomato out of 10 is just putting out a little sprout.
Thanks, Gene
Growing tomatos from seed
Re: Growing tomatos from seed
Leggy is usually too much light.
And yup, I'd get them separated as soon as they're big enough to take the stress.
I usually just buy sets, can't be bothered to start seeds.
And yup, I'd get them separated as soon as they're big enough to take the stress.
I usually just buy sets, can't be bothered to start seeds.
Re: Growing tomatos from seed
I’m not clear on what stage they’re in now (still in paper towel, or in potting mix in pots?).
Anyway, I take my sprouts from the paper towel and carefully transplant each to its own pot— one plant, one pot. I keep mine under grow lights in the basement until the greenhouse stays above about 40 degrees at night and then I put the trays of potted tomatoes in the greenhouse.
I gotta respectfully disagree with Paul, though, about one thing: leggy means they’re not getting enough light and they’re stretching towards it. I keep my grow lights adjusted so they’re only an inch or two from the seedlings, and give them about 12 or 13 hours of it a day, and I never have leggy plants.
I like to grow my own, and sell the excess on the side, which more than covers the cost. Folks have said mine do well even in years when the storebought ones don’t.
Anyway, I take my sprouts from the paper towel and carefully transplant each to its own pot— one plant, one pot. I keep mine under grow lights in the basement until the greenhouse stays above about 40 degrees at night and then I put the trays of potted tomatoes in the greenhouse.
I gotta respectfully disagree with Paul, though, about one thing: leggy means they’re not getting enough light and they’re stretching towards it. I keep my grow lights adjusted so they’re only an inch or two from the seedlings, and give them about 12 or 13 hours of it a day, and I never have leggy plants.
I like to grow my own, and sell the excess on the side, which more than covers the cost. Folks have said mine do well even in years when the storebought ones don’t.
Re: Growing tomatos from seed
I hadn't thought of it that way, B.
I'll give that a shot next time I need to start something from seed.
I'll give that a shot next time I need to start something from seed.
Re: Growing tomatos from seed
I had two failures in two years with bought plants, ( Tomatos), I started to blame a disease from the nursery. Or, maybe in my soil. Looked like some type of blight or disease. . So, I have let that garden lay idle for about 4-5 years. Gonna give it another try.
We have seeds sprouting in wet paper towels, and we have some that we started from scratch in little pots in potting mix. We had mixed results starting in the little pots. I think we didn't keep them wet enough. The ones in the wet paper towels are starting to sprout real well, and you can check on them, which you cant do in the soil.
So we are learning.
Now my problem is getting too hot inside the house. It has gotten to 90 + several times, near 100. Tammy about baked some of her succulents. We are putting fans in now, but looking into some type of cover, shade, or even paint on the outside.
Old fella in town that my folks always bought plants from, had a home made green house with real glass panes. He splattered white paints all over it. We may be leaning that way. Not sure.
Thanks all !!
We have seeds sprouting in wet paper towels, and we have some that we started from scratch in little pots in potting mix. We had mixed results starting in the little pots. I think we didn't keep them wet enough. The ones in the wet paper towels are starting to sprout real well, and you can check on them, which you cant do in the soil.
So we are learning.
Now my problem is getting too hot inside the house. It has gotten to 90 + several times, near 100. Tammy about baked some of her succulents. We are putting fans in now, but looking into some type of cover, shade, or even paint on the outside.
Old fella in town that my folks always bought plants from, had a home made green house with real glass panes. He splattered white paints all over it. We may be leaning that way. Not sure.
Thanks all !!
Re: Growing tomatos from seed
I never thought about paint splatters, will have to think about it. I wonder if it will work in my climate because once it’s there, you can’t change it.
I use some green gauzey shade cloth I had left over from beekeeping. I stretch it over the long southern exposure and roof about April and take it off in early Fall when I am stretching the season for cool crops. Mine looks something like this, but green, and has lasted me for 25 or more years: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Agfabric-Made- ... 5013538263
I have good luck with the paper towel method for many seeds. Potting mix is lousy starter for small seeds like tomatoes and peppers, but seed starter mix works well in pots—less work than transplanting from paper towels to pots, but costs more than potting mix.
Cheers!
I use some green gauzey shade cloth I had left over from beekeeping. I stretch it over the long southern exposure and roof about April and take it off in early Fall when I am stretching the season for cool crops. Mine looks something like this, but green, and has lasted me for 25 or more years: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Agfabric-Made- ... 5013538263
I have good luck with the paper towel method for many seeds. Potting mix is lousy starter for small seeds like tomatoes and peppers, but seed starter mix works well in pots—less work than transplanting from paper towels to pots, but costs more than potting mix.
Cheers!
Re: Growing tomatos from seed
If I start multiple seeds in a pot, I transplant them to their own when they get the first set of true leaves.
Leggy could be not even light or planted too thick. Either way they are wanting more light.
Air movement will help to strengthen the stems.
If you start seeing fungus knats, back off on the watering. You can use some deluted hydrogen peroxide to kill the knats.
Leggy could be not even light or planted too thick. Either way they are wanting more light.
Air movement will help to strengthen the stems.
If you start seeing fungus knats, back off on the watering. You can use some deluted hydrogen peroxide to kill the knats.