New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.
|
![]() |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
![]() |
#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Florida
Posts: 10
|
![]()
Has any one had experience with these seedlings surviving well?
I put them under lights in 68 degrees. Outside its very over cast and in the high 50s today. With my little know-how on tomatoes.. figured this may help. Their 1/5 cotyledon looks alright I suppose!! **** BIRDS. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Ontario
Posts: 3,893
|
![]()
Should be ok. Could you cover the seedling with something to protect it from those hungry birds? I have used an upside-down plastic flower pot with the bottom cut out to protect from the cold and that might help with the birds too. I secure the pots with sticks poked into the ground.
Linda |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
|
![]()
Could be slugs or snails.
Worth |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Florida
Posts: 10
|
![]()
The leaves were left behind and its been very bird-y here since spring/summer popped up.
Im 90% sure (and really hope) it aint snails/slugs. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2007
Location: North County, San Diego
Posts: 419
|
![]()
It doesn't look like birds to me. There are too many tiny bites. When birds get mine they leave only the stem.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Florida
Posts: 10
|
![]()
Zeuspaul, two were left with only the stem, and these two were left like this.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Florida
Posts: 10
|
![]()
The leaves were left behind. Clean cut this way.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Vermont
Posts: 1,001
|
![]()
If the leaves were left behind, I'd suspect cutworms. Some chew the stem off at ground level, but others climb up a bit and chew the leaves off. A cardboard collar (toilet paper roll) around the plant often foils them. They hide under the dirt in daylight, and feed at night. It's a possibility to consider, anyway.
Around here I can often root around in the soil around an attacked plant and find the little bugger, a fat, smooth-skinned caterpillar-like critter that squishes quite satisfyingly.
__________________
"Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers Last edited by FarmerShawn; March 27, 2015 at 02:30 PM. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Florida
Posts: 10
|
![]()
Awesome, thank you very much FarmerShawn. Sounds more like my problem.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: California Central Valley
Posts: 2,543
|
![]()
Or it could be birds...
A few years ago someone was eating broccoli seedlings down to nubs. I assumed it was slugs or snails, so I used sluggo. Didn't work. THen one day while I was in the garden, I saw little brown birds nipping delicately at the remaining seedlings. Tiny nips! Lots of nips! After that, I protected seedlings with floating row cover or cloches (gallon water containers with the bottoms cut off). |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Florida
Posts: 10
|
![]()
Thank you habitat gardener, I could of sworn I saw several birds that day. Keeping an eye on them and I actually checked through the soil and transplanted them into even larger pots of even nicer soil.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
|