16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
Some second rate seed companies are repacking/blending old seed. Most states don't require a germ % on packet size. Larger commercial lots are supposedly tested and the germ rate/date is printed on the package.
If you buy from a known reputable source, usually it's not the seed.
The temp in the baggies fluctuates around 83ðF. Then they move into starter cells at room temperature - around 70ðF.
For some reason my germination rate of late has been declining while my survival rate in the starter cells has increased. Could be a combination of older seeds and warmer room...
If your interested in how to grow high brix crops this site can help and even sell products so you can. Ami
Here is a link that might be useful: T&J Enterprises
You'll likely get more help over on the Hydroponics forum here as this is an issue very few of us dirt gardeners have ever had to deal with.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Hydroponics forum
Here is what I came back to yesterday. This is an assortment of indeterminates which I sowed about a quarter inch deep on 3/10. They hadn't emerged by the time I left on 3/14, and there was a lot of gray fuzzy stuff growing on the wood. I watered them very well and put on the clear plastic cover and headed for Mexico. 30 out of 32 germinated, and if you can't tell from the picture they are doing quite well.
This post was edited by Creek-side on Fri, Mar 22, 13 at 19:29
I have grown Granny Cantrell many times in recent years and they almost always trick me into thinking they are going to be PL. The first few true leaves might look like a little mitten, but as they get older they start putting out RL leaves.
Dave had it right -- just wait a bit.
Hope you like the Grannys -- one of my favorites.
I'd agree about the waiting if it weren't for the fact that the original poster said that plants with RL and plants with PL leaves were seen at the same time:
(I am growing six granny cantrell seedlings from tomatofest seeds. The first set of true leaves have grown and 3 are cleary potato leaf and 3 are regular leaf. Is it too soon to judge the true leaf type? If not, do I keep only the RL plants and assume they are the real deal, or dump them all and get new seeds? Thanks for the help.)
And then Gary Ibsen came back and said that the variety could be either PL or RL, which I indicated above that I couldn't find folks who said it was PL, gave the link to Tania's site and also checked several SSE Yearbook listings and couldn't find anyone who said PL.
Pesonally I don't make the call on a new variety others have not grown until the second set of true leaves appear..
Gotta love tomatoes and their traits, LOL
Carolyn
From your post it appears you would like to use a protective cover for your indeterminates as (autumn) first frost approaches. Around here we can sometimes get a few days of Sept frost, only to have autumn continue warm until late October.
For this reason I string-trellis my tomatoes with a hook knot atop; so that when risk of frost occurs I unfasten the vines and CAREFULLY place them on the ground wrapped in a sleeping bag until overnight frost clears. Then I place the strings back on their hooks. I know it sounds unorthodox and weird, but it works for me.
Yes, you have an excellet chance of waking them up.
I don't know how many seeds you have of each variety, but I wouldn't even bother to give them any special treatment, just double sow and sow no less than 10 seeds/variety.
Or maybe just an overnight soak in water with a couple of small pinches of blue stuff( Miracle Grow or Peters, etc) or if organic a few drops of seaweed or fish emulsion, undiluted.
Those preps have lots of nitrate ion which is known to help with germination.Stir from time to time since older seeds are usually dehydrated and you want as many as possible to sink.
THen double sow if you have enough seeds.
Carolyn
I just had sucess with some seeds from 1992. My late fil was an avid gardener and always saved his own seeds. He moved to ariz in 89 or so and continued to grow tomatoes for a while. When I helped move him back to Utah in 99, I found some seeds he had saved in a desk drawer. I labeled them and put them in the deep freeze with my seeds.
I tried to germinate these seeds before with no luck. But this year I dumped about 45 to 60 seeds in the 3 inch starter pot and I am proud to announce that I have at least 6 seedlings now.
They started coming up on wednesday. I would like to transplant them to individual pots and grow them on. I want to make gifts of the extras to family members. They were started in a soilless grow mix.
When should I try to move them to individual pots? Do I wait for a second set of leaves or just wait and see if any others are going to germinate?
It may recover but I'd put it out of its misery and replant. You'll lose precious time and this is a variety prone to stop producing in hot summer weather. In the meantime you should do a bit of investigation work so it doesn't reoccur.
Prudens purple seems to germinate OK for me but assuming that you planted all seed at same depth in a similar environment- the most likely problem for poorer germination is older or mishandled seed.
Sometimes poor germination just happens and it can occur with expensive or inexpensive seed. The one thing I actually did this year with a hybrid variety after only 16% germ. was call and request more seed (seed co. omitted ). They were eager to replace seed at no cost with a different seed lot. With Prudens Purple I would just order from a second source.
digdirt - I did a Google search prior to planting which brought me to the page that you linked. I dont remember it being very specific on how far to allow true leaves to develop before potting up but I will reread it. I will certainly check the forum that you recommended. Thank you for responding.
I dont remember it being very specific on how far to allow true leaves to develop before potting up but I will reread it.
Not really a specific time. It depends in great part on how you germinate the seeds - cell packs, yogurt cups, plug trays, etc.
For example if you germinated 20-25 seeds in one yogurt cup or 4-5 in one Jiffy pellet as many do then you would likely need to transplant them before any true leaves developed. You want them separated before the roots get too badly tangled.
If you only do 1 seed in each cell in a cell pack then they can wait until they are about the size in the "Potting up" photo on the FAQ I linked - the true leaves are still pretty small.
Ultimately it boils down to transplanting them as soon as you are comfortable working with them IMO. I transplant all mine before any true leaf development. But I do staged transplanting - from bulk seeded trays to 6 packs to 4" pots.
Dave
coeng, do you have any idea how many hours of direct sunlight the area will receive? I used to grow tomatoes just a foot from the east (brick) wall of a 2-story house. So those tomatoes had sun from the NE IL summer sunrise until noon. They did well, even though they received nowhere near the amount of direct sun tomatoes are supposed to require.
There's also something called "bright shade." I have some experience with that (daylilies flowering where they shouldn't have), but I don't know how "bright shade" is defined. A few years back, there was a regular poster here whose Minnesota property was mostly dappled shade -- and with neighbors' trees he couldn't trim. He knew how much sunlight each square foot of that yard received, tucked his tomato plants into the sunniest spaces -- without regard for the landscaping -- and as I remember, had a fairly good harvest.
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Tomatoes crack for different reasons. Some varieties (usually with thinner skin) are prone to certain patterns of cracking. So there are varieties you wouldn't want to buy. But if you dislike thick skin, your tomatoes will probably have more cracking.
Are you starting from seed this year, or will you buy seedlings again? Which varieties did you grow last year, and which varieties are your options this year?
When soil moisture is inconsistent, nearly all varieties are much more likely to crack. So to limit this type of cracking, keep soil moisture as consistent as possible. Mulching heavily helps (and also helps prevent disease-causing microorganisms from splashing onto the leaves). [You can use almost anything for mulch, including shredded office paper, newspapers, or straw.]
When there is suddenly a great increase in soil moisture, fruit tend to "burst." So when there's a forecast of a good rain, pick all the fruit which have begun to show yellow (the "breakers" stage), and ripen them inside. This will not affect their taste. Oh -- and sun isn't necessary to ripen them indoors.
I wonder if the early girl or shady lady varieties might work (or any other patio or early season varieties)?
I'd also be more apt to try smaller tomatoes (no beefsteaks) or some that are marketed for containers?