Seeds planted!!!

Last year by the end of may was eating fresh home grown tomaters,in a bLt sandwich,hoping for the same this year.
Planted Brandywine,bloody butcher,jubile,and sweet 100's.
Also peppers planted too!
Jalpeanos,Anahiem chili,long red cayenne,large cherries,my favorite,and hungarian Wax,which is new to me this year.
Was picking peppers by 4th of july last year,hoping to beat these dates this year.
Yep, its a lot of work planting them early covering them up and uncovering them before I leave for work,but the rewards out weigh the work and time involved.

tropicman, you've inspired me to follow in your footsteps. i will be starting seeds later this week.

I have tomato plants up too. They are small but they are on there way.

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This message was edited Jan 21, 2004 10:28 AM

Well lets all pray for an early spring,so we can get these
in the ground early,for theres nothing better tasting than a fresh home grown mater!!!

I plant seeds in March, then have trouble keeping plants "small", until they can go in the garden. Put them in GH. They are big by the time ground warms up. Never seem to have tomatoes any earlier?

Hi Hibiscus
Try feeding them some 10-60-10 fertilizer,so they will produce flowers earlier,if you can get them to set flowers early you can get early tomatoes,not a lot but a few.
I've read where some people have heating cables in the ground around there tomato plants to keep the ground warm.

Hi Don,

I think that would do it, keeping them warm, until weather warms. I never feed my tomatoes, get all plant, no fruit. Might give it a try this year on a couple. I have fertilizers with high middle number.

Thanks

Seeds have germinated in just four days!!
Thats the fastest ever for me!
Already an inch tall.

Wow! Tomatoes here we come!

We have 2"+ of snow on ground 17 degrees at this time, may be awhile for these tomatoes go outside.

Hi have you seen any ground hog tracks in the snow lately?

Hey! I don't go out in this kind of weather to check. Won't be long until Feb. 2. Shadow or not, 6 more weeks until SPRING!! Sounds good to me.

4 weeks even sounds better!!!

Hi, do you have lights for your inside tomato plants? I have good luck on the beginning and then they get to spinley!
Teresa

bluegrass, I have three shop lights 'sunning' down on my tomatoes 12-14 hours/day on timers - after the 2nd set of true leaves I set the fan on them to keep them sturdy - has worked well for me. Oh, and they're in a very cool basement. Whenever the weather permits I drag them all outside for a bit. One March I forgot them and half ... :(

Hey bgrass,
I start mine in a sunroom,they get plenty of sun when its shining,am thinking about installing lights to the shelves for extra light.

I don't do anything special for mine, they just grow. No lights, as I think this might make them "weak". Just daylight and sun, if it ever shines!

tropicman, hibiscus, sveiks, bluegrass - if you start your seeds now, when do you put them into the ground and how big are they when you do?

H43,well that depends on a lot of different factors,first depends if I fertilize with very much nitrogen to give the plants a fast push,about mid march.then I put plastic over the ground to warm the site,last year was the first week in April,had to cover them every night with a tomato cage with white plastic,that I use on the greenhouse plastic,its wrapped and tide to the cage juat like a small greenhouse,so I take it off before I go to work,unless its gonna be chilly all day,then I just open the top of it.
Last yr my plants were about 2 1/2 feet tall when first planted in ground,then I pumped the 10-60-10 to get the flowers.I got lots of them,but 90% fell off before any fruit would set,but I wasn't after production at this time just a ripe tomato..I wouldn't recommend this to all your plants just one or two,if your wanting a early tomato,for it tends to stress the plant somewhat,and it takes a while before I can get it to bloom again.

Hi Herbie43 - I'm not starting my seeds yet (don't have a greenhouse-just a cold basement) trying patiently to wait until March. I bring them outside whenever the weather permits to toughen them up. Some may start to flop and need a bit of holding up til planting which is around Memorial Day or during the next two weeks following. Many here plant earlier by giving plants protection. Plants are 18" to 24" high. I tend to plant them deep and in the fall the roots are so large that I have to dig them rather then pull them up.

thank you all for your replies. i noticed the states you are from and i thought it would be too cold for you to start seeds now and then plant them outside in the garden.

WOW Tropicman! You've been keepin' yourself mighty busy this winter!! Your tom seedlings are lookin' good. Are you planning on these four varieties or will you be adding a few more in a couple of weeks to help stagger when they set fruit.

I also have started my pepper (both hot & sweet ones) plants. They haven't yet germinated, but they do take a long time to grow, so I figured better get to it now.

Also planted asparagus & eggplant seeds. Another couple of veggies that takes a looong time before you can eat them. I'll get the names of the veggies, if inquiring minds want to know!

On a very positive note, my Broccoli and Cauliflower seeds germinated in record time this year! It was only a couple of days before the seedlings started to poke their heads up. I have already transplanted them into small containers and will continue to "pot up" as they take off. Gotta get the Broccoli & Cauliflower in the garden by March 17th. That's my annual target date for planting my cold weather crops outside.

Now don't forget and get all worried, I live in zone 7a. Y'all live in colder climates. It will be very warm here (usually) by May 1st. If anyone wants some of these seeds, please e-mail me. Both the Broccoli & Cauliflower are purple varieties, until you cook them in boiling hot water!

Hi shirley,
I will be adding avalanche,I really enjoy this tomato to eat as a sliced tomato.
My peppers are just now popping their heads up,have about a dozen that germinated today.
I'm scaling down this year as far as planting vegetables,just don't have the room as I get more tropical plants each year.

I know whatcha mean about scaling down the size of the veggie garden to make room for all our "gotta haves". But just like you, I "gotta have" my red ripe delicious tomatoes to eat right out of the garden! Plus, how can it be summertime without fresh peppers to pop into one's mouth (or not if too hot!). Need the eggplants for putting on the grill....NOW MY MOUTH IS BEGINNING TO SALIVATE AND IT'S ONLY JANUARY!!!

In fact, my DH laid out and covered with newspaper & dirt an island bed for me (it's in the works). Hopefully, it will have its edges defined and tropical plants will go in sometime in May. Depends on the weather. Can't wait to get a lot of them out of the house and into the garden permanently!

I hear you,my mouths watering for big juicy mater,had stir fry tonite,was good wasn't home grown tasting if you get my drift,I put plastic over my beds in early march to warm that soil up a few degrees!!

I'm dieing for a fresh juicy tomato right now. Just had fried chicken with frozen asparagus from the garden. It was still good, I do it like stir fry in butter, after I have steamed it.

We are still having sleet/freezing rain and about 4 more inches of snow on top of what we had, spring better be coming soon!!!

Hi,spring fever is definately in the air,just not over the center part of the country!!But less than 60 days away,I hope!Our flower garden show starts March 4th,I'm counting the days,hours,minutes,seconds,which kicks off the spring movement here at all the nurseries.

Awwww ... I have to wait 9 more days than you Tropicman. Our Spring Flower Show starts March 13. Can hardly wait! Glorious, glorious, glorious!!! :)

Here's looking at 20 days now.
I think I will start fertilizing this week and see what another 20 days will bring.

WOW! Lookin' good.

I don't start mine until mid March, then outside to coldframe, wood/glass/sun, they get 2-1/2' to 3' tall, before I can plant them in ground, around first part of May, then have to watch for frost, might have to cover them couple nights.

Thanks Hi,
I hope by may to be eating maters....

Ok, please send me some. Just one 'mater would be great.

Only kidding, like them fresh from "my" garden, dirt'n all.

This message was edited Feb 9, 2004 9:46 AM

Tropicman, I don't live in the tropics and am starting my tomatoes next weekend on Valentines day. :) (indoors, of course).

Karrie20X
Sounds like you'll have red heart tomatoes!LOL!

LOL! They are good tasting that way! :)

OK! Abes & Rutgers are in the dirt! Also planted sweet basil, lemon basil, feverfew & something else I can't pronounce, plus the canna rhizomes that Larkie sent me. I'm beat and hubby is bugging me to get showered & dressed so we can go out and play on Valentines Day.

karrie hope you are not early six more weeks for me. Ernie

Yes 5 more weeks here too,but the snow is melting,and next week temps will reach mid 50's here.

No, Ernie - it will be just about right - I'm transplanting outside 4 to 5 weeks earlier using those wall-o-waters. (I started from seed in January one year and that WAS a mistake).

Tomatoes (15 varieties) and peppers (3 kinds), one eggplant and one tomatillo variety - all warm and snug on a heat mat. Once they're up and growing, they'll get tucked under a grow light stand for a few weeks before moving on to the GH.

If the weather is similar to the past several years, I should be able to set them out the first week of April (and I have remay row covers in case it's still a bit cool ;o)

My lemon & sweet basils came up yesterday! yeah!