Containerted's 2016 startup

[heirloomtomaguy]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

No, HTG, this will be my first time with it. I'll put it beside Angora Orange and let the two of them try to outdo each other with the "fuzzy foliage".

Its going to be hard to out fuzz Roughwood Golden Tiger

[sjamesNorway]

Hi Ted, and good luck with the new season! I'll be sowing varieties for the greenhouse today, including Faworyt from you. I have to wait until April to sow outdoor varieties, including Sakharnyi Pudovichok, which you also sent me. (Casey recommends it as an outdoor variety for zone 3.) Thanks again!

Hope you're doing OK health-wise.

Steve

[Starlight]

Not fair Ted, your getting ahead of me on the sowing. I'm doing like you this year of sowing in batches, waiting a few days between each one. I'm thinking it will be easier come transplant time.

I like the new tray. Lots of the dwarfs I see. Soon you'll be singing, "High-Ho, High-Ho it's off to tomato land I go." : )

I see you have Summer Sunrise in the group. That is one I have on my list I seen from Heritage Seed. It was listed as Dwarf Summer Sunrise. Is that the same one you growing this year? Looks like a good one to try. : )

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by Starlight

I see you have Summer Sunrise in the group. That is one I have on my list I seen from Heritage Seed. It was listed as Dwarf Summer Sunrise. Is that the same one you growing this year? Looks like a good one to try. : )

Yes, they are one and the same. There's only so much room on my sticks and in the little rectangles on my "map", so I forego a lot of words if I am sure of what it is.

Example: I don't know of another Summer Sunrise (other than the dwarf). I also have it in the "dwarf project" section. No chance of mis-identifying it. It also helps that I was picked to do the original release seeds for the vendors.

If you look for them, you'll also see "Sweet Sue" and a couple others. It all depends on my mood at the time of the "writing."

Yes, it won't be long until we are all singing "HI HO ................"

[Starlight]

Thanks for the clarification. : ) I know what you mean. I do some abbreviations and use a super fine marker til I make big tags when they hit their final homes.

[ContainerTed]

What better day to see little green things. I'm happy that they're not shamrocks even though there is Irish in my ancestry. Happy St. Patrick's Day to all.

I saw a few little struggling hooks late yesterday, but this morning, "Aarrrgg, there be tomato babies growing here, Captain". Looks like it's gonna be a busy season. Total germination is well ahead of the past few years. I did something a bit differently with the trays this year. When I'm sure it made a difference, I post it here.

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

What better day to see little green things. I'm happy that they're not shamrocks even though there is Irish in my ancestry. Happy St. Patrick's Day to all.

I saw a few little struggling hooks late yesterday, but this morning, "Aarrrgg, there be tomato babies growing here, Captain". Looks like it's gonna be a busy season. Total germination is well ahead of the past few years. I did something a bit differently with the trays this year. When I'm sure it made a difference, I post it here.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you too. Shamrocks are blooming here.

What a way to start the day. Your a papa. I don't think tomato season really starts until you see that first green sprout.

When you figure the germination thing out, please do share. Maybe it will help get some of these slower and more stubburn seeds to come up.

[ContainerTed]

Here's the first tray after 5 days. Only 7 varieties left to see germination on. Lots of varieties here where the seeds are more than 5 years old. I'm very happy so far with the minor modification I made to my germination process.

I've already started my removal of those horrible "helmet heads". Now to get this tray into the cooler atmosphere of the growing room in the garage. I need to have them in cooler temps to prevent (as much as possible) that affliction called "Leggy".

Enjoy

[Worth1]

Looks like a remote helicopter view.

Worth

[bower]

I see your season is off to a great start!
Ted, you have one step less than the system I've used before, which is mass planting on the heat mat then transfer each one to a cell, before the final cup a couple of weeks later. Now I'm wondering if i could use the cells as you do instead. May I ask, at what stage do you transfer to cups? Any trouble separating several plants from one cell? Or are you discarding the extras?

[ContainerTed]

I have no problem getting 10-15 seedlings out of each cell if I choose. I generally wait until I at least have first real leaves. I may leave one or two in this germination cell after I take the most advanced seedlings out.

Separating the seedlings is easy. I use a spoon to remove the plug with them all in it. Then I simply gently remove the growing medium which exposes the roots as I essentially pull them apart. You'll lose one or two every now and then if the seeds were too close together when they germinated and the roots are "intertwined". Most times, I get them safely apart anyhow.

I don't use heating pads anymore. I warm up the whole room they are in to about 75F. I always look for maximum show of heads coming up at the 72 hour point. This year, the first tray had 57/72 with at least the little "shepherd's crooks" showing at that 72 hour point. This morning, there are 65/72. Each cell will have from one to 6 seeds. A few moments ago, there are 67/72. I really like those kind of numbers.

Tray #2 will take longer for a bunch of the ones in there. Some of the dwarf seeds are pushing 10 years old. Patience and TLC will be key to getting these up.

Craig Lehoullier (mctomatoman) did a video on "High Density Sowing" of tomato seeds. I don't have the link to it handy, but if someone could link it, you'll find some really good info on how to do it. I am simply copying his techniques with a little bit of my own spin.


I don't discard any plant that wants to grow. They are kept until the garden is filled, the neighbors have all they want, my family has all they want, and the "stragglers" I call friends have all stopped by and taken a few.

[SharonRossy]

Ted, I love it! Such great organization. I can't wait till you release your varieties. Hope there are some that will like a more northern climate. Do you cover your trays at all or just leave them as is? Love the idea of Venetian blinds.
If you go to the starting from seed forum, you will see a sticky from Craig with links to YouTube on his method. http://www.youtube.com/user/nctomato.../0/CoYgX3y5ptQ
That is just one link, but like I said, go the sticky on the starting from seed forum.
Sharon

[habitat_gardener]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

...I don't discard any plant that wants to grow. They are kept until the garden is filled, the neighbors have all they want, my family has all they want, and the "stragglers" I call friends have all stopped by and taken a few.

Me too! Though last year I gave a bunch away early, and then I waited so long to plant my own plants that the remaining ones weren't in good enough condition to give away.

I've found that the tiny seedlings are amazingly resilient. I've even broken a stem, planted deep, and had the plant survive and thrive.

A good plant to practice on is onions. Looking for something to do in the garden in Dec-Jan, I've bought 6-packs of onions in the nursery, then separated the seedlings (typically 60-90 per six-pack). It's easy to separate really tangled, older seedlings if you swirl the clump in water, and pull apart the roots under water. It makes a big difference! Out of the water, you can hear the tearing of roots. Under water, it feels like it goes more smoothly, though you still have to tease them apart patiently. Same thing if you grow onions from seed: grow a whole bunch in one pot, and tease them apart.

[ContainerTed]

Sharon's link above will take you to Craig's entire collection of videos and you can play them at your leisure. Page down to the last page ("load more") to find the Dense Planting video.

The link below will take you directly to his "Dense Planting" video. If you watch that, wait a moment for the next video to start. The one that will follow is about separating the little seedlings and potting up. Just hang in there to see the second video. It comes up automatically. No need to click or press any buttons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoYgX3y5ptQ

After you've done the separating a few times, you'll wonder why you haven't done this before.

[ContainerTed]

Okay, here's my last 3/4 of a tray. As my DW said, "That'll be enough".