New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.
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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 50
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First time growing from seed. These will be my fall tomatoes. One row was transplanted a week or so before the other. I have Roma VF, Sungold, Tumbler and Sweet tangerine.
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Southern WI
Posts: 2,742
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They look happy and healthy! Good luck with your fall garden.
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
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good looking seedlings there. My fall garden is usually snow before Halloween
![]() Enjoy KarenO |
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#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 50
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Thank you! I have had these guys under a T-5 light and they looked fine. Since this was my first time I thought I would double check. Thank you once again!
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MA/NH Border
Posts: 4,919
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The seedlings look great. If you're watering from the top, have you considered switching over to bottom watering? It will provide for more even and deeper moisture as the root systems develop, and could help avoid dampening off issues. Just pour water directly into the trays and let it soak up from below.
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#6 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 50
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#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
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Oh no, water them based on need in your peat pots. She means when you need to water them, you can water from the bottom. Your peat pots would disintegrate if kept in water and the roots would rot from being too wet. The goal is moist, not wet. Think of a nice fresh piece of chocolate cake. It is moist but if you squeezed it no moisture would drip out. That is how your seedling mix should be.
Karen |
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#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MA/NH Border
Posts: 4,919
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Thanks for clarifying Karen! Yes, just enough water to get things evenly moist, but not so much that the pots are in standing water. I just see so much dry soil in your pots right now which isn't good when you're trying to grow a large health root system.
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#9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 50
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Ok, so maybe add an inch of water, let it wick up and when the soil seems sufficient damp, poor the excess out the bottom?
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#10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MA/NH Border
Posts: 4,919
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That's pretty much it. If they soak up the inch of water an still look and feel dry, add more and wait to see how much they take up. I keep an empty tray on hand to transfer them into after they've sucked up all they need, then dump the water out. And by giving them a good drink from the bottom, you can wait until the top of your soil dries out a bit before you water again.
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#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: selmer, tn
Posts: 2,944
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There is a lot of pleasure in growing from seed. Enjoy.
jon ![]() ![]() |
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#12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 50
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Thanks everyone. This has been working great and has in general reduced the amount of time required to deal with these little guys. Thanks!!!
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