How to keep from starting tomato seeds too early.

kygreg · February 2, 2009

This works for me. I put my grow lights in a cabinet; put a padlock on the cabinet; then take the keys, my bolt cutter and all my files to my neighbor next door and make him promise not to give them back until the first of March.

hill60 · February 3, 2009

Interesting plan. I just may give it a try.

Hill60

geeboss · February 3, 2009

Darn why didn't I think of that. Started on Jan 1st, 15th and 30th pushing for Early April plant out in SWC. First group have now graduated to 5" cups and most likely will have to move up to 1/2 gal milk carton in March. Experimenting with super croping to slow down growth. Will see if it keeps the plants from getting to tall. Atleast I was able to get my platform built to level out part of the back yard, during this spring weather we had yesterday and earlier this morning. Now its snowing on and off. LOL The platform is for the 16 SWC.

George

brokenbar · February 3, 2009

Hopeless...just like NOT buying/trading for far more varieties than you actually have room for! I swear I can hear the seeds "talking' to me as I pass my counter where I have laid them all out according to size, type and # of days. They whisper..."Here we are...just a little dirt, some light and you will have us to take care of and look at with a magnifying glass every day. Come on...you know you want to." They are dastardly!

geeboss · February 3, 2009

Ya know Brokenbar I must have that same hearing problem along with tinnitus so its either ringing or wispering come on over and take me home. So today I grabbed some seeds to send to Trudi for winter sowing.

George

levad · February 3, 2009

there is still a foot of snow here so the seeds are safe...for now......maybe

dice · February 3, 2009

If you pinch the tops off, that will set them back two weeks.

Wi-sunflower · February 3, 2009

I swear I can hear the seeds "talking' to me

Me too.

I'm really anxious to see what some of my new seeds are going to produce.

What's really terrible is I went a bit nutz on the trading shortly after joining TV. There are soooo many wonderful sounding varieties mentioned here that I had never heard of. I ended up getting over 100 varieties 'new to me'. Looks like I'm going to be in the 300 variety range for this year. I just hope I will be able to organize things enough so I will be able to save seeds from as many as possible this fall.

Last year I started some of my hot peppers in the house around the middle of Jan. Earlier than I ever did before. I can usually get into my starter greenhouse by the middle to end of Feb. I would have been alright with those early starts if I had been able to move them at that time.

But with all the snow we got last year, it was late March before we could even get to the greenhouse. I lost a whole lot of my first peppers AND my first tomatoes due to prolonged time in the house and some damping off due to not enough air movement.

Other than starting a few seeds for some dwarfs I want to pot up early, I've been holding back, so far !!! I think by the middle of Feb I will be starting some stuff, IF we don't have a lot of snow on the ground again.

Carol

montanamato · February 3, 2009

I allow myself to plant just a couple dwarf, early types and that keeps me content until real planting time....
I should have taken a picture of my mothers plants last year...She decided to plant before she went out of town and thought her plants would be fine...She ended up planting about 2 weeks earlier than usual and couldn't plant out due to weather for several extra weeks...They were horribly too spindly and never did do nearly as well as normal...

Jeanne

Nightshade · February 3, 2009

I love the miniatures and small dwarfs! Some people might call them houseplants, i call them housepets....the most spoiled tomatoes in all of tomatoville.

Small tomato plants, but big tomato fun!

Jan

geeboss · February 3, 2009

Now I'm hearing them say "lets go out and play". Been slaping them around and trying to toughening them up so they can handle the wind maybe this weekend I'll let them out and play for an hour, its going back up to the 50's. Haaa they're so young to be outside this early.

George

Nightshade · February 3, 2009

They are way too young to be out without a curfew. Let them know they have to be in by dark.

Ruth_10 · February 7, 2009

Here's another way to keep from planting too soon: Put your seeds someplace new or safe, i.e., not where you usually keep them.

Then try to remember where you put them. By the time you stumble across them it will be time to start your seeds.

geeboss · February 7, 2009

Yea okie dokie putting the seeds away in a safe place.

Putting the seeds with the Tax papers that I'll pull out and do on April 10th. LOL

George

Polar_Lace · February 8, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruth_10

Here's another way to keep from planting too soon: Put your seeds someplace new or safe, i.e., not where you usually keep them.

Then try to remember where you put them. By the time you stumble across them it will be time to start your seeds.

Yeah Ruth, by the time he could find them it'll be NEXT Christmas! LOL

~* Robin

February 2, 2009	#1
kygreg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: kentucky Posts: 1,019	How to keep from starting tomato seeds too early. This works for me. I put my grow lights in a cabinet; put a padlock on the cabinet; then take the keys, my bolt cutter and all my files to my neighbor next door and make him promise not to give them back until the first of March.

February 3, 2009	#3
geeboss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Fairfax, VA Z7 Posts: 524	Darn why didn't I think of that. Started on Jan 1st, 15th and 30th pushing for Early April plant out in SWC. First group have now graduated to 5" cups and most likely will have to move up to 1/2 gal milk carton in March. Experimenting with super croping to slow down growth. Will see if it keeps the plants from getting to tall. Atleast I was able to get my platform built to level out part of the back yard, during this spring weather we had yesterday and earlier this morning. Now its snowing on and off. LOL The platform is for the 16 SWC. George Last edited by geeboss; February 3, 2009 at 09:08 AM. Reason: left off information

February 3, 2009	#4
brokenbar Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Of The Border Posts: 1,169	Hopeless...just like NOT buying/trading for far more varieties than you actually have room for! I swear I can hear the seeds "talking' to me as I pass my counter where I have laid them all out according to size, type and # of days. They whisper..."Here we are...just a little dirt, some light and you will have us to take care of and look at with a magnifying glass every day. Come on...you know you want to." They are dastardly! __________________ "If I'm not getting dirty, I'm not having a good time."

February 3, 2009	#7
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	If you pinch the tops off, that will set them back two weeks. __________________ -- alias

February 3, 2009	#10
Nightshade Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: So. California Posts: 178	It's never too early for dwarfs! I love the miniatures and small dwarfs! Some people might call them houseplants, i call them housepets....the most spoiled tomatoes in all of tomatoville. Small tomato plants, but big tomato fun! Jan

February 3, 2009	#2
hill60 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Vancouver Island BC Posts: 122	Interesting plan. I just may give it a try. Hill60

February 3, 2009	#6
levad Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: michigan 6a/5b Posts: 88	there is still a foot of snow here so the seeds are safe...for now......maybe

February 3, 2009	#8
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	I swear I can hear the seeds "talking' to me Me too. I'm really anxious to see what some of my new seeds are going to produce. What's really terrible is I went a bit nutz on the trading shortly after joining TV. There are soooo many wonderful sounding varieties mentioned here that I had never heard of. I ended up getting over 100 varieties 'new to me'. Looks like I'm going to be in the 300 variety range for this year. I just hope I will be able to organize things enough so I will be able to save seeds from as many as possible this fall. Last year I started some of my hot peppers in the house around the middle of Jan. Earlier than I ever did before. I can usually get into my starter greenhouse by the middle to end of Feb. I would have been alright with those early starts if I had been able to move them at that time. But with all the snow we got last year, it was late March before we could even get to the greenhouse. I lost a whole lot of my first peppers AND my first tomatoes due to prolonged time in the house and some damping off due to not enough air movement. Other than starting a few seeds for some dwarfs I want to pot up early, I've been holding back, so far !!! I think by the middle of Feb I will be starting some stuff, IF we don't have a lot of snow on the ground again. Carol

February 3, 2009	#9
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	I allow myself to plant just a couple dwarf, early types and that keeps me content until real planting time.... I should have taken a picture of my mothers plants last year...She decided to plant before she went out of town and thought her plants would be fine...She ended up planting about 2 weeks earlier than usual and couldn't plant out due to weather for several extra weeks...They were horribly too spindly and never did do nearly as well as normal... Jeanne

February 7, 2009	#13
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	Here's another way to keep from planting too soon: Put your seeds someplace new or safe, i.e., not where you usually keep them. Then try to remember where you put them. By the time you stumble across them it will be time to start your seeds. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

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