My seeds are up!

**mdvpc** · January 28, 2015

I started germination in my bread proofer a week ago, everything germinated in about 5 days except for Summertime Green-that is still not germinated. Then I moved the seedlings to my hydroponic system, I have about 1/2 gallon containers with coir-so they are being watered once a day. The coir holds water well, and the hydro store owner here in San Antonio told me to water only once a day.

Here is my list, 2 plants each will go into the raised beds:

1. Brandy Boy
2. Goliath
3. Ramapo
4. Tadesse (The real one, grew this out from real old seed Carolyn had)
5. Better Boy
6. Matina
7. Marmande
8. Summertime Green
9. Pervaya Lubov
10. Limbaugh's Legacy
11. Santorini Plum (I brought this seed back myself from Santorini)
12. BiColor Cherry
13. Quarter Century
14. Marglobe
15. Summertime Gold
16. Chalk's Early Jewel
17. Rosella Purple
18. Jade Beauty
19. Emerald Green
20. Tasmanian Chocolate

KarenO · January 28, 2015

Still quite a while until seed starting up here but It's fun as a Northerner to see what you early starters are up to. Cool list!
KarenO

**mdvpc** · January 28, 2015

Karen-This will be my first year growing in San Antonio. I understand that the plants have to be put out by the first week or two of March, or else you will have little harvest once the heat and humidity start dropping the blossoms. Actually, it was 79 degrees F here today.

Worth1 · January 28, 2015

Bread proofer.
What did you have it set on?

AlittleSalt · January 28, 2015

I had to look up what a Bread Proofer is. That is a nice and long list of tomato plants

JJJessee · January 28, 2015

Bread proofer -that's a new one. :-)
I grew several of my peppers and maters in coir last year. Watering with nutrients once a day with a turkey baster. They performed just as well as those in FF Ocean Forest.
Good Luck with the newborns.

JamesL · January 28, 2015

Michael,
Good list.
Thanks for sharing. And stay

with that Texas heat!

**mdvpc** · January 28, 2015

Worth- I had it set at 80.

A Little- it maintains the temp constant so the yeast (I use wild yeast, aka sourdough) does its job.

Jesse- they are in a flood and drain hydro system so it turns on, flood them once a day. And they are under grow lights about 12 hours a day.

James - I don't usually grow this many hybrids but since it's my first year here, and I wanted to grow ramapo, brandy boy etc again as a control- that's why I have so many hybrids, at least for me.

Sun City Linda · January 28, 2015

I always look forward to my tomato seed starting. Its such a happy, hopeful time, long before wind, rain, hail, disease, mites, insects etc move in.

Dutch · January 28, 2015

Michael, It sounds like you have a good start. I would wish you good luck but as most of us know here, it is more a matter of skill. Looking forward to you having a great year. And with a little luck, maybe your best year yet.

Dutch

Ed of Somis · January 29, 2015

I have really enjoyed the last week and a half...sowing my tomato seeds. I kind of gave my peat pellets a bad name (along with some other folks)...and I feel bad about that. Turns out...the pellets were just much slower to germinate than the flat cells with a starter mix. So, my update on my first attempt is: every seed I bought (50 sown) germinated except one! I am sooo proud. However, none of the seeds I saved (Cherokee Purple) from last year germinated. I planted 8 of them. Operator error???

Guess I need a little drill on saving seed...

Dewayne mater · January 29, 2015

Will you move your hydro system outdoors? I started seeds Jan 4 and they have at least 2 sets of true leaves now. They will go into 16 ounce solo cups this weekend! I agree with your timing and that timing is everything. In DFW, beginning March 1, I look for the first 10 day weather forecast that doesn't call for freezing temps and when I have that, I plant out ASAP. I will always have to cover 1 or 2 times in March, but, the plants are small at that point and covering isn't that big a deal. So far, I've never lost any plants to frost with this approach, though if we had a freaky weather occurrence, say 48 hours of temps in the low 20's or less, then I'd probably lose those plants. Still, that is incredibly unlikely in March. Good luck.

Interesting list!

Dewayne Mater

**mdvpc** · January 30, 2015

Dewayne-No, when I am ready to plant out, I will remove the plants and medium from the containers and plant in my raised beds. Good luck to you.

shelleybean · January 30, 2015

I am envious. I have to be patient a little longer. I'll start peppers and eggplant next week and tomatoes two weeks after that. In the meantime, I'll just read about what you guys are doing.

Garf · January 31, 2015

I am in Miami, Florida. The rules are different here. I started seed in early October and plan to start seed next year in September. Here are a few of this years plants.

January 28, 2015	#1
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	My seeds are up! I started germination in my bread proofer a week ago, everything germinated in about 5 days except for Summertime Green-that is still not germinated. Then I moved the seedlings to my hydroponic system, I have about 1/2 gallon containers with coir-so they are being watered once a day. The coir holds water well, and the hydro store owner here in San Antonio told me to water only once a day. Here is my list, 2 plants each will go into the raised beds: 1. Brandy Boy 2. Goliath 3. Ramapo 4. Tadesse (The real one, grew this out from real old seed Carolyn had) 5. Better Boy 6. Matina 7. Marmande 8. Summertime Green 9. Pervaya Lubov 10. Limbaugh's Legacy 11. Santorini Plum (I brought this seed back myself from Santorini) 12. BiColor Cherry 13. Quarter Century 14. Marglobe 15. Summertime Gold 16. Chalk's Early Jewel 17. Rosella Purple 18. Jade Beauty 19. Emerald Green 20. Tasmanian Chocolate __________________ Michael

January 28, 2015	#3
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Karen-This will be my first year growing in San Antonio. I understand that the plants have to be put out by the first week or two of March, or else you will have little harvest once the heat and humidity start dropping the blossoms. Actually, it was 79 degrees F here today. __________________ Michael

January 28, 2015	#8
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Worth- I had it set at 80. A Little- it maintains the temp constant so the yeast (I use wild yeast, aka sourdough) does its job. Jesse- they are in a flood and drain hydro system so it turns on, flood them once a day. And they are under grow lights about 12 hours a day. James - I don't usually grow this many hybrids but since it's my first year here, and I wanted to grow ramapo, brandy boy etc again as a control- that's why I have so many hybrids, at least for me. __________________ Michael

January 28, 2015	#10
Dutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: S.E. Wisconsin Zone 5b Posts: 1,831	Michael, It sounds like you have a good start. I would wish you good luck but as most of us know here, it is more a matter of skill. Looking forward to you having a great year. And with a little luck, maybe your best year yet. Dutch __________________ "Discretion is the better part of valor" Charles Churchill The intuitive mind is a gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. But we have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. (paraphrased) Albert Einstein I come from a long line of sod busters, spanning back several centuries. Last edited by Dutch; January 29, 2015 at 08:53 AM. Reason: Grammer as usual

January 30, 2015	#13
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Dewayne-No, when I am ready to plant out, I will remove the plants and medium from the containers and plant in my raised beds. Good luck to you. __________________ Michael

January 28, 2015	#2
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,925	Still quite a while until seed starting up here but It's fun as a Northerner to see what you early starters are up to. Cool list! KarenO

January 28, 2015	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Bread proofer. What did you have it set on?

January 28, 2015	#5
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I had to look up what a Bread Proofer is. That is a nice and long list of tomato plants

January 28, 2015	#6
JJJessee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Abingdon, Va Posts: 184	Bread proofer -that's a new one. :-) I grew several of my peppers and maters in coir last year. Watering with nutrients once a day with a turkey baster. They performed just as well as those in FF Ocean Forest. Good Luck with the newborns.

January 28, 2015	#7
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Michael, Good list. Thanks for sharing. And stay with that Texas heat!

January 28, 2015	#9
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	I always look forward to my tomato seed starting. Its such a happy, hopeful time, long before wind, rain, hail, disease, mites, insects etc move in.

January 29, 2015	#11
Ed of Somis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Somis, Ca Posts: 649	I have really enjoyed the last week and a half...sowing my tomato seeds. I kind of gave my peat pellets a bad name (along with some other folks)...and I feel bad about that. Turns out...the pellets were just much slower to germinate than the flat cells with a starter mix. So, my update on my first attempt is: every seed I bought (50 sown) germinated except one! I am sooo proud. However, none of the seeds I saved (Cherokee Purple) from last year germinated. I planted 8 of them. Operator error??? Guess I need a little drill on saving seed...

January 29, 2015	#12
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	Will you move your hydro system outdoors? I started seeds Jan 4 and they have at least 2 sets of true leaves now. They will go into 16 ounce solo cups this weekend! I agree with your timing and that timing is everything. In DFW, beginning March 1, I look for the first 10 day weather forecast that doesn't call for freezing temps and when I have that, I plant out ASAP. I will always have to cover 1 or 2 times in March, but, the plants are small at that point and covering isn't that big a deal. So far, I've never lost any plants to frost with this approach, though if we had a freaky weather occurrence, say 48 hours of temps in the low 20's or less, then I'd probably lose those plants. Still, that is incredibly unlikely in March. Good luck. Interesting list! Dewayne Mater

January 30, 2015	#14
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	I am envious. I have to be patient a little longer. I'll start peppers and eggplant next week and tomatoes two weeks after that. In the meantime, I'll just read about what you guys are doing. __________________ Michele