Do you fertilize your seedlings?

[tgplp]

If so, what do you use and how. What are the options for seedling fertilizers? Do you have to fertilize them? I usually don't, but maybe I should.

Thanks!
Taryn

[RinTinTin]

Good seeds are born with a built in food supply. If you do fertilize them, use something mild like fish emulsion mixed at half strength or less.

Young sprouts can easily be damaged/killed by strong fertilizers.

[TZ-OH6]

I fertilize twice. Once a week or two after potting up with 1/4-1/2 strength MiracleGrow type tomato fertilizer (balanced NPK formula) and once just before planting with full strength high phosphorus bloom booster fertilizer. The fertilizer wet rootball then goes in the ground and I don't have to put anything in the planting hole. I generally have very heavy initial fruit set, but I'm not sure if this is the reason.

[remy]

I don't. I've never found they needed it. They grow fine without any.
Remy

[les matzek]

i use liquid kelp one teaspoon per gallon of water, i spray a paper towell
with it put the seeds in and put the towell in a zip lock bag and put it
on top of the frezzer,i use the kelp mix for the first 5 weeks and then i
change to folage pro this works very well for me best of luck and regards.

les

[travis]

Depends on your starting medium and what particular varieties you're growing. Some need more than others. The leaves will tell the tale.

Same with garden soil. Depends on available nutrition and the variety's ability to mobilize it. Tomato vines are hungry plants, and will not grow and produce satisfactorily without adequate soil nutrients. So, again it depends on what's available in the soil or growing medium, and how much the particular plant needs and when it needs it. The leaves usually will give you some early warning.

[doublehelix]

Anyone that has ever grown commercially will tell you NO WAY. You could get massive amounts of damping off and end up with nothing to plant out. After you transplant and have a second set of TRUE leaves you can use a dilute water soluble.

I'll say it again...don't do it.

Don't just take my word for it. Google it, you will see that NO FERTILIZER is the way to go.

[fortyonenorth]

My seed starting mix contains some compost and guano and the like, so I don't fertilize until I pot up to 4" pots. Then I use a dilute seaweed emulsion. I provide very good air circulation (I keep a fan running 24/7) and water in moderation and I've never had an issue with damping off.

[Tom C zone 4/5]

My amended soil(less mix) for germinating pans and cells has some added finished compost in it.

I add no soluble fertilizer to cells. Plenty of compost on the bed when its plant out time.

[sfmathews]

I spray with weak fish/seaweed, as well as using worm casting when I pot up. I generally don't have a prob with damping off. If you are worried about damp off, some folks swear by a dusting of cinammon on top of the soil.

[tgplp]

Thanks for helping me out everyone!

Travis- what do the leaves look like when they need/ don't need fertilizer? Do they get lighter?

Sfmatthews- that sounds about right with the cinnamon. I use it on my venus fly traps and random houseplants/veggies to keep mold away.

Don't worry, I guess I probably won't fertilize them unless they need it.

Thank you all again,
Taryn

[ContainerTed]

Most years all of us plant a lot of traded seeds and purchased seeds. My consideration each year is the quality of the seed I have received. Most times we have only a few seeds to try to see if we're gonna like that "new-to-us" variety.

With a couple of exceptions, I always seem to have a lower germination percentage with those seeds that come in from these "outside" sources. Wanting to try and boost the germination numbers, I began to look for things I could do that would also not reduce my numbers for seeds that I have harvested. Looking for an attack plan, I decided that the primary difference between those seeds arriving and the ones I have saved, was the environment they were grown in.

The growing environment (soil, dirt, mix, temps, nutrients, water, etc. etc.) is the real difference.

What was the Ph of the growing medium?
How many hours of direct sunlight?
Did the harvest tomato come from a shaded or sunlit plant?
Did the other grower fertilize enough?
Was the plant water starved or waterlogged?
Were the correct amount of trace minerals present?
Etc.
Etc.

Basically, did the plant have access to and the ability to draw up from the growing medium all the nutrients and water it wanted????

After some experimentation that included some "not so good" results, I settled on the following.

1. Use sterile professional potting mix. This evens out the playing field.

2. Add very small amounts of BioTone, Dolomite Lime, and Compost to the mix to get the little plants started in an environment very close to what they will grow in.

3. I use water that has outgassed its chlorination and to this water I add one drop of liquid fertilizer for orchids per 2 liters of water. Not much, but you can see the difference in vigor.

4. Plant seeds shallow and mist water from a spray bottle a few times a day til germination.

5. Always water the seedlings from the bottom to encourage downward root development.

6. At potting-ups and at planting, plant as deeply as possible - again to encourage more root development.

Well, this is the way I do it and it really works great for me. However, your results may vary.

BTW, I also talk to my little botanical buddies. Some gardeners call me sick, stupid, insane, or even naive. But, the folks down at the Senior Assisted Living Center call me "The Tomatoman", especially when I deliver a bushel or two of home-grown tomatoes and sweet peppers every week or so. The relatives of the residents weren't growing enough to share with everybody. My real reward is the smiles on the faces of those folks when they experience some tastes they haven't enjoyed in a long time.

Not all of our achievements and rewards in life are monetary.

Ted

[franzb69]

i start fertilizing when my plants has 3-4 leaves. even then i use quarter strength. any more than that my seedlings get burnt.

[feldon30]

I fertilize at half strength with liquid fish or seaweed emulsion after about 4 weeks or so. Otherwise the leaves yellow.