16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes
So, here are my 2 cents: the Juliet works better than the yellow and red cherry and the roma, all from my local garden center (not the big box stores). The plants stood up best against the rkn army, and made amazingly large fruits for a grape variety. Was not prone to cracking, and it sure rained a lot here lately (what happened this winter?Usually it doesn't rain for weeks?!)And the taste was good enough, they were not soft or mealy, kept good on the counter. I have yet to check on the roots, how bad it is, but the cherries are wasting away now. The Juliet still has a bit going on.
Plants are normally started indoors approx. 6-8 weeks before plant-out date. Plant out would be approx. 7-10 days after your last frost date - weather permitting.
There is a good How to grow tomatoes from seed FAQ here as well as lots of info over on the Growing from Seed forum.
Dave
Congrats on the seeds sprouting! Ditto above. Be sure to only handle the leaves, not stems. If needed, you can plant part of the paper towel so as to not hurt the tiny roots. I would gently separate them into their own containers. Hope you get some yummy tomatoes!
Thanks Digdirt for the links,helped alot. So nerveracking moving seedlings. I only sacrificed 4 out of 60, so not too bad.
Thank you afishlady,I can't wait to taste them and my first time growing tomatoes from seed.Now I have a new hobby to start learning...Canning :)
I was afraid that if I mentioned your fruit trees and freezing, I would jinx them! I hope they recover too. Suppose it depends on how far along they were whether you'll see any blossoms later, but I think it would probably take more than this to kill them unless they aren't yet established.
I don't consider Italian Heirloom a paste because it's wetter than the true pastes. I really like it as an all purpose tomato. It does make a good sauce but it also is good fresh eating/slicing and is also a good canner. But I would say that it's not the best sauce, slicer, and canner, but it does good at all of those things. Kind of an all around tomato. San Marzano for me was a heavy producer of oblonged shaped tomatoes that were dryer, skinned and processed well and were somewhat bland. I used them as components of sauce, where I mixed in several varieties.
I like San Marzano Redorta. I get them from Seeds from Italy.
I made 24 half gallon containers of Sauce this year! Yeah I'm nuts.
Crazyoldgoose in Md
Here is a link that might be useful: Seeds from Italy - san Marzano Redorta
That would be what we'd call an 8" pot (8" diameter) which is way too small for a tomato plant, even a "young" one. Minimum recommended is a 20" (55cm) diameter pot and that is only for small varieties. Bigger is better and your plants are big ones.
From your description of the symptoms it is possible they were rootbound in the pot. But that is just a guess without a great deal more information or better yet a photo.
Dave
I think it might be best to ask in one or more of the Canadian Forums here at GW, link below.
Carolyn
Here is a link that might be useful: Canadian Forums
Here is a helpful link to join the totally tomatoes swap.
Here is a link that might be useful: Incredible Edibles Totally Tomatoes Swap seed exchange
This post was edited by Kevinitis on Fri, Jan 18, 13 at 14:24
delphi216, some additional news for you:
durable_now (the OP) went off to re-post at the Soil, Compost and Mulch forum, where he added the info that the cat died eight years ago.
lazygardens said:
according to a Canadian public health site oocysts shed by cats become infective (sporulate) on average 1-5 days later, but varies with temperature; remain infectious for up to 1 year in water or moist soil.
Note that the cats must be infected, and do not remain infected for long. Cats excrete the pathogen in their feces for a number of weeks after contracting the disease, generally by eating an infected rodent.
And then toxcrusader pointed out:
I empty my cat's litter box regularly, and I would think my (and that of anyone else who has cats) potential exposure over time would be much higher from that activity than from handling an 8-year-old pile of weathered litter. And yet, emptying the litter box is not considered risky unless you're pregnant or immunocompromised.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/soil/msg0106591214486.html?17
Hi Creek-side,
What's wrong with starting them right after you get home? In zone 5, you'll probably plant out around memorial day, right? One week won't make that much difference, if you plant them on the 23rd and most of them sprout around the 27-29th, they'll be about 8 weeks old on memorial day, perfect age for transplanting into the garden.
I'd much rather have a nice stocky slightly younger tomato plant than one that got leggy under plastic. I'd also think that being under plastic would invite disease or mold since that would hold in humidity. I like to get my seedlings off the heat mat and out from under the dome as soon as they break the growing medium surface and get good air circulation on them from a fan.
I'm in zone 6 and I won't start my tomatoes until the last week of March or the first week of April.
Betsy
This post was edited by bets on Fri, Jan 18, 13 at 10:02
Thanks for the feedback. I always have my tomatoes in the ground by the 10th of May, which is the "no danger of frost" milestone day in Iowa. I also remove the plastic as soon as the seeds poke through the surface, and I have never has any problem with mold or any kind of disease. I think what I'll do this year is prep all my flats with soil a few days ahead of time, and then I can plant all of them in an hour or so on the day before leave. I plant about 120 tomatoes. I've been thinking about building new flats anyway, so that I can have ones that fit perfectly in my grow light contraption.
I'd agree with the comment to use compost ahead of time, but not other products.
One neighbor had great plant growth last year, but very poor fruit. He said he used Miracle Gro (red grains, water-soluble?) as directed. I suggested he used the slow release stuff.
I believe there are a large number of Miracle-Gro products.
If you have access to a recycling center browse around. You'd be amazed at what you can find there to convert to large containers for just a couple of bucks. You just have to use your imagination.
40-55 gallon drums cut in half work well but be sure to ask what was in them and clean them out well.
Dave
Microphobik, here's an examination of all sorts of tomato support methods:
http://www.mastergardeners.org/picks/tomato_staking.html
Many people here are fond of the Post and Twine method for in-ground tomatoes -- better known on GW as "Florida weave."
For supporting container plants, try a search in this forum for container support
Many thanks. Will sproat, grow and share with trusted neighbors.
Both are my favorite tomato, my wife insist on them every yr.
Plant em if you got em. Sam