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| I was looking at a seed package for a certain variety of tomato, but later I saw the same variety as a plant being sold in a garden center, but on the tag it said that it would take the same amount of time for that plant to produce tomatoes, even though it was already 12 inches tall!
So obviously it should take less time for an existing 12 inch plant to produce and mature than an ungerminated seed of the same variety...... The average time listed on the tags of my plants is about 75-90 days til they start to produce, but I'm pretty sure thats the same time that it is supposed to take these plants to produce from ungerminated seeds. So I'm guessing it wont take as long as is listed on these tags..... Whats your experience? ***The varieties I'm growing are: Mr Stripey, Cherokee Purple, Yellow pear, Pink Brandywine, Sweet Million, Early Girl... |
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| So obviously it should take less time for an existing 12 inch plant to produce and mature than an ungerminated seed of the same variety...... Not really. What is listed on seed packets is DTM - days to maturity - meaning fruit ripe to pick. And DTM is computed from the time of the final transplanting to its growing place. So the DTM for a larger plant that still has to be transplanted to the garden will be approximately the same as that of a small plant that has to be transplanted. That is one reason why using smaller transplants is recommended. Not only do they tolerate the transplanting process better, recover quicker, and are less likely to be root bound than large plants but they will quickly catch up and even pass the larger older plant once transplanted. That said, what is really important to understand is that DTM is just a very loose and general guideline - an educated guess if you will. This is because it can be affected by so many other variables - garden zone, growing conditions, environment, container or in-ground, sun exposure, weather, nutrients, watering, pests, soil type, etc. etc. So it's better to think of it as an 80 DTM plant, once planted in the garden and IF all else goes well and the weather cooperates will mature to ripe fruit stage in approx. 75-95 days. Dave |
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- Posted by springlift34 8.5 (My Page) on Wed, Jul 13, 11 at 16:02
| Dave brings up a good point regarding DTM. An educated guess. Guess being the keyword. I have seen smaller transplants catch up to bigger plants with my own eyes. I have seen bigger plants take off and the smaller ones never catch up. In the end, it really does not matter much. Dave also hits the nail on the head regarding conditions. Weather and the amount of air in the very spot where you plant, which is changed hour by hour by weather,or nematodes(good or usually bad), is usually the judge. It's so easy following a Dave post. Dude knows what he is talking about. Take care, |
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- Posted by spiced_ham z5 OH (My Page) on Wed, Jul 13, 11 at 21:18
| DTM is also designed for farmers who try to follow a cost effective schedule of getting seedlings in the ground on the last frost date when the seedlings are 6"-10" tall. My seedlings are about the size on that date, but I usually get them in later and larger, and usually hit near to the est DTM. High temps will speed things up, cool temps slow them down. I have seen regional seed companies (Pacific Nnorthwest) tack on extra days when describing the varieties they sell. |
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| I purchased some really nice looking, 12 -18" Cherokee Purple plants this year to replace some seedlings i had lost. These four plants were placed at the same time as my tiny, tiny seedlings with only two to three true leaves. There was no difference in dates when I started getting fruits from these plants. In fact, after a month, I couldn't tell them apart! |
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- Posted by springlift34 (My Page) on Wed, Jul 13, 11 at 23:52
| There are two stages of importance regarding tomato plants. One is the root setting, and the other is the flowering stage. One of the most important plants in the world. Also one the strongest. Take care, |
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- Posted by californian 10 (My Page) on Thu, Jul 14, 11 at 11:05
| I beg to differ. In my experience a big plant will produce tomatoes before a small plant of the same variety, planted under the same growing conditions and on the same date. People coming to see my garden marvel at why my plants are so much bigger and healthier looking than theirs. The reason is I sell tomato plants, and usually start about ten of each variety. I keep the largest, most vigorous plant for my own garden, and sell the rest. Unless you sell plants, it would be cost prohibitive to grow ten of each variety and only plant the one best. |
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| In my experience a big plant will produce tomatoes before a small plant of the same variety, planted under the same growing conditions and on the same date. I don't think that anyone would dispute that California benefits from unique growing conditions that the rest of us don't have. But if you are selling all the smaller plants, planting only the largest and most vigorous, then how can you compare? I too grow for plant sales and while I hold back sufficient plants for my gardens I don't do any selective choosing for size or vigor. It is more like a mixed bag of "left-overs". So even in my highly challenged growing conditions I can easily compare performance between the different sized/age/variety transplants. Dave |
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