[bridgeford]

is it to early to plant my tomatoe seed directly into my growbags in the greenhouse or am i just being to eager again  :?

[WHITE LADY]

if it is heated during the night you will be ok if not,start them in pots on your window sill and put out when warm enough and youve already got a head start

[DD.]

Never mind being too early to plant seed directinto grow bags - it's something you don't do anyway!!!

You need a decent plant to pop into a bag, that way you know there's going to be a plant where you want it.

Whitelady is right - start them inside on a window sill. I put mine in a seed tray, (24 seeds to a half size tray), cover with glass or polythene, then cover that with newspaper to keep out the light.

As soon as the first one shows, take off the covering, tuck a bit of cooking foil part way under the seed tray, on one long side, then bring up the back & sides vertically, leaving one long side exposed. (If this makes sense). The foil should be 3" to 4" longer than the seed tray on each side. What you should end up with is a vertical piece of foil behind the tray and for a certain length on each side.

This will increase the amount of light the plant gets & stop it becoming 'drawn'. Keep in the  window sill, obviously with the exposed side of the seed tray facing the window.

After the second set of leaves is well formed, pot up into 3" pots, keep in window sill until it's consistantly reasonably warm at night, (unless the greenhouse is heated), not forgetting to come up with some cunning plan to keep the foil in position. I grow mine in a small upstairs window and 'blue tac' the foil across the ledge.

Hope this helps and is not too confusuing. The foil bit is easy to do, not so easy to write down!!!

[Sadgit]

Never mind being too early to plant seed directinto grow bags - it's something you don't do anyway!!!

You need a decent plant to pop into a bag, that way you know there's going to be a plant where you want it.

Whitelady is right - start them inside on a window sill. I put mine in a seed tray, (24 seeds to a half size tray), cover with glass or polythene, then cover that with newspaper to keep out the light.

As soon as the first one shows, take off the covering, tuck a bit of cooking foil part way under the seed tray, on one long side, then bring up the back & sides vertically, leaving one long side exposed. (If this makes sense). The foil should be 3" to 4" longer than the seed tray on each side. What you should end up with is a vertical piece of foil behind the tray and for a certain length on each side.

This will increase the amount of light the plant gets & stop it becoming 'drawn'. Keep in the  window sill, obviously with the exposed side of the seed tray facing the window.

After the second set of leaves is well formed, pot up into 3" pots, keep in window sill until it's consistantly reasonably warm at night, (unless the greenhouse is heated), not forgetting to come up with some cunning plan to keep the foil in position. I grow mine in a small upstairs window and 'blue tac' the foil across the ledge.

Hope this helps and is not too confusuing. The foil bit is easy to do, not so easy to write down!!!

Nice post Dave. I think I have left me tom seedlings under cover for too long as they can gone all limp

[bridgeford]

cheers dave gr8 help may i ask is this the same with cucumbers

[DD.]

No - one seed per 3" pot - it can develop into a decent plant then, without disturbing it prior to putting it into it's final position.

My greenhouse will have heat in it later, when I put the tomatoes in, so what I do is germinate them in the house, then move to the cooler albeit, heated, greenhouse, let them grow on & then put them into 12" pots.

If you've no heat - don't be in too much of a rush, even with heat, I won't be sowing until the beginning of April.  If you're growing on inside, I don't see why the foil trick should not work. I read about it years ago & was amazed at the difference it made to the strength of the plants.

[DD.]

Nice post Dave. I think I have left me tom seedlings under cover for too long as they can gone all limp

Don't worry, it's still plenty early enough to re-sow, all you've lost is a few seed. Take the cover off AS SOON as the first one pops it's head through.

[bridgeford]

thx for the advice digger dave ive just this minute put the seeds into a seed tray lightly sprayed them covered with polythene and newspaper but would i have to keep spraying them and at what intervals thx

[DD.]

thx for the advice digger dave ive just this minute put the seeds into a seed tray lightly sprayed them covered with polythene and newspaper but would i have to keep spraying them and at what intervals thx

Make sure the compost is moist, but not saturated. It may need more than a light spray. Like you I sprayed mine, but only so I didn't make a mess letting them soak in Mrs. Digger's sink!! But I wouldn't call it a light spray!

If the compost is sufficiently moist now, you should not have to re-water until germination, as the polythene will keep the moisture in. Once germination has taken place, and the polythene is off, check at least daily and keep the compost moist . DO NOT LET IT DRY OUT!!!! (Apolgies for shouting        but I need to stress that point)

[Salkeela]

I planted some of my toms in January (as the kids were keen).  Potted them up early Feb and put them out in the greenhouse - unheated as it is... and they're fine.... growing slowly but sturdy and happy.

I do have insulation between them and the metal shelf.  Also they are sitting  about 1foot above a large trug of decomposing nettle roots in water.... and just out side the g'house behind them, is a big blue rainwater butt.  This corner of the g'house never freezes with all that water volume.... even my little lemon tree is wrapped snug beside the ferment pot....

.... works for me..... (granted it is the first time I've tried it.... )

Sal

[GrannieAnnie]

Having so many little pots as I have after my visit to the local auction house a couple of years ago, I sow one tomato seed to a pot anyway usually, but as try out.  I did sow 6 seeds to  pot of 3 different varieties which are on the south facing kitchen windowsill a couple of weeks ago.  2 seedlings dided, but that was me overwatering again!  

The others are doing fine, and if they are still okay in a couple of weeks when I go down to Kent to see my daughter, I'll take some with me for her grow bag (and a couple of karl's tumbling toms for her hanging basket!) and if she keeps them indoors and slowly acclimatises them, she will have some nice tomatoes this year.  I've got to take them down then as I won't see her again until August, and by then it will be to late!  The runner beans I give her will have to be seeds, but I'm sure ever SHE can manage to plant them. (She's a wimp see, and doesn't like putting her hands in the dirt, not even if she has gloves on!!!)  I'm going to try a few when they are big enough in the polytunnel and see if I can get a few earlier toms, if not, the main ones will go in as normal.

(By the way, my freezer is getting short of toms!  I've only got 27lbs left now as I turned a lot into passata which takes up a lot less room in there!!)

[Sadgit]

can I stick my toms/chillis and peppers in the greenhouse now? they are about 5-6 inches and taking up loads of room in the house... I have a parafin heater just in case...

cheers

[muntjac]

yes but ur gonna spend money on parafin .if the temp drops at night and ur run out parafin ur gona have a problem with them geting cold snapped
 take care

[Sadgit]

yeh well err I might put half in and half in the house... what kind of temps should I put the heater on? 3/4C ?

[DD.]

yeh well err I might put half in and half in the house... what kind of temps should I put the heater on? 3/4C ?

IMHO (As usual), that would really be pushing it. Your plants would end up blue & shivering!!!

Personally I would be looking at a min temp of 10C - and you'd be pushing that with a paraffin heater.