Those think-stemmed, dark green transplants for sale in nurseries

[habitat_gardener]

Originally Posted by Sodak

what is "growth inhibitor?"
It must be short term.

from the Annie's Annuals website:
"Here at "Annie's," we grow most of our plants the old fashioned way - from seed - in the wind, rain and sun (no greenhouses), so your plants are already "hardened off," healthy and strong when you take them home. All of our plants are grown in 4" pots without the use of growth regulating hormones, commonly sprayed on almost all annuals and most perennials by large scale growers. These growth regulators slow plant growth and extend "shelf life" but can lead to disappointing results in our gardens."

[heirloomtomaguy]

I like to keep the grow lights 1 inch above the plants for 17 hours a day at all times. I start them from seed in a screened mix of fox farm ocean forest, worm castings, and coco coir. I always have a constant breeze blowing on them to promote strong stems and to help keep them cool. If they get to warm they will be leggy. They may not be as dark green as home depot's plants but they will far out perform them any day of the week. No growth inhibitors necessary.

[feldon30]

As long as they are well-cared for, even leggy tomato plants will grow.

It's sad though. We've gotten to a point where people only want to buy vegetable transplants which are squat, dark green, and look "perfect". It's like folks who only buy flowering shrubs when they have flowers on them. Never mind that that's not the ideal transplant conditions. As long as people throw money at the big box stores instead of going to the few remaining local nurseries that are staffed by actual gardeners and not product stockers, this will continue until eventually there are no local nurseries left.

[drew51]

Originally Posted by Redbaron

Last year I bought a big box seedling Big Beef (Bonnie Nursery) and also grew my own. The nursery seedlings looked wonderful compared to my seedlings. But once in the ground mine out performed them radically.

I am trying the experiment again this year with SunGold F1. The Bonnie plant has a 1 foot head start right now and is flowering. We will see who wins though.

If the Bonnie plant is the Sungold, good luck, as those plants are amazing to say the least. I grew mine from seed and it is kicking every other plants butt. Except maybe SunSugar, another fantastic strong cultivar. Jasper is another cherry that also just grows so well. I even started one outside from seed, and it blew everything away even though a month behind. I will always grow these hybrids as you have to try and kill them for them to fail. If I have a bad year I can always count on those plants. This year all is going well, but I must say many heirlooms are weak growers. Some exceptions like Cherokee Purple and Amana Orange are nice strong plants. They seem to shake off my mistakes no problem. I will probably always grow them also.

[BucksCountyGirl]

This may be slightly off topic, but I was in Lowe's this weekend looking for peat moss and in the very back of the garden center they had a rack of tomato plants marked down to a dollar. My issue is that the plants looked to be suffering severely from Septoria to the point where the lower half of the plant was completed wilted with severe lesions. I know that they do not specifically hire gardeners to work in their stores, but I can't help but feel they are being irresponsible by selling obviously diseased plants to people who will no doubt bring them home and contaminate their gardens [End of Rant]

[cythaenopsis]

I went rather simplistic. Potting mix with some tomato plant fertilizer mixed into 4" pots. I left the pots outside during the day and brought them inside when temps were hovering in the low 50's/upper 40's. Once night temps got into the upper 50's, I started leaving them outside all day/night.

This is pretty much 1 month of growth after having shown cotyledon leaves, taken on the 25th:





Funny enough, in just a few days I've already seen noticeable growth and stem thickening compared to these photos. Those growth spurts are impressive! These plants would probably be a little greener and a little taller if I'd used a grow light and a more sophisticated fertilizing system. But I'm growing just a handful of plants and so the investment in all that wouldn't pay off.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by Redbaron

Last year I bought a big box seedling Big Beef (Bonnie Nursery) and also grew my own. The nursery seedlings looked wonderful compared to my seedlings. But once in the ground mine out performed them radically.

I am trying the experiment again this year with SunGold F1. The Bonnie plant has a 1 foot head start right now and is flowering. We will see who wins though.

I've done the same. I planted out some tiny,tiny CP seedlings. So small that you could barely see them from 10 feet away. I also planted a few CP from Home Depot, big, stocky beautiful plants.
Within two weeks you couldn't tell them apart. Later, mine had far more fruit than the Bonny plants did.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by cythaenopsis

I went rather simplistic. Potting mix with some tomato plant fertilizer mixed into 4" pots. I left the pots outside during the day and brought them inside when temps were hovering in the low 50's/upper 40's. Once night temps got into the upper 50's, I started leaving them outside all day/night.

This is pretty much 1 month of growth after having shown cotyledon leaves, taken on the 25th:





Funny enough, in just a few days I've already seen noticeable growth and stem thickening compared to these photos. Those growth spurts are impressive! These plants would probably be a little greener and a little taller if I'd used a grow light and a more sophisticated fertilizing system. But I'm growing just a handful of plants and so the investment in all that wouldn't pay off.

For a small number of seedlings, I use a standing lamp from Walmart. It has three adjustable lights and I put the spiral, fluorescent bulbs in the.
Also, for $5.00 plus the price of bulbs, I bought some 4 foot long lights to hang from an old restaurant supply shelf unit. I've seen others hang theirs above a shelf. Cheap and easy.
My husband welded poles on top to hang lights but putting hooks in the wall for a shelf I could have done myself.

[cythaenopsis]

^ Did you see a very noticeable difference in growth rates? Would be interesting to do this with a control, a plant that isn't getting that extra light, and see how far behind it ends up.

[kath]

Originally Posted by cythaenopsis

I went rather simplistic. Potting mix with some tomato plant fertilizer mixed into 4" pots. I left the pots outside during the day and brought them inside when temps were hovering in the low 50's/upper 40's. Once night temps got into the upper 50's, I started leaving them outside all day/night.

Funny enough, in just a few days I've already seen noticeable growth and stem thickening compared to these photos. Those growth spurts are impressive! These plants would probably be a little greener and a little taller if I'd used a grow light and a more sophisticated fertilizing system. But I'm growing just a handful of plants and so the investment in all that wouldn't pay off.

If you can grow tomato plants that look that good without the bother of growlights, I wouldn't change a thing! They look plenty strong.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by kath

If you can grow tomato plants that look that good without the bother of growlights, I wouldn't change a thing! They look plenty strong.

Agreed! Beautiful plants.

[cythaenopsis]

Thanks, kath and RedBaron!

Just 5 days later, and there's such a noticeable difference. I planted one Black Krim in a steel pot with make-shift sub irrigation (installed a clear plastic shelf about 1" off the bottom, ran a Bic pen tube through it and the soil). Water through the funnel. Soil ended up a bit more saturated than I had originally planned, but I was amazed at how much this plant leapfrogged ahead of the other 2 Black Krim plants I have. It's ready for transplant, I think.

[kath]

Originally Posted by cythaenopsis

It's ready for transplant, I think.

If the weather and soil are warm enough, I've transplanted tiny seedlings with stems much thinner than either of the ones you show above, and as long as they're hardened off and the stems are protected from cutworms, they do just fine and will really take off. This year I've done just that during the past 2 weeks and all the plants are growing rapidly. You're in a warmer zone than I am- go for it!

[Kazfam]

Originally Posted by BucksCountyGirl

This may be slightly off topic, but I was in Lowe's this weekend looking for peat moss and in the very back of the garden center they had a rack of tomato plants marked down to a dollar. My issue is that the plants looked to be suffering severely from Septoria to the point where the lower half of the plant was completed wilted with severe lesions. I know that they do not specifically hire gardeners to work in their stores, but I can't help but feel they are being irresponsible by selling obviously diseased plants to people who will no doubt bring them home and contaminate their gardens [End of Rant]

Lowes' mark-downs are pitiful. They throw them back there and never water or care for them again. Sometimes you can get a good deal if you catch the plants when they are first put back there - usually after bloomin. I have gotten columbine and such but never vegetable plants.

I prefer seeds for all my edibles.

AND, 100% agree, our seedlings are much healthier and heartier than we think. The good Lord knows how to grow a plant - sometimes we get in the way - or rather, those who wish to make a profit. I am amazed every year at all my plants started from seed. It is miraculous.

[cythaenopsis]

Originally Posted by kath

If the weather and soil are warm enough, I've transplanted tiny seedlings with stems much thinner than either of the ones you show above, and as long as they're hardened off and the stems are protected from cutworms, they do just fine and will really take off. This year I've done just that during the past 2 weeks and all the plants are growing rapidly. You're in a warmer zone than I am- go for it!

I do see what you mean. When I transplanted one just a couple of days ago, I'm already seeing an amazing growth spurt ahead of the others. It's like the plant detects an absence of barriers and starts sending out more roots that allow it to grow faster. We have had excellent weather in our location, and I could have taken earlier advantage of it. At least I'm not repeating mistakes I made last year.