16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

I've heard it will produce a more disease-resistant plant, at least underground, if the root stock is a disease-resistant hybrid and the top is an heirloom more prone to disease.

It's been over 2 years since the start of this thread - anyone have results to report? The University of Vermont video is now free via Johnny's Selected Seeds. I've jumped for some rootstock seed (Maxifort and Beaufort) and am ready to give grafting a try.

I'm planning to plant the "survivors" out in the garden and training to two leaders. Bad idea? Starting to wonder what I've got myself into . . .

All my Kelloggs's Bfast are coming up helmet heads this year. I usually use spit to moisten and let them hang if they can't get it done on their own. But for my KBs this year my technique is to snip one of the exposed cotyledons in half at the seedcoat and they will usually open out and grow just fine. I never pull off the seed coat.

I only do this with the strongest pushers that are trying to open their cots and are showing green. Obvious deadheads are not worth the trouble.

I'm a semi-professional grower and I still have problems with seed coat retention on a few things. I need serious help with this! I solved this problem with pepper seeds (all fresh seed) by providing 80-85 degree bottom heat from the beginning. All the seed coats popped off just fine, in contrast to cold sowing. My BIG problem is with snapdragons. Even with all fresh seed, most of the seed coats are tightly retained and the poor babies strangle themselves. Moisture, whether spit or otherwise, doesn't help. I suspect incorrect growing conditions, but I can't figure out what. Anybody else have this problem? An answer?

There is a great place called Tomato ville (one word) on the web that details this at great length. Wherever you go, here are some of the most important bits of information.

Use a seedling mix to start your seeds, not a soil mix which will be too heavy.

Do not bury the seeds too deep!

It is OK to have plastic over the soil to get the seeds sprouted but as soon as they sprout, remove the cover. Excess moisture will kill your seedlings faster than anything else.

This time of year you are unlikely to have the sun intensity coming thru windows that will give you fat stocky seedlings. Supplement with grow lights. Keep the bulbs very low, just over the top of the seedlings for best results. I move my seedlings outside into a cold frame as soon as they have their first true set of leaves.

Bottom water seedlings. Moisture on leaves increases disease.

Airflow via a fan in the room or natural air currents helps prevent disease and make stockier stems.

Don't fertilize until you have the first set of true leaves and then make it very very weak.

If you get stretching due to low light, transplant into deeper containers and carefully bury the step up to just below the top set of leaves. A tall weak seedling is bad. Stocky strong seedlings is what you want.

Get the plants into natural light as soon as feasible

Plant a few extra for the times you, your pets or your kids kill things accidentally. If everything survives, give the extra plants away!

Have fun! You are right, growing from seed is way more rewarding. Plus in doing so, you reduce the chances of bringing diseases into you yard as well as greatly expanding the variety of things you can grow.

Here are some step-by-step instructions for growing tomatoes from seeds, including videos on linked pages.

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing tomatoes from seeds

I have grown two indeterminate tomatoes in a half whiskey barrel successfully. The first year I did it, I added only one drainage hole in the bottom. It was an unusually dry year, and water drained out between the staves, so everything went well. But in the second year, we had rain for a month before I planted out and the wood swelled so much, no water came out through the staves. The drainage hole in the bottom swelled and got plugged up with mud. Although I drilled a couple half inch holes in the sides near the bottom, the soil stayed wet through most of the summer. I was watering my other container vegetables every two or three days in July, but almost never had to water the barrel. Be sure to use a potting mix that drains well and make lots of drainage holes.

30 gallon is a good size for container tomatoes. One per barrel would be plenty. Be sure the barrel has good drainage.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to choose containers for growing tomatoes

Nope, no one to plant sit. I'll probably start about 6 early girls on the 20th since I have plenty of seed. I usually plant around 100 seed, different varieties, mostly heirloom. I plant around 20 in the garden and give my coworkers the rest. I thought about asking one of them to plant sit, but they all live 20+ miles away.

You could also use self-watering seed starting trays. They keep plants watered 5 days :) Here's a link that explains them. GS and Burpee both offer self watering trays. I'm sure there are other vendors too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Compare seed starting kits for tomatoes

Cages are by far the most popular. Cages made from CRW (concrete reinforcing wire). Just search 'cages' on this forum for all the details.

Next option is stakes - your choice of material but 6' metal works well. Many discussions here about 'stakes' too.

Then there is what is called Florida weave, cattle panels, tripods, etc. Lots of options.

Dave

Dave's suggestion is good! Cages are a little bit of investment the first year but then they last a long, long time. Here is a link that explains how to build your own.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to build tomato cages to support tomato plants

I tried this quiz. They aren't collecting much information -- anything in the name field will do. I did get them to recommend a hybrid, I had to select predictability and disease resistance over taste :)

Since I was the one who made the post, I feel like I should chime in about all the negative comments. Geesh, people, it's just a quiz...and it doesn't collect personal information. And it doesn't promote anything...from what I can tell, it indicates that hybrids have superior disease resistance and reliability and that heirlooms have superior flavor. Anybody want to contest that? OK, I admit, it's very basic, way too basic for most people on this listserv. But that's no reason to trash it. And that it's made by a seed company? Horrors! How dare they want to sell seeds! This is the kind of attitude Wikipedia has...they don't let companies provide information...and yet in today's world, often it's commercial interests that ARE providing the best information. Does anyone think that Extension websites are necessarily a better source of gardening info than, say, Dave's Garden website? C'mon people...

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato Growers Quiz #1

What's the temp in your basement? Fans always provide air circulation and it strengthens their stems...

You should also transplant them immediately after the seed emerges from the soil into a little 2 leafed plant. I use plastic cups....and sterile STARTER MIX with an organic liquid fertilizing regime.

Is your basement ventilated? Change your air filter if you have one. Also, are the seedlings on the floor? Move them up higher if they are. Also, where you buy your seeds might be something to consider.

I have about 30 different tomato varieties. Very new grower. Average about 65 plants past 2 years. Haven't had too many dampening off issues...probably about 5 plants per season. I don't use anything to prevent it.

My house stays at about 72 degrees. I let my soil almost completely dry out before watering/fertilizing.

Laccanvas, I'm at the point where I need to move my seedlings as they have developed their real leaves.

What is STARTER MIX? Could you provide a link? I use the Jiffy brand seed starting soilless for my seedlings in 1" plastic chambers, and then was planning on transplanting them to 4" pots with Miracle Gro "Seed Starting Potting Mix". Would you recommend that?

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM2379012502P?sid=IDx20101019x00001a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=SPM161909593

I love those big black and yellow garden spiders. I take the camera, get close, and tell it to say "cheese". Or maybe "Fly".

Really does go back to what you want. Personally,in one of my gardens, I have a crape Myrtle located 5 feet from the edge. Nearly every time I walk that common path(forgetting almost every time), you can find me swatting at thin air. Nothing against the spider itself, but Jesus I hate running slap dab into a web. My fault though.

Take care,
Travis

We have squirrels, raccoons, and possums that come through our yard every day. My guess is that depositing some known and trusted cat and or dog poo on in your compost pile or garden bed pretty much assures that those wild beasties won't leave any of theirs there. I would have no problem digging that cat or dog stuff well in under top-side edibles. As for root vegetables, I probably would.

For wilder dogs and cats, I'd have to say that the risk is not from the food growing out of those beds, but from the ungloved hands that handle the soil in those beds. But then again, there are those squirrels, 'coons and possums. Wash your hands.

Perfect to the point. Those varmits eat moreless more natural than most of us do. The circular model of life.

Take care,
Travis

A brief follow-up:
After reading the Burpee catalog description that said the shorter PRO cages were made of powder coated, galvanized steel, I wondered why the XL cages would not be the same. So I contacted Burpee's customer service and they replied that the taller ones are made of the same material, then powder coated.
-WC2K8

Here's a link to a past post on PVC cages (with photos and diagram) that I bookmarked last summer and am planning to build for this year. Note that the diagram only provides for cages that are 3-4' tall, but you could quite easily continue the same pattern to make them taller.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/con0722035623819.html

Here is a link that might be useful: PVC tomato cages

I'm also in Massachusetts - central. I would suggest Opalka for sauces. I might have a few seeds to share if Baker's Creek doesn't offer them.

Any of the Cherokees - Cherokee Purple, Green Cherokee, Golden Cherokee are good...

Omars Leb is a good gigantic tomato...

just a few off the top of my head.

Hi Tom8olvr, thank you for the suggestions! I would like to try the Opalka, and Baker's Creek doesn't have those seeds, if you could spare a few, that would be wonderful! I could send you a stamped envelope. I'm happy to share seeds I have, although I don't have any saved seeds, only purchased seeds :)

I'm in Central IL. Temps are more similar to Chicago than St. Louis.

Mid size tomatoes I've had good luck with were:

Big Beef
Better Boy
Brandywine Red (Landis Valley)
Bradley
Traveler (also called Arkansas Traveler)
Rutgers

I've heard the Moreton Hybrid is good but haven't tried it yet.