Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: starry on December 29, 2011, 18:21
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I got a free packet of tomato seeds with a magazine and it advises that I can sow the seeds now if I have a heated green house to transfer them to but I don't have one, but I do have a heated south facing conservatory so is there a difference as I found that most of my tomato plants last year didn't ripen in time for the summer it was late august September before I harvested a single tomato :(
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Sounds as if you have ideal conditions to grow them on..so have a try now.....but play safe by saving some for later :)
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Agree with MOS, set some away now the some later when it's warmed up a bit :)
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I do have a heated greenhouse, but wouldn't dream of sowing for at least another month.
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well as the magazine is a january issue perhaps I will sow them at the end of January :D
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It's not just heat, also, very importantly, light conditions. All those big show and Gh growers do have huge lights over them early crops. 8)
And variety. A lot of tomatoes only will ripen in August, no matter what you do.
And there are all so many new varieties, for different day light length too, indeed, so do definitely try. Some. :closedeyes:
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It's not just heat, also, very importantly, light conditions.
Completely agree. One of the things that many gardeners fail to understand, is that if at this time of year if you provide summer time heat conditions, then you must also provide summer time light conditions. Failure to do this results in spindley plants that will never give their best
In my opinion, even with a heated greenhouse, its best to wait untill about the middle of Feb when the days are getting longer and the light is more intense.
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I echo the others. I won't start any toms until sometime in early Feb. Our daylight is just too short and weak to support healthy growth until my seedlings size up a bit, which would be late march/early april. Those with grow lights and full spectrum bulbs can start earlier but might find they'll deal with whitefly earlier.
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Depending on what light fittings you have in your conservatory, light bulbs can be bought that would give you that extra light you need... :)
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Now I never start my tom plants off until late March/early April and always get lots of fruit!
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You're right, Min. Starting them too early just never pays off. I've had self-seeded ones in my garden catch up to my started, babied tom plants.
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Depending on what light fittings you have in your conservatory, light bulbs can be bought that would give you that extra light you need... :)
As you say, it would have to be the correct lights, not just household bulbs. Something to do with UV or other type of light :wub:
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Daylight grow bulbs/lamps/tubes are manufactured to give a spectrum output near enough to daylight as possible.
They are not cheap. Unless you are a really serious grower, they are not worth it, I find patience comes at a much lower cost.
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I don't heat my greenhouse so sow with a mind to when plants are going to be OK to put out there.
I can understand starting aubergines or peppers in January if you did have a heated greenhouse for them to go into. I usually get these going early March. Tomatoes grow so fast, I don't sow until late March/early April either.
Mind you, I am growing inside on windowsills. A conservatory would probably tempt me into earlier sowing :)
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I always start my toms & peppers indoors on window sills, it's about March time when they'll go into the greenhouse as reasonable sized plants.
Until that point I've had minimal heat on to keep the frost out, I then crank it up a bit. The costs are not too bad, the greenhouse is bubble wrapped and by the time the toms etc. go in it, the weather generally has started to warm up.
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Is it not worth a few free seeds for Starry to find out what works for the conditions available in her conservatory?
Nothing ventured nothing gained etc etc.
It's easy for us to say what works for us, she needs to find out what works for her ;)
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Anyone want to give it a go? Just checked my seed stock and I've got hundreds, not counting my self-saved ones, so I guess I could spare a few, problem is it may mean cranking the heat up in the greenhouse earlier than usual!
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Is it not worth a few free seeds for Starry to find out what works for the conditions available in her conservatory?
Nothing ventured nothing gained etc etc.
It's easy for us to say what works for us, she needs to find out what works for her ;)
I'm with you mum I had already brought some tomato seeds of various varieties so i think I will give them a go, they were free so I will just try a few of them and see how they go.
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I've got about 75 "Shirley" seed kicking about, so may risk a couple, just for the hell of it!
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Go on...you know you want to :lol:
I'll go mad and join in the fun :blink:
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1st January, when the hangover's cleared.
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Hang on! The other day I had to put outside a load of fruiting chillies from my conservatory as they were covered in greenfly, and my heating was not on in there. It must have been the mini heatwave we had last week that caused the aphids to proliferate as they'd been as clean as a whistle when I put them there from the cold greenhouse when the temperatures plummeted the week or so before. So, I won't be in a hurry to sow any toms
I always sow mine in the unheated greenhouse about March time but it doesn't bother me that they fruit late either indoors or out :)
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probably wont actually get to do mine 'till at least friday the 6th as lots to do before then so nobody start with out me please :blink:
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I am having a sowing itch anyway and it's horrid out there.
The 6th will be fine. :blink:
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I am having a sowing itch anyway and it's horrid out there.
The 6th will be fine. :blink:
me too :lol:
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I've just popped 4 "Shirley" in a pot.
This flies in the face of anything I usually do, but it'll be a comparison with the ones I sow at the usual time.
I've amended the thread title so it can be more easily found.
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Did you not have a hangover then DD... :D
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Nope, went to bed about 1.20 a.m., up at 6.10.
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Been on ebay there are glow light bulbs on there for £6-00 screw in type may help if any one wants to start a little early with not to much out lay :)
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The output on those is not very high.
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I've just popped 4 "Shirley" in a pot.
This flies in the face of anything I usually do, but it'll be a comparison with the ones I sow at the usual time.
I've amended the thread title so it can be more easily found.
Thank you. ;)
I don't have Shirley. It will be something else going in this afternoon, as I'm sowing my onions anyway.
Actually, I had some of those this year. They kept germinating from some fallen fruit all last winter in the gh. In the end, I let 2 be. they were OK.
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Oh, I have been cheating already. Found some tomato and pepper seed, that says: not sensitive to lack of light, suitable for early, unheated gh production.
Surely does not mean January, but I must have been kind of preparing for this challange some time ago. :tongue2:
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Oooooh! I'm sooooooooooo wanting to give this a go, especially now I have a gh. My area doesn't warrant much of a chance tho' even if I kept them in an unheated room til about March or there-abouts............... Convince me some-one? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeaase???
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I am gutted! Ordered 2 shirley's pixie from victorian nurseries and they were so frosted when they arrived that there was no hope. Had to take pictures to send back to them. Maybe I should ask them for seed as a replacement so I can catch up with you lot! :happy:
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Oooooh! I'm sooooooooooo wanting to give this a go, especially now I have a gh. My area doesn't warrant much of a chance tho' even if I kept them in an unheated room til about March or there-abouts............... Convince me some-one? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeaase???
Convinced you are now.
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Oooooh! I'm sooooooooooo wanting to give this a go, especially now I have a gh. My area doesn't warrant much of a chance tho' even if I kept them in an unheated room til about March or there-abouts............... Convince me some-one? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeaase???
Convinced you are now.
Is that to try or not to try? :)
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Oooooh! I'm sooooooooooo wanting to give this a go, especially now I have a gh. My area doesn't warrant much of a chance tho' even if I kept them in an unheated room til about March or there-abouts............... Convince me some-one? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeaase???
Convinced you are now.
Is that to try or not to try? :)
NOT TO TRY. Of course. So many heavy waits entered, you stand no chance. :D
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Go on mash, try it - you know you wanna...what's to lose? only a few seeds :dry:
The only winner is you IF they live and you get early tomatoes :blink:
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Okay, I'll abstain :( and wait til end of Feb, or (sobs) Maaaaa (sniffs / hiccups) aarch! *sighs*
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Okay, I'll abstain :( and wait til end of Feb, or (sobs) Maaaaa (sniffs / hiccups) aarch! *sighs*
Lol, sob, common, sow them few seeds! That's an order. I do not know, who from. Must be high.
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Okay, I'll abstain :( and wait til end of Feb, or (sobs) Maaaaa (sniffs / hiccups) aarch! *sighs*
Lol, sob, common, sow them few seeds! That's an order. I do not know, who from. Must be high.
Ta luv! :D We-heeeey! count me in peeps! :D I start tomorrow!!! Ya-ay!! :lol:
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Couple of Red Alert toms sown today ;)
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I have a pack of 'gardener's delight' which says Jan-Mar sowing indoors... itching to get the first seeds of 2012 started so going to plant a few today and see what happens :D
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Think I might join the fun and plant a few freebies I got end of the summer!! Can't remember wot they are!!
May as well see wot happens 8)
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Couldn't resist! Sowed 9 San Marzano and 9 Shirley yesterday.
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At least I showed a bit of restraint!
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I sowed a couple each of Beefmaster, Ildi and Roma on New Years Day. Hadn't read this thread then, but was assured by my allotment mentor that this was the day tomatoes are sown... And seeing her poly tunnel last year she must be doing something right...
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So tempted. I have about 30 different varieties I'm sure I can find 1 or 2 for early sowing,prob a russian type variety.
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You have to be sooooooooooo careful if sowing very early.
It's not so much the germination of the seeds, but where to put them if you can't them them into a suitable environment outside the house. (if that's where you're doing it).
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Having read all this I might be tempted too. I'm away mon- Fri next week so might do some on my return does it still count :unsure:
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It will still be very early to sow - so yes it will count :D
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It will still be very early to sow - so yes it will count :D
Count me in then! Just waiting for my Shirly's Pixie seeds to arrive (a replacement for my two frosted plants). Sooo excited! :D
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Just don't sow all your tom seeds early, in case we/you don't succeed. :ohmy:
It's a big gamble sowing this early!
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I exercised restraint last year and didn't sow my toms until 2nd March. Then watched my neighbours, who'd chanced an January sowing, eating theirs over a month before my first were ready.
So this year I'll chance a few at the end on the month
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Forgot to let you know, I sowed just 1 seed each of;
St Pierre, St Marzano & Marmande; all January sowings. How's that for showing restraint? :lol:
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As many there are in a packet, it might take a 100 years to use them up at that rate.
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I alway put in a couple of cherry toms early as I find they are the earliest to fruit. They will always go a bit leggy what ever you do unless you have optimum conditions in your greenhouse, but when I pot on I bury the plant up to the first leaf truss each time. This has always given me good plants with a strong roots as they grow on the buried storks.
I comandeer the kitchen table every year from January to March for my seedlings as I am a bit compulsive. I have already got 8 tomato seedlings and now have two trays of onions in the propogator on the table so be warned. :D :D
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As many there are in a packet, it might take a 100 years to use them up at that rate.
I was more thinking I have little space around to play with yet to try more if they grew. On the other hand, if they don't germinate I can try again :D.
Speaking of cherry toms, I might try a Gartenperle (spelling?) not grown those before & only a few seeds in a pack of those! :tongue2: :D .
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Gartenperle? - save some seed from them this year, you'll never need to buy another packet ;)
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As many there are in a packet, it might take a 100 years to use them up at that rate.
I was more thinking I have little space around to play with yet to try more if they grew. On the other hand, if they don't germinate I can try again :D.
Speaking of cherry toms, I might try a Gartenperle (spelling?) not grown those before & only a few seeds in a pack of those! :tongue2: :D .
I just posted some of those to someone. Still have... :lol: They can be cropped till very late in a good location. :blink:
Anybody's up yet? mine isn't, just making conversation...
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I sowed two seed per pot on New Year's Day... So far:
1 seed in each pot of Roma germinated (one an inch, the other just peeking)
1 seed in a Beefmaster pot is an inch tall, the pot shows no signs of life
No Ildi have germinated yet
Cheers,
Kosh
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Just checked mine, one of the 4 Shirley's is just poking through. Plastic bag off, aluminium foil on!
Kosh - 1" high already sounds a bit too rapid, have you deployed the ali foil?
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A good effort. 8)
I didn't bag them even. We shall see. :lol:
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Kosh - 1" high already sounds a bit too rapid, have you deployed the ali foil?
Tonight's job...
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It'll be 2" high by then!
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So, so, Maistro!
Had some lettuce germinating, hardly seen in the morning, when I got back in the afternoon it was already bending... :mad:
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What do you do with the foil, DD?
Just checked mine, one of the 4 Shirley's is just poking through. Plastic bag off, aluminium foil on!
Kosh - 1" high already sounds a bit too rapid, have you deployed the ali foil?
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Put the foil behind the seedlings, so that it reflects light back at them. This increases the amount of light considerably and prevents the seedling being drawn in one direction.
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I really should be doing this foil thing, but cannot be asked today, I am way too tired.
Plenty of leggy lettuces on their way... :D
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my babies have germinated :)
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All four Shirley through now.
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I had a couple of packs of gardeners delight (one pack a year or two old and one new pack) and planted a few (4/5) of each on the 3rd... 2 of the new ones have germinated today :D hopefully the others will also germinate soon.
I also planted some cabbage, cauli and aubergine on the same day and the cabbage started to germinate yesterday - A new year of growing has begun - yey!! :D :D :D
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Lol! No sign of mine.
I moved the stuff upstairs today, I figure it's cold for them in the kitchen. That's how often I sow this early... :lol:
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I have a lighting rig and was thinking of putting them under there on a timer (maybe from 8am to 6pm) - would that be cheating?? :unsure:
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I would just quote the late chairman - bless - of our association:
This competition is so serious that any manners of cheating is allowed, more so, it's called for.
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Not cheating, but what sort of lighting is it? It needs to be Gro-light type which gives out a spectrum near to daylight. Tungsten and ordinary fluorescent are ineffective.
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I would just quote the late chairman - bless - of our association:
This competition is so serious that any manners of cheating is allowed, more so, it's called for.
Lovely :lol:
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Not cheating, but what sort of lighting is it? It needs to be Gro-light type which gives out a spectrum near to daylight. Tungsten and ordinary fluorescent are ineffective.
good question (my electronic/lighting knowledge is somewhat lacking!) :unsure:
the lights were donated to me from a friend who used it to start seedlings off but decided to invest in a ready made setup instead of his homemade one...
I've been informed they're CFL bulbs??
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CFL stands for Compact Fluorescent Lighting. Covers a multitude of lamps - including the energy savers you use around the house as "normal" lighting.
However, you can get CFL grow-lights and it sounds as though this may be what you have.
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I would just quote the late chairman - bless - of our association:
This competition is so serious that any manners of cheating is allowed, more so, it's called for.
Excellent - this really is my type of forum :D :D
Thanks for the info DD! I have 3x20W 2700k bulbs (small spiral type) - after doing a bit of research I may need something more in the 5000k 'daylight' range?? Will have a bit of a shop around - in the meantime I'll keep them in their foil house on the windowsill during the day and just give them an extra couple of hours under the lights when the sun goes down.
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Having mine in their foil enclosure today has meant they've stayed upright, instead of straining over towards the window as they have since they germinated...
Sill no germination from two of the pots, one Ildi cherry and one Beefmaster...
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Potted on 10 Cherry toms today, I showed great restraint and threw away the rest, which is something I hate to do.
Two are on our bedroom window sill and the other 8 are on the living room window sill with foil behind. If I saved enough of my favourite Golden Sunrise I may put a couple of those in tomorrow. The problem with me is that I say a couple but end up with 20.
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just remember how big they will get before they can go outside, even if it's into the greenhouse :nowink:
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I know Mum but toms are my weakness. By the end of May every available space is taken up in the house with huge pots of tomatoes, and two of my plastic greenhouses will be full of later sewn toms and peppers waiting to go to the lotty. I also supply my Dad's greenhouse and most of the company with seedlings it seems.
Funny how popular I get about the March time. :lol:
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Still waiting for my Shirley's Pixie seeds (hopefully today or tomz) but I am determined to catch up... :tongue2:
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Me, dooh....
I just had a good old ferret in one of these 'tomato' pots. Not a single seed in there to be found. :blush:
Now, that's when they do not come up. :blink:
I shall sow some today for real... :lol:
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yes sowing the seeds does help :lol: :lol:
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yes sowing the seeds does help :lol: :lol
I shall try that then. :lol:
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I have 4 Shirley's and 6 San Marzano just poking their heads out of the soil. Woop
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Hello,
I am new to the forum... I have decided to join after reading 'The great tomato experiment' thread :)
I have sown two of each: Gardner's Delight, Chipano and Big Red on the 9th January and cannot wait for them to germinate :D. This year is going to be my first full season as I got my dream allotment at the end of the summer. I hope I can beat my tomato harvest last year of 45.590 kg... ;) and that was just in my garden...
Good luck to everyone!
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1 Gartenperle germinated so far, happily in it's foil enclosure :). Nothing doing from the others yet.
Mash :)
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Yesterday I put in 2 seeds of each of:
San Marzano
Belle
Garten Pearle
Sweet Baby
Money Maker
Harbinger
Celine
Gardener's Delight
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I have planted 4 self saves Koralik seeds in a pot on a tray on a radiator in the bathroom to get some bottom heat.As yet no sign of life.
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Today I have planted up.
2 Harbinger
2 Celing
1 Gardeners Delight
1 Money Maker
2 San Marzeno
No show as yet from the Gartenpearle or Sweet Baby
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So how tall are your plants now guys, are they beginning to stretch?
I would like to know as im itching to start :happy:
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1" high, quite sturdy, second leaves appearing. May pot on soon, but no rush.
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Hmmmmm,
I might put some Gardeners Delight in tomorrow!
Seems like the foil is doing the trick, i sowed in april last year and had to watch as everyone else was enjoying real tomatoes whilst we were still eating supermarket bullets.
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Foil is handy. You can also quickly make it into a helmet when the aliens land to protect you from their brainwaves.
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You can also quickly make it into a helmet when the aliens land to protect you from their brainwaves
Im posh, i have a colander for just such occasions :wacko: :nowink: ::)
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I tried that, it didn't work.
Then I found it was a plastic one.
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About an inch and a half high and some are starting to develop tiny real leaves I noticed this morning...
Next weekend I think I will cull the weaker seedlings in the pots where they both germinated...
And I have two pots resown and in the propagator as nothing came up last time...
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All 4 up now; Gartenperle was 1st, now also St Pierre, Marmande & St Marzano. 1 of each lol! All in the foil enclosure about an inch high. So far so good :)
Mash.
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My Cherry toms are looking good in their little foil parcels, they are about 3" high and quite stocky considering it is mid January.
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I had a couple of packs of gardeners delight (one pack a year or two old and one new pack) and planted a few (4/5) of each on the 3rd... 2 of the new ones have germinated today :D hopefully the others will also germinate soon.
I also planted some cabbage, cauli and aubergine on the same day and the cabbage started to germinate yesterday - A new year of growing has begun - yey!! :D :D :D
mine are now between 1 and 2 inches, the larger developing true leaves :D
on another note, the older seeds, from 08, have had better germination (5 seedlings) than the new, 2011, pack (still just the 2 seedlings) - although the 2 newer ones germinated a little quicker :unsure:
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I've just popped in a couple of "Black Krim".
This is more out of curiosity to see if the things actually germinate as they were self-saved seed, the first time I've tried it with tomatoes.
I hope so, as they were a cracking tomato.
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Great minds n all that!
I've just sown some of the self-saved Carlton toms ;)
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Nearly all mine are saved seed and they grow away well. My Sun Gold have been saved over the last three years and last year they were one of the first to fruit and one of the last to sucumb to the frost. Just chose the best fruit on the bush, scoop out the seeds and leave them to ferment in a cup with some water for about a week, rinse off the pap, dry on a plate for at least a week and store in an envelope.
If I can do it, anyone can. :D
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Sungold being an F1, I take it you've been quite lucky in getting a decent offspring!
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Sowed tomato seeds today in a pot on the shelf over the gas fire.
They will probably turn out to be a disaster, but I will let you know in a couple of weeks.
update 26th Jan..they are coming up!
update 2nd Feb..pricked them out. I saved the strongest 6 out of 10.
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Thanks DD, Blond or senior moment, I of course meant Golden Sunrise.
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This not light lack sensitive pepper is sooo not light lack sensitive that it is not coming up at all. :tongue2:
The not light lack sensitive tomato is sturdy yet, however, some random aubergine seems to be beating it to it. So far.
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This not light lack sensitive pepper is sooo not light lack sensitive that it is not coming up at all. :tongue2:
The not light lack sensitive tomato is sturdy yet, however, some random aubergine seems to be beating it to it. So far.
I thought about starting some sweet peppers off but pkt says Feb so I didn't :unsure:
Apart from 1 Gartenperle seedling (new pkt) that flunked, the other plus all my old tom seedlings (dating back to 2007!) are so far, doing well in their foil enclosure :)
Mash.
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As I am trying to get as much stuff as I can for Dad's birthday in June I am starting off anythng that says it may fruit, flower or do anything in June.
I have Pepper plants of Etuida, Ramero, World Beater and Sweet Bites all growing in their little plastic water cups, I have just potted on some Dhalia (redskine mix) and some Cosmos seeds I saved from last year. I also have some Galia and Cantoloupe melons which I tried from some Melons I ate last week and thought I would see if they would go. They have all germinated but I expect they will damp off as way too early for them.
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Well yesterday I finally joined in with 2/3/4 of about 6 varieties. Never ever done them this early. Then added some cabbage-hispi & greyhound & some chilli's. I will be very interested to see the outcomes of everyone's & of course mine.
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Have sown... Tomatos-Cedrico, Shirley, and Sungold. Pepper Californian Wonder and chillie, Numex Twilight.
All are in modules in kichen windowsill.
Although it is true that the young plants still need light, if the plants are given lots of extra heat they will want to romp away and will become drawn. If sown around now, they should all be up in say two weeks, if you can then put them somewhere that gets all available light and keep them somewhere around 10 degrees, they will not try to grow as quick as if they were being kept at say 15 degrees. I did it like this last year and had upto 9 trusses to the roof and was picking them well into september.
Lets just hope we dont get a really cold snap..... :blink:
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Our long range forecast gives a max daytime temp of 1oC for 6 days from next Wednesday.
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Our long range forecast gives a max daytime temp of 1oC for 6 days from next Wednesday.
Brrrrrrrr, that's a cold snap. I think because of the unusually mild weather we forget it is still January and winter can come back and bite us on the bum. ;)
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Well, I think it's time I joined in, I've got 16 varieties to grow this year, so no time like the present I guess.... :) :)
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I can report an enormous hight difference now between the not light lack sensitive and the other tomato.
These breeders do know what they are doing. 8)
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I can report an enormous hight difference now between the not light lack sensitive and the other tomato.
These breeders do know what they are doing. 8)
What type was it gobs?
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I can report an enormous hight difference now between the not light lack sensitive and the other tomato.
These breeders do know what they are doing. 8)
What type was it gobs?
I bought it abroad , I'm afraid. I should have a few spare seeds if interested though.
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That's very kind of you gobs. :) I can swap you for a few Shirley's Pixie if you would like?
http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/vegetable_plants/tomato_plant_shirleys_pixie/
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That's very kind of you gobs. :) I can swap you for a few Shirley's Pixie if you would like?
http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/vegetable_plants/tomato_plant_shirleys_pixie/
I do own so many seeds, it's more like an embarrassment than any use. :lol:
Thanks for the offer though, I think I just should not get more seeds.
Just drop me address and do not worry about it. You will get to know if and when I'm after something. :lol:
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That's very kind of you gobs. :) I can swap you for a few Shirley's Pixie if you would like?
http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/vegetable_plants/tomato_plant_shirleys_pixie/
I do own so many seeds, it's more like an embarrassment than any use. :lol:
Thanks for the offer though, I think I just should not get more seeds.
Just drop me address and do not worry about it. You will get to know if and when I'm after something. :lol:
I know I have a seed buying problem :wacko: but don't feel so bad now a friend has offered to sell any excess plants for me at boot fairs. :D
I shall accept you kind offer sir, even if it does sound like it could get me into trouble! :lol:
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Just potted my Shirley up. Buried them up to the cotyledons. Still looking quite healthy.
No sign of the Black Krim self-saved seed. :(
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Just potted my Shirley up. Buried them up to the cotyledons. Still looking quite healthy.
No sign of the Black Krim self-saved seed. :(
Yet ;)
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Mentioned elsewhere, but the Black Krim popped up 2 days ago.
Current state of the Shirley here:
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=69457.msg989603#msg989603
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I've just ordered a new to me paste tom called Bellstar which is supposed to be blight resistant (not that I have much trouble with that) but the fruits are larger and more prolific as well as tastier than Romas or San M's. Can't wait to try them out.
Also ordered more Stupice (pronounced Stu-peeka) for my mum who has a shorter growing season. These are also listed as blight resistant, which she got last year and they indeed took a while to become damaged. So, not totally resistant but at least you have a chance to harvest them.
I'm definitely growing Sungold this year but not any Sweet 100's, my old standby. Grew sungold last year, and wow! my kind of tomato.
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One Shirley's Pixie up out of three. :( No more coir pellets for me... :tongue2:
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I've potted on 2 Red Alerts, 4 Gartenperle and 2 Carlton have just shown through :)
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This Elf called, don't care about light tomato still does not need repotting. Growing first set of leaves and about a cm tall.
I'm sending them Auntiemogs, just had workmen in and forgot about a few things. :D
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This Elf called, don't care about light tomato still does not need repotting. Growing first set of leaves and about a cm tall.
I'm sending them Auntiemogs, just had workmen in and forgot about a few things. :D
Ooh lovely, thanks hun. I have a 1.5cm Shirley's Pixie with a slight curl the the leaves (not leggy though). May replant without the coir pellets and see if I get summat sensible. :)
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i have just ordered some shirley pixie seeds, ( thanks for the link auntiemogs ) i will get them on the way next week when they arrive :D with foil backing (thanks DD for that top tip)
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I know this is sort of cheating (and maybe isn't for this thread) but has anybody tried tomato plug plants? There seem to be an awful lot of them from Thompson, etc.. They seem expensive (and not much choice) but I wondered if they counted as "early sown"?
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Strictly DIY on this thread!
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Glad to hear the black krim are up now DD :D
They took their time
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Only one out of two. :(
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popped in some gardeners delight :happy:
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I sowed toms, gardeners delight/garten pearl/sungold/alicante and peppers clifornia wonder and chillie jalapeno last weekend, this is the first time have had some time spare to get going.
The sungold/gardeners delight/alicante and garten pearl are all up and on the kitchen windowsill where it's cool but not cold so should grow slow and stocky for now.
2 of the jalapeno have begun to show but i think they have damping off disease so will see how the others fare in the same pot when they come through.
If it's bad news i'll do another sowinig in microwaved compost ;)
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My tomatoes sown 20th January are still looking good.
I sowed more today as backup, and because I need more.
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Second Black Krim has come through, that's 12 days after the first!
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Better late than never :lol:
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Although it is true that the young plants still need light, if the plants are given lots of extra heat they will want to romp away and will become drawn. If sown around now, they should all be up in say two weeks, if you can then put them somewhere that gets all available light and keep them somewhere around 10 degrees, they will not try to grow as quick as if they were being kept at say 15 degrees. I did it like this last year and had upto 9 trusses to the roof and was picking them well into september.
Thanks Totty - that is a really useful tip - so good I thought I would transfer it to the top of the pile :)
I sowed my tomatoes and chillies on Monday 13th on a mini propagating tray on our north facing kitchen window sill, following Monty Don's advice. In previous years I found that early sowings got a bit drawn but I hadn't thought it might be the temperature so I will get them off the propagator as soon as they germinate and maybe into the frost free greenhouse. But the temp in the greenhouse fluctuates so much at the moment - from 6 to 20+ degrees. Oh help - what to do for the best??
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When it gets warm enough during the day I put my tomatoes in the greenhouse, but take them in at night. I don't let them get below 10°C.
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OK so its now about 6 weeks since I sowed my tomato seeds 2 varieties of plum and 1 large Italian variety!! 8) I have approx six of each had a few casualties on the way but all now about 2 inches high got their second lot of leaves some are even getting their third, have been combing them 3/4 times a day following a recent thread and they are looking good (also have 4 chili plants growing (jalapenos) also just started off some home harvested tomberries seeds whether they germinate or not I don't know on wards and upwards :lol:
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just sown my sunbaby toms
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Only one Shirley's Pixie out of three came up but it does seem to be a sturdy little thing considering the available light. :) I shall put the other two down to the coir pellets which dry out very quickly so I won't be using them again.
Most of the ones on my previous list in (sans cucumbers DD). ::) :)
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As we are getting to the time of year when would probably be sowing tomatoes anyway, I think we should now call a halt to the "I've just sown" posts.
This thread was intended to see how very early sown ones got on.
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When it gets warm enough during the day I put my tomatoes in the greenhouse, but take them in at night. I don't let them get below 10°C.
Thanks Azubah!
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Mine sown 1st Jan are still looking OK, but a little drawn. Tomorrow I plan to put small stakes in the pots to tie them to and also fill the pots to the rim with more compost that will stabilise them a bit and give more opportunity to grow some extra toots...
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Yes the length of the day is a major factor. Overcast summers are hopeless for tomatoes!
This year I am going to give 'auld sod' a try. It is an Irish heirloom variety that can cope well with our gloomy conditions, apparently.
We will see.....
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I'm locking this thread for now, as it was all about experimenting with early tomatoes.
Any sown now are not considered early.
I'll unlock it when it's time for feedback :)
If there's anything you need to report in the meantime just pm a mod and we'll sort it out ;)
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I've unlocked this topic to allow for updates over the weekend.
Please - we ONLY want to know about seed sown earlier in the year that have already been mentioned on this thread, (unless you sowed some very early i.e. January and would like to mention them). It is those very early sown seed for which this thread was created.
As for my 4 x Shirley, sown on New Year's Day, they're still going, quite sturdy at 4" high, but later sown ones are catching them up.
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My shirley's pixie (sown mid Jan) is about 3-4" tall and a very sturdy little plant. It certainly hasn't suffered from the lack of light and I shall definitely grow again. :)
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Mine are 5" tall and have 5 leaves, only counting those over 2" long. The stems are a little on the thin side, but not too bad. The lower leaves did start to turn yellow, so I dosed them with magnesium sulphate and they now look better. Magnesium deficiency was something I did not anticipate at this stage.
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spindly stems i think mine are to warm indoors :(
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Several of mine have been potted on into my plastic pint pots from the plastic coffee pots, when they are tall enough I just drop the plant into the pint pot and top up the compost so the stalk is burried and the leaves are just above the soil level.
The bigest of mine are the cooking toms, I presume that they are the most hardy, but these are not the ones I wanted to bring on really.
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I've moved mine to the brick outhouse where it's cooler - down to about 12C at night.
I think that'll slow'em up a bit :D
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Mine are just plodding along, nice and steady, but I rather think the later sown ones will catch up.
I'd lose mine if I dropped them into pint pots!
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I have found that if I sew a few seeds of each variety in January, any sewn in early March will catch up, however I find that there is usually one or two plants of each variety that are stronger and get away much more quickly and I end up with perhaps 8 or 9 plants that are well in front of the rest.
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Potted my 6 early ones up into 5 1/2 inch pots today. That will last until the end of March when they will go into their tubs for summer. The later ones will catch up, but I want tomatoes in June, not September.
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6 Cedrico, 13 Sungold, 10 Shirley. All sown on Jan the 20th. They are all a good 6 inches high and are in the greenhouse. Put in the heated growhouse in the greenhouse at night. The tiniest little sideshoots are starting to appear so with any luck ill be able to root some within the next 3 weeks.
Totty
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The Little one was transplanted today, the middle one germinated mid Feb and the one in the pint pot is one of the January sewn one.
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I'm mildly upset that the tomato seeds I planted mid-Feb are sturdy looking with multiple, healthy looking leaves. Those planted first of Jan are tall, weak, have fewer leaves and are not looking great. Unless things change a lot before I plant out in May, I doubt I'll bother early sowing next year...
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Careful inspection has revealed tiny embryonic flower buds on my Jan 20th sown tomatoes.
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Mine are around 5" tall and need repotting desprately but i have nowhere for them to go as the windowsills are full.
I may have to chance them out in the minni greenhouse.
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Careful inspection has revealed tiny embryonic flower buds on my Jan 20th sown tomatoes.
Hi Azubah,
What variety is this?
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Cherry type. I got the seeds out of some tomatoes from the supermarket.
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F1's?
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F1's?
Can't say. They were 'vine tomatoes' and were in a long straight truss with no branches. Any cherry tomatoes will do the same thing if you start them early enough and keep them in the right conditions...in my case, on a warm sunny windowledge, and in the greenhouse when it is warm enough.
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Ah "vine ripened tomatoes" - a/k/a "tomatoes gassed after picking before ripe". :lol:
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Didn't know that they gassed them.
I wondered how they got them all ripe at the same time.
It should not damage the seeds, however.
If they use ethylene, it is a natural gas produced by fruit, and so should not be harmful, unless it is in a ship's hold full of bananas and someone goes down there with a lit cigarette!
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Didn't know that they gassed them.
I wondered how they got them all ripe at the same time.
It should not damage the seeds, however.
If they use ethylene, it is a natural gas produced by fruit, and so should not be harmful, unless it is in a ship's hold full of bananas and someone goes down there with a lit cigarette!
:ohmy: :ohmy:
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I would be 99.9percent sure that any tomatos brought from a supermarket will be F1s, be interesting to hear how they get on but im guessing they may not grow true to type.
Totty
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Installed my largest tomatoes in their flower tubs yesterday, and put them in their final positions in the greenhouse today.
They spent last night on the bench, covered in newspaper and looked good today.
I find that when they get to about 1ft tall they are a little more robust and will survive to lower temperatures..but even if they don't, they have to stay in the greenhouse as they are too big to keep moving around without risking damage. (both to them and my back!)
I shall carefully wrap them in newspaper each night and hope for the best. I have another batch of plants which are a fortnight behind that lot just in case, but I have not lost any to frost yet...
I think it is a little warmer here due to being near a city.
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of the four strongest toms that I eventually potted up, I've decided to leave one in the unheated greenhouse all the time - just to see what happens. We're forecast 5C overnight :blink:
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I have done the same with one of mine MOS, together with a pepper. They have been in there for a week now and seem fine, however the weather has been exceptional so will see what happens if we have a sharp frost.
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so will see what happens if we have a sharp frost.
They will die - simples!
I wouldn't dream of it in an unheated greenhouse yet. 2.5C here last night. I know they would just go blue and then do nothing for the rest of the season.
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Temp in greenhouse this morning at 5.30 was 13.2 degrees. I had to use the scraper to remove ice from the windscreen too. Seem to have got the heater bang on now so have planted 2x Cedrico into pots ontop of a growbag. Have no bench room left with everything else thats in there so they may as well get their roots going well for late spring/early summer
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My tomatoes planted on 9th January are doing quite well, I think.
What do you think? :)
I do put them in a greenhouse during the day and bring them in early evening. I have noticed that the bottom leaves are drying out a bit. Could anyone tell me why is that? :)
(http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s493/dtrych/March%202012/P3280061.jpg)
Thank you.
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Old age!
As long as the upper ones are OK there's no problem.
Next time they get potted on, you'd bury them anyway.
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Nothin wrong with them at all!
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My tomatoes. The ones at the end are in their night attire. I know it is a lot of fussing about, but getting the biggest, earliest, etc is all part of the fun of gardening.
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Thank you DD and Totty :)
I am glad I only have 4 from the January sowing as I can see how space could be limited in keeping them indoors until May ;)
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Have now potted up 10 of the very early plants into 10inch tubes on growbags. Looking good thus far. Nightime temps not great though at the moment. Forecast for the coming week not to special either................ :(
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I have dug out my greenhouse heater from under all the compost bags, seed trays, netting, and general junk that collects in greenhouses...well mine anyway(..you might be a tidy person.)
I don't want to use it as it is too expensive, but I will if they threaten too hard a frost.
It helps if it gets warm in the daytime, but if it is only 5° in the day and below freezing at night it is too much of a threat. I am still wrapping them up in newspaper as that helps a lot.
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Moved a lot of the tomato plants to the heated greenhouse.
The ones that I sowed on 26th February have caught up with the 1st Januray sown ones and in fact look sturdier plants.
This is an experiment that I won't be repeating!
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The later sown ones have now overtaken the early ones!
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My 1 end Jan Shirley's Pixie :)
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The later sown ones have now overtaken the early ones!
I shall remember this next year :)
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I've planted out some of the later sown ones in the greenhouse, rather than the experimental ones - they are far better plants.
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I've planted out some of the later sown ones in the greenhouse, rather than the experimental ones - they are far better plants.
Compost bin is enriched then?
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They're still sitting there, I don't like throwing plants away, but the others really are better!
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So who will you give them to?
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Give? :ohmy: :lol:
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It's Ok I am not hinting, I have a surplus myself :lol: :lol:
Hmmm -- there is a market for tomato plants then is there?
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Just noticed flower buds today on my tomato plants sown on 9th February :).
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Have flower on 4 of my January sown, but this one I left in the house too long and it is rather leggy, it is flowing well but I think I will have to put it in the cold greenhouse to try and slow it down
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All of my very early sown toms are now planted out in the heated greenhouse and are looking good. The ones sown a month later are nowhere near as big, but im hoping to prolong the peak cropping season. Ill be sowing early again for sure, but maybe only half of my plants, not 90 per cent!
Totty
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My Dad always said to me that planting (down south) Toms in Jan and Feb didn't make sense economically, because of the heat needed in the greenhouse, or for yield, as the Toms planted in April will catch up as they will have stronger growth due to the daylight and warmth.
Besides there are early ripening toms - some of mine last year were planted in April and harvested in July in the garden, albeit in London and in a sheltered spot.
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My main reason for sowing early is that i want lots of trusses. I think alot of people pinch them out after the 5th truss, but i see no reason why they need pinching out if you have extra height and sufficient time for ripening, eight trusses should be possible i hope. An extra 3 trusses on about 18 plants is a few hundred extra toms come the end of the season. Although there is the cost of heating the greenhouse early on, it is my hobbie so i dont mind too much, if it costs an extra pound for electric a day, what else can you do with a quid?
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The Gartenperle that I sowed on 12th Jan have their first flowers on ;)
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The Gartenperle that I sowed on 12th Jan have their first flowers on ;)
:D
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Phase 1 were sown on the 15th January 2012. They are 2' to 2'6" tall.
1. Tigerella: 2 sets of flowers.
2. Sub Artic Plenty: 3 sets of flowers.
3. Harbinger: 3 sets of flowers, first in flower and setting.
These 3 will remain in the conservatory in huge pots.
4. Tamina: 3 sets of flowers
5. Stupice: 3 sets of flowers first in flower and setting.
These are in the conservatory and will be potted up to huge pots stopped at 3 trusses,and put in cold greenhouse in mid May.
Phase 2 are similar and are 9" tall and will be planted in pots for the ouside.
Phase 3 above plus Valencia, Suburst, Gardener's Delight and Tumbler are 2" tall and will be planted direct into allotment.
I will let these grow but will probably stop them at 5 trusses.
Allotment grown toms always produce bigger crop than pot ones.
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Ivor Backache is there a reason why you stop the greenhouse toms at 3 trusses and leave the outdoor ones to develop 5? If you sowed the ones destined for the greenhouse earlier, surely you can have a longer season and better conditions in the greenhouse enabling the plants to produce more fruit.
Im not very experienced with outdoor toms, but would have thought that stopping them at 3-4 trusses would give a better chance of ripening all of them seeing as though they are not protected from our changeable weather? :)
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I do mine that way around, Totty.
I let the greenhouse ones run up as far as they want, but stop the outside ones at 3, maybe 4 trusses, depending how they look.
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Ivor Backache is there a reason why you stop the greenhouse toms at 3 trusses and leave the outdoor ones to develop 5?
Short answer is space.
The 3 in the conservatory should produce tomatoes in June.
The green house is not like the glass and aluminium type, more homemade wood and plastic, Tomato in a pot and 3 trusses will be touching the roof. Production from these 3 plants should continue on from the conservatory ones.
The outside ones in pots at home or in the ground on the alottment will get to 5 trusses and then it will the end of the season. That way i should have continuity.
This year I am using huge pots, because the plants grown in the ground always produce a much bigger crop.
This year I am trying several varieties. I have already noticed that 'Tigerella' grows much taller before the first truss, whereas 'Harbinger' 'Stupice' and 'Sub artic Plenty' already have 3 trusses in that same height. Harbinger and stupice have set their first tomato.
I will let the growing tip get past the 3rd truss and then stop them them, so that there is at least two leaves above the truss.
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I've only just discovered this thread and I am soooo excited that one of the gardener's delights I sowed on 16th Jan has a tomato on it :D
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I've only just discovered this thread and I am soooo excited that one of the gardener's delights I sowed on 16th Jan has a tomato on it :D
It looks great! So exciting... I cannot wait for mine :)
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I've only just discovered this thread and I am soooo excited that one of the gardener's delights I sowed on 16th Jan has a tomato on it :D
That's brilliant. Mine sown a month later have lots of flowers, but none setting yet.
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All of mine are planted out now, but the last one that went in was a day before it was really sunny and the poly tunnel got up into the 30's. I think the roots in the small pot weren't developed enough to get moisture up quickly and the went very wilting... Have removed all of the damaged leaves and will see how they go.
The best performing are my Ildi cherries, which I didn't sow until mod-Feb. Both are over two foot tall with multiple flower buds. My only problem now is what to do with my spare one that's still in the spare room...
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Hi
these are gardeners delight, sowed about end of Jan, quite tall, have just been pinching out the tiny leaves in the elbows of the plant. No flowers as yet.
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I have just brought all of mine in form the greenhouse for the next few days.
Even with the polysheet cover I made, I don't think they'd like the 4C we're forecast for the next few nights :ohmy: better safe than sorry.
Just the experimental one left out there, so I can show the difference between the cold grown and the warm!
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just to report in...... after sowing some tomatoes on the 6th of January to see how they would get on and whether or not I would gain anything, bearing in mind if I had a heated greenhouse or any green house I could have put them in when they had been big enough to transplant it might have been a different story, but I can say I gained absolutely nothing!!, they all did really well but the seeds I sowed some months later actually over took the original ones so I shan't be doing that again and cluttering up my conservatory :D
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I have two tiny fruit on one of the January sewn ones :) and then I went and snapped another lage one in half when moving it. :mad:.
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Starry - ditto!
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just to report in...... after sowing some tomatoes on the 6th of January to see how they would get on and whether or not I would gain anything, bearing in mind if I had a heated greenhouse or any green house I could have put them in when they had been big enough to transplant it might have been a different story, but I can say I gained absolutely nothing!!, they all did really well but the seeds I sowed some months later actually over took the original ones so I shan't be doing that again and cluttering up my conservatory :D
Starry - ditto!
I am the opposite.
Phase 1 sowed 15/1/12 are now 3' tall on average, bearing fruit, 4th truss flowering
Phase 2 sowed 4/3/12 are now 18" on average. 1st truss showing.
phase 3 sowed 1/4/12 are now 4" tall now in their intermediate pots.
All grown on kitchen window, transferred to bedroom windows and then into unheated conservatory. Had hoped to start climatising, but not much hope of that before June.
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I have lost most of my Feb sowing and a lot of the March because of the appalling weather we have had lately and I do not have a heated greenhouse to grow all of them on, I also had a bad attack of whitefly.
I will have another go next year as the weather is different every year, last year the early part was good for tomatoes but the summer was dreadful and the previous year I had plants growing everywhere and was struck by late blight. My feeling is that if I stagger sowing a few every month from Jan onwards then I shall be sowing some in the optimum month for that year.
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My tomatoes have 3 trusses of flowers on.
The are coming much lower down due to the cold weather. They are not setting yet so will be late this year.
I am expecting a huge glut when it warms up.
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just to report in...... after sowing some tomatoes on the 6th of January to see how they would get on and whether or not I would gain anything, bearing in mind if I had a heated greenhouse or any green house I could have put them in when they had been big enough to transplant it might have been a different story, but I can say I gained absolutely nothing!!, they all did really well but the seeds I sowed some months later actually over took the original ones so I shan't be doing that again and cluttering up my conservatory :D
Starry - ditto!
I am the opposite.
Phase 1 sowed 15/1/12 are now 3' tall on average, bearing fruit, 4th truss flowering
Phase 2 sowed 4/3/12 are now 18" on average. 1st truss showing.
phase 3 sowed 1/4/12 are now 4" tall now in their intermediate pots.
All grown on kitchen window, transferred to bedroom windows and then into unheated conservatory. Had hoped to start climatising, but not much hope of that before June.
Hi Ivor so what varieties have you sown ?? mine were 2 types of plum and a large Italian variety called "cuore" and one of the plums is "Roma"
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I have a first 'baby' tomato :D from the 9th January sowings...
(http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s493/dtrych/May%202012/IMG_6395.jpg)
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Me too. :)
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those with tomatoes I salute you! But after a really good crop last year....I'm having a nightmare! I sowed some Roma, cherry tomatoes adn brandwine....have one roma left, a couple of cherry tomatoes and one piddly widdly brandywine.
Am going to trawl around the open gardens locally to see if I can get anymore plants. Grr....
The good news I ahve lots of curly kale plants which seem to be thriving!
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those with tomatoes I salute you! But after a really good crop last year....I'm having a nightmare! I sowed some Roma, cherry tomatoes adn brandwine....have one roma left, a couple of cherry tomatoes and one piddly widdly brandywine.
Am going to trawl around the open gardens locally to see if I can get anymore plants. Grr....
The good news I ahve lots of curly kale plants which seem to be thriving!
I have loads left over, a bit straggly but most with flowers either gardeners delight or sweet million mainly + a couple of others if you want to collect them. Where in Leicestershire are you?
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that's really kind of you snowdrops..have only jsut dseen this message! And i was giving a talk in Barwell the other night! Will dm you....
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The Gartenperle that I sowed on 12th Jan have their first flowers on ;)
and now the fruits are ripening :D
(http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu317/mumofstig/DSCI0103.jpg)
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The Gartenperle that I sowed on 12th Jan have their first flowers on ;)
and now the fruits are ripening :D
They look great! Mine are not at that stage yet :(... But hopefully soon :)...
Well done!
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Nor mine, they look lovely Mum! :)
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Well done MOS, my cherry has loads of flowers but only one fruit showing red.
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You have done well, MOS. Today I detected the slightest hint of a colour change in some of my tomatoes. They have started to lose the white/green colouring and are more greeny looking.
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I have my first 'orangey' tomato :D... No idea what it is as the labels got lost along the way :ohmy:...
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Have picked 3 sungold now. First on saturday. They were the early sown ones. The later sown ones have caught up a little growth wise but not truss or fruit wise. My thinkin is that the early ones are putting more energy into fruit now. The later ones are happy growing up at the mo.
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I picked my first ripe tomato yesterday. The greenhouse was unheated except for 3 nights in April, and the tomatoes did not go out until the unusually warm days of March. I think it is worth it. It gives me something to do instead of sowing other seeds too early.
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Hi I was wondering what was the final results of planting early and if it was an adventure worth pursuing next year?
Reading most of the posts its seems that some people got off to a flying start, but then this thread seems to of become abandoned for some reason? :unsure:
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Mine were very successful, sown in January, but need more care than later sowings.
I shall be doing the same again next year, all being well.
I used seed from bought supermarket tomatoes, and found that few of them split this year. The only ones that did split were the russian black cherry tomatoes from bought seed...but that's another story.
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Hi I was wondering what was the final results of planting early and if it was an adventure worth pursuing next year?
Reading most of the posts its seems that some people got off to a flying start, but then this thread seems to of become abandoned for some reason? :unsure:
The experiment was whether sowing tomatoes early in the season produces an early crop.....
Those that had early ripening fruits have replied on the thread - their results were good.
One has to suppose that the people who didn't post results were less successful :dry:
Each of us will have made up our own minds whaether to do the same, or not, next year ;)
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I am came to the conclusion that sowing early did not make one scrap of difference to my tomatoes because the later ones that I sowed caught up and then I lost most of them to blight anyway but should have a green house next year which might make a difference :D
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I see thank you for the replies.
mumofstig I was wondering if there was also a benefit in the volume of tomatoes cropped with the early starters over those started at recommended times.
Its something I will try next year myself. I have a nice Red Pear Heirloom which I collected seed and brought back from France. So far I have not had much success, the plants take off with a flying start but it seems the fruits need longer to ripen. So it seems obvious to me that this variety would benefit from an early start.
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mumofstig I was wondering if there was also a benefit in the volume of tomatoes cropped with the early starters over those started at recommended times.
I don't know, we were only aiming for early ripening............
Good luck with your red pears next year :)
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Thanks mumofstig, I will keep a log of what I do and post up my results compared to the last two years. Will be interesting to see what happens.