Z6/Z7 starting seeds
 

Started my seedlings today.

May be a little too early for Z6/7?

[img]http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/dcarch/seedlings3.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/dcarch/seedlings4.jpg[/img]
dcarch :?:

Last average frost date is a gamble. I shoot for it but every 3rd or 4th year I get nipped by a frost.
I like to plant a 6-8 week old plant into the ground, with those peat things I would say more like six weeks. Last average frost date minus 8 weeks would be the earliest I would go.(watch for frost dates to change in the future with all the screwball weather we have now)
I think planting half your plants, wait a month plant your other half but it looks a little late for that.
Hope for a warm, early spring, if not I am sure you'll pull it off. Good luck
Brad.........

Re: Z6/Z7 starting seeds
 

[quote=dcarch]Started my seedlings today.

[/quote]

me too - half of them; the other half will be started next weekend :D

My transplanting dates are from late April (to greenhouse) to mid-May (garden beds). And everyone here thinks I am starting tomatoes too early :lol: :roll:, but I don't care :lol: :lol: :lol:

damm the frost, plant those tomatoes

go away winter
lol

I started on Feb.28 last year Dcarch - I had my plants in the house until May 5th - It was waaay to early -
This year - I will start peppers on March 1st; and my tomatoes on March 15th.

I'm sure you have growlight (from your tom pics inside) -Dcarch - don't you live in NY ?
I'm in central NJ and I'm border 6/7 ... My parents in NW / NJ are zone 5 - and they usually plant out a week before memorial day -

My last frost date (again) is April 15th (need 6-8 weeks)-I wait 2 weeks after that to plant out - week of May 1 -

I'm sure they will be fine - just make sure they don't look like these !!! TRECHING IT WAS FOR 2006 !!!

~ Tom

ps. do you have a greenhouse >?

[img]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e94/tomstrees/Tomatoes%202006/tomplantamp.jpg[/img]

Ive started here in TN.

I didnt start soon enough last year, and it was too hot to harden plants by the time they got up.

I should have gotten my tomatoes started too, but ill get them started sometime this week or next...

[quote=Tomstrees]I started on Feb.28 last year Dcarch - I had my plants in the house until May 5th - It was waaay to early -
This year - I will start peppers on March 1st; and my tomatoes on March 15th.

I'm sure you have growlight (from your tom pics inside) -Dcarch - don't you live in NY ?
I'm in central NJ and I'm border 6/7 ----ps. do you have a greenhouse >? -------- [/quote]

Yes, I am in NY Westchester. Want to compete who gets the first tomato this year? Big Zac? And no lying with last year's pictures :twisted: !

No I don't have a greenhouse. As I have posted in another forum, I have designed a demountable cold frame to get things going earlier. I am also designing a demountable lean-to greenhouse.

I have just completed a over-drive lighting system for seed starting.

It's a challenge to grow tomatoes when you don't have enough space and sun.

dcarch

BTW, note the Styrofoam trays for the seedlings.

They are the lightest and most rigid trays to use and they are white to reflect light under your grow lights.

Always try to optimize. :wink:

dcarch

Our "winter-projects" wouldn't count -
I'm sure you'll have fruit before I will -
but I except that challenge!
I'll have my plants in the ground by the first week of May -

No indoor on the vine tomatoes right ?
I'm in ~

Tom

*edit*
I know the challenge about "space" !!!
Not sun though . . . ...
*edit* lol ~
I use aluminum trays for "extra-light" ...
last year I just started too early ...

even though you have a cold frame / some kind of greenhouse structure - I'm still in !
lol ~ Tom

Three weeks later. Z6/7 NY, getting ready for an early (hopefully) spring.:roll:
dcarch
[IMG]http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/dcarch/seedling3407c.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i240/dcarch/seedling3407.jpg[/IMG]

Nice! Here are my babies as of two days ago -

Very nice Craig.

I have one 50 cell tray with approx 500 plants started on Feb 7th. The plants need to be potted NOW. They snuck up on me due to my being on muscle relaxers for the past 2 weeks. (What day is it???)

I definitely waited too long to harden mine before potting. Now I must either risk them growing way too big by hardening before potting, or pot up and carry MANY trays in and out while hardening.

By the way Craig, are your plants hardened enough go back out all day after you rest them in the dark garage for a few days after potting?

Bill