Transplanting done - some observations...

[nctomatoman]

Whew...started last Friday, just finished - potted up around 2000 tomato seedlings, 300 eggplant, 200 sweet peppers and 300 hot peppers. I have the characteristic permanent staining of the hands and fingers by repeated immersion into MetroMix 360!

Just focusing on tomatoes - 2330 seeds planted (roughly), 2570 seedlings - so my overall germination success this year is 91% (that includes 9% on two cells of Cherokee Green, and 33% on two cells of Red Robin). The oldest seed I used this year for the 25 plus seed cells was from 2000 - I ended up with germination percentages of 90, 100, 100, 96, 56, and 86%.

For my own plantings, I germinated seed from 1996 (70, 90, 65%) and 1997 (100%). And Darrel, your Red Brandywine seed germinated at 100%, as did Black Cherry - Brandywine was in the 80% range.

A few other interesting observations - we talk here and there about leaf shape "flips", changes, etc. About 2000 seedlings of my 2330 were regular leaf varieties - ZERO potato leaf seedlings noted (including 200 Cherokee Purple and 100 Red Brandywine) - no potato leaf at all. This is consistent with what I've seen every year I've done this. So my contention is that if potato leaf is showing up in a regular leaf variety, it is instability from a cross somewhere down the line or stray seed or mix ups, not a genetic inclination for the variety to change leaf shapes.

One more observation - I had one variety that had none of the purplish pigment at all in the stem - it was a very pale green - a yellow pear shaped cherry called Malschor Isura, that I got from Reinhard Kraft. (I grew it last year as well). The only other tomato variety I've seen with this lack of purplish stem pigment is Idli, also a yellow grape type, but smaller, with many more blossoms in the cluster. I wonder if the lack of stem pigment is linked to yellow fruit color?? This is much more common in Eggplant - quite a few varieties have the clear green stems.

Now all we need is a few weeks of consistently warm, sunny weather!

[obispo45]

Jeeezz Louise my friend!! As the kids today say...that be a lot of seedlings!! I won't mention, actually I'll stop whining about the 200 or so sweet pepper seedlings and 326(actually counted those...LOL) chile seedlings I transplanted last few days. I'm well aware of the hand coloration you're talking about, even though I use a different transplanting medium. Darn it, just remembered about my 25 eggplant seedlings8).

This is the first year I've kept serious journal(s) and began recording important characteristics or data such as germ. percentage, seed age, etc. Going to wait till I start transplanting tomatoes and some chiles still remaining in flats to crunch the numbers. This is something I should have started doing as soon as I realized I was forever hooked...so maybe last year. Well, whatcha gonna do? No time like the present!! Thanks Craig.

[nctomatoman]

In a way, I find the transplanting process very therapeutic - especially following the ordeal with my dad's passing. Funny - my day job is a process improvement consultant (don't ask!!!) - and as I transplant, I am continually thinking about how to make the process more efficient - but to a point. The time limiting step is really writing out the labels. Sure, I could print out labels to stick onto the plastic labels - but there is something kind of personalized about writing out all of those silly plastic things (this year, remembering to use permanent ink Sharpies - last year, used a fine point Sharpie that faded after only a month or so!). I also enjoy it when my wife helps me out - this afternoon, we ran a production line on Sungold and got about 200 plants into 4 inch pots in about an hour!

Each phase of this is interesting to me, but then I have enough of the phase and look forward to the next phase. So, first deciding what to grow....my strategy, which projects to undertake. I have to admit that planting 25 seeds per cell in those 50 cell plug flats is NOT my favorite part! I really enjoy watching the seeds germinate and collecting data on germination dates, percentages, leaf shapes. Transplanting is OK, but I can only do a few hours a day. I do not like mixing the planting medium for the large pots and do not like bleaching the pots - but love planting the young plants, watering them, watching them grow - and this year, will be fascinated seeing what all of those dwarf plants do!

This year I am going to attempt to rev up again in a few months and get a second crop of driveway container dwarf varieties going. This will be unusual, since as the season wears on, it gets fatiguing! Then again, having beans, squash, melons, lettuce, corn, etc to pick, it will be a consistently fun season!

[Tomstrees]

WOW Craig !!! Thats a whole lotta seedlings !!!
Great report, and really good to hear your first phase is over ~

I'm going to start my transplanting next week ...
If you guys get good weather down there; try to send some north !!!

Hope all is well ...

~ Tom

[amideutch]

Craig, where do you park you seedlings now that they are transplanted? Or is it where do you park your cars. Definately can relate to the therapeutic part and thinking how I can do it better. Just got 100 4" pots in the post today from a guy on the German e-bay and will be repotting my seedlings in the next week or two after I get done with my "cold treatment" to fatten them up if you will. Now I need to come up with some perlite which will be ebay.de again. Ami

[nctomatoman]

Yep - they are here -

[Miss_Mudcat]

I appreciate your comments on PLs showing up. I transplanted about 400 today - I had PLs show up in Taxi (3 out of 30 seedlings) which I purchased from Pinetree Seeds and 1 PL Sioux (out of 60 seedlings) that I received in a trade.

Lisa