GoBigs 2010 tomato progress report thread

Gobig_or_Gohome_toms · April 15, 2010

Thought I should post this to start off the 2010 season. I went a little crazy and bout a bunch more grow lights and am also starting pepper and ground cherries for the first time. The ground cherries were saved last year when I was at my wife's aunts funeral and we visited her garden after the service and am growing for my mother in-law as a surprise as she always had ground cherries and was famous for her ground cherry pies.

I started the peppers and ground cherries and decided to try and start some tomto seeds early this year on March 6th. Plant out for me is gennerally may 15th but we have had a very warm spring here so I may get them out a week earlier. I started seed on the 6th, 13, and 20th.

The first pic is the peppers and some ground cherries, the second and third pic is the set up in the living room, the 4th and 5th pic are close ups of the 13th and 20th seeds, the last pic is of the 6th plants that were moved to the cold basement (58-60 degrees) to try and slow the growth.

Craig

rnewste · April 15, 2010

Craig,

Really healthy looking plants!!

Can you share with us a bit about your lamp system, bulb type, etc. The last photo in the blue trays is impressive.

Raybo

Gobig_or_Gohome_toms · April 16, 2010

I got a little crazy this year, last year I bought one hydrofarm 2foot grow light to add to my other 2 and it was a 2 foot t5 bulb as opposed to the previous two I had that were 2 t12 bulbs, it did not give the greatest coverage and with this years expantion I bought 6 more. I got the last 3 when gurneys was giving $100 off a $200 dollar puchase so I got 3 of them for $125 including shipping. previouls I had gotten 2 for about that same price. I think it was garden city that had them for the cheapest individually without the $100 off gurneys price. The bulbs are very bright and the optimal would be 2 for each standard 72 or what they are in now 32 cell Jiffy flats.

I am amazed at the health so far and the cold basement has really helped in keeping the March 6th seedlings plants short and compact (the ones with the light blue cells). The pictures above were taken a day or two ago.

I think I could have probably done things cheaper but as a tomato adict nothing is to good for my tomatoes

Craig

sprtsguy76 · April 16, 2010

Very nice and clean set up ya got there.

Damon

lycopene · April 16, 2010

Just echoing others sentiments, really nice setup. Those plants look just perfect.

KLorentz · April 16, 2010

Good job Craig.I bet you have a good harvest if all goes well with weather.

Kevin

recruiterg · April 16, 2010

Looks good Craig. I am in Cancun for a work trip for 4 days. The weather is raining, overcast, and windy. I needed to get my tomato fix, so I logged on. I left my seedlings under grow lights w/ timer at home. Hoping all is ok when I get home. What pepper varieties are you growing?

danwigz · April 16, 2010

Very nice looking. I'm jealous of all those grow lights, I use paint cans (to raise my plants up) and 4' florescent fixtures lol.

Dan

Gobig_or_Gohome_toms · April 16, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by recruiterg

Looks good Craig. I am in Cancun for a work trip for 4 days. The weather is raining, overcast, and windy. I needed to get my tomato fix, so I logged on. I left my seedlings under grow lights w/ timer at home. Hoping all is ok when I get home. What pepper varieties are you growing?

I just lost my long post about why I started into peppers but I am growing Serano for a co-worker Burpee Mexibells off a seed rack and two Anaheims that I added to my tomato seed order I thought I would try some roasted green chilis to add to some salsa (Big Chili Hybred (TGS) and a an Anaheim that Marianna's sells but I do not have the name handy. Oh and I am also growing Jalapeno M another Burpee seed rack purchase.

Craig

huntoften · April 16, 2010

Those are some stellar looking plants!

Gobig_or_Gohome_toms · May 18, 2010

Planted out last Friday some seedlings did not fair to well we had a very cold start to May so had to revise my list all seem to be doing ok will post picks in the next few days but here is what I ended up planting.

2 cowlicks
tomatoberry
BWS
Lucky cross
Mule Team
Brandy Boy
NAR
Creole
Earl of Edgecombe
Crincovic Yugoslavian

Craig

April 16, 2010	#10
huntoften Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Kansas CIty Posts: 560	Those are some stellar looking plants! __________________ Kansas City, Missouri Zone 5b/6a

April 15, 2010	#2
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	Craig, Really healthy looking plants!! Can you share with us a bit about your lamp system, bulb type, etc. The last photo in the blue trays is impressive. Raybo

April 16, 2010	#3
Gobig_or_Gohome_toms Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Zone 4 Lake Minnetonka, MN Posts: 967	I got a little crazy this year, last year I bought one hydrofarm 2foot grow light to add to my other 2 and it was a 2 foot t5 bulb as opposed to the previous two I had that were 2 t12 bulbs, it did not give the greatest coverage and with this years expantion I bought 6 more. I got the last 3 when gurneys was giving $100 off a $200 dollar puchase so I got 3 of them for $125 including shipping. previouls I had gotten 2 for about that same price. I think it was garden city that had them for the cheapest individually without the $100 off gurneys price. The bulbs are very bright and the optimal would be 2 for each standard 72 or what they are in now 32 cell Jiffy flats. I am amazed at the health so far and the cold basement has really helped in keeping the March 6th seedlings plants short and compact (the ones with the light blue cells). The pictures above were taken a day or two ago. I think I could have probably done things cheaper but as a tomato adict nothing is to good for my tomatoes Craig

April 16, 2010	#4
sprtsguy76 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Santa Clara CA Posts: 1,125	Very nice and clean set up ya got there. Damon

April 16, 2010	#5
lycopene Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Pasadena, CA Posts: 31	Just echoing others sentiments, really nice setup. Those plants look just perfect.

April 16, 2010	#6
KLorentz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Stryker, Ohio Posts: 995	Good job Craig.I bet you have a good harvest if all goes well with weather. Kevin

April 16, 2010	#7
recruiterg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Edina, MN (Zone 4) Posts: 945	Looks good Craig. I am in Cancun for a work trip for 4 days. The weather is raining, overcast, and windy. I needed to get my tomato fix, so I logged on. I left my seedlings under grow lights w/ timer at home. Hoping all is ok when I get home. What pepper varieties are you growing?

April 16, 2010	#8
danwigz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 150	Very nice looking. I'm jealous of all those grow lights, I use paint cans (to raise my plants up) and 4' florescent fixtures lol. Dan

May 18, 2010	#11
Gobig_or_Gohome_toms Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Zone 4 Lake Minnetonka, MN Posts: 967	Planted out last Friday some seedlings did not fair to well we had a very cold start to May so had to revise my list all seem to be doing ok will post picks in the next few days but here is what I ended up planting. 2 cowlicks tomatoberry BWS Lucky cross Mule Team Brandy Boy NAR Creole Earl of Edgecombe Crincovic Yugoslavian Craig