Something Different!

I'm trying something different this year. In years past, I've noticed volunteer plants each spring seem to perform as well and in some cases better than the carefully germinated and nurtured plants I usually grow. My only thought has been, the volunteers need less water and less nutrients in unprepared soil because their tap roots are intact and undisturbed. This year, I didn't pre germinate any plants. I planted my entire garden with seed. So far, all the varieties have germinated and seem to be growing well. It should be interesting to watch and compare with previous years results.

Ted

[4season]

I have noticed that seeded plants seem to be a bit more productive than transplants in my garden. The biggest tomato in 20 + years of gardening was a volunteer. Easily twice the size of any of the rest.

I had a volunteer "Black Cherry" plant last year that tried to take over my garden. It was larger, more productive; and more disease resistant than any other BC I've ever grown. I didn't save any seed from that plant, but I do have volunteers growing from that plant this year. If it again does well, I will save seed. Seeds in my garden seem to germinate about three weeks later than my transplants are planted out. The seed grown plants seem to catch up with the transplants pretty quickly.

Ted

[Deborah]

I really like the idea of scattering/planting seed and that's it. I once gave up on tomato seeds that wouldn't come up, threw them outside, never watered, it didn't rain, and I forgot about them. And of course what comes up like gangbusters?

[Rockporter]

I decided this year that I am not going to seed tomatoes in advance, I am going to seed everything and see how it all does. I figure mother nature must know something so why do we mess with all the hoopla? I bought tomato starts this year because I didn't have time to start anything, but I will be seeding direct this next time around to see how it all does.

[Deborah]

A fun experiment!

Originally Posted by Deborah

A fun experiment!

I really considered not growing a garden this year. Doing the same thing year after year was getting a little boring. The only reason I am growing a garden was finding a way to do something different and see how well it works. If I had been really smart, I would have planted the seeds in the middle of winter so they could have germinated the moment the soil temp would allow germination.

Ted

[Deborah]

But live and learn, right? I hope you post pictures of everything that comes up.

[MrBig46]

Ted, it I like. This year I wanted to try also something to similar with varieties Sarayev, but I did not have enough seeds. Perhaps next year?
Vladimír