It's seed starting time! What are you growing for 2018?

[Mischka]

It's that time of year again!

When do you start your seeds and what varieties are you growing?

I usually start sowing cell trays on April 1st, but this season I'm tempted to start them a couple of weeks sooner.

Time will tell.

I bought a new hydraulic tiller attachment for my skid steer, too. I'm growing mostly cherry/grape/currant types this year.

[Koala Doug]

I usually start seeds on, or just before, April 1st. Last year (which was unseasonably warm quite early), I was able to start the seeds in mid-March. This year looks like it could also be an early start too... though I suspect only by a week or so.

I'm growing two smaller varieties: Fred Hempel's 'Sunrise Bumblebee' and the KARMA Project's 'KARMA Pink'.

I'm also growing one medium variety: 'Early Detroit' that I purchased from Victory Seeds.

The last three varieties are dwarf/tree-type tomato plants: 'New Big Dwarf', 'Dwarf Sweet Sue', and 'Dwarf Caitydid'.

[eyegrotom]

I started some seeds the first week of Jan, they are ready to go in the garden. Just waiting for the weather to stabilize, probably plant out next weekend. Mike

[pmcgrady]

Wow! Nice tiller!
Growing a lot of Japanese tomatoes and peppers this year, some have sprouted already.

Tomatoes:
Momotaro
Odiriko
Mandarin
Katana
Barlow Jap
Japanese Oxheart
Japanese Black Trifele ( I know it's Russian)
Rose Quartz multiflora
Japanese Pink Cherry

Peppers:
Shish!to
Manganji
Himo Togarashi
Fushimi
Yatsufusa
Takanotsume
Santaka

[sirtanon]

I normally have two potential seed-starting times:

1 - Around Sept 1, when summer heat is finally subsiding here in Phoenix. If all goes well, plants go in around Oct 1. In 2017, the heat stuck around late, so I ended up starting in October and planted out in early November. The trick is whether or not our winter gets cold enough to threaten the plants. This year, we had about 6 days under 32, so I had to cover the plants. Luckily, they made it through fine.

2 - If we get a cold snap that ends up killing my plants, then I have a second wave of seed starts in early/mid February. These normally consist of early/mid-season plants because they have to get big enough and produce before 100+ degree heat hits in mid/late May.

I started a number of older seed this time, and many of them were the final few seeds of some.. "curiosities" so I have quite a few unknowns and "what-ifs" in the ground. Part of my wishes I had gone with more current or 'active' lines, but what's done is done, and I'm curious to see what I get. I also have a volunteer that I chose to keep, since it was the biggest of all my plantsIn the ground are:

1 - Ildi multiflora grape
1 - Golden Jubilee
1 - Volunteer (I think black cherry)
1 - Zelinda's Pink Pear
2 - 'Sleazy-A' F2 Dwarf
1 - 'Sleazy-A' F2 non-Dwarf
1 - Dopey F2 Dwarf
1 - Dopey F2 non-Dwarf
1 - Super Marmande
1 - A 'mystery' heart

It's strange, but as lucky as I've been with plant health and surviving the cold, part of me really wishes they had been killed off by the cold.. I got so many awesome seed in trade from folks here on the forum in the past few months, that I really want to start a bunch of those and plant them out.. I just don't have any more room.

[AlittleSalt]

January 23 for us. Lots of cherry tomatoes and 4 different super hybrid varieties and Papaw's Dream in the 6-10 oz. range.

Cherry Tomatoes:

Galina's (3)
Japanese Pink Cherry (6)
Mammaw's Treat (3)
Peacevine (3 or more)
Porter (6)
Sungold (2)
Sweetie (2)
Yellow Riesentraube (2)
WOW (3)
That tiller attachment makes my tiller look like an infant

[volare71]

Here in the Verde Valley at 34.56 lat. and 3500 ft. elevation we have to wait for the Mesquites to leaf out before our danger of frost is over. That can be anytime between April 1 to April 15.
In my greenhouse I have started:
Porter Improved ('Seeds of Change)
Oaxacan Pink saved from last year.
Roma from saved seed
San Marzano (Ferry-Morse)
Sweet Rio Grande peppers from saved seed
Hot Rio Grande from saved seed
mild and early Jalapenos from saved seed
Cayenne peppers from saved seed

[fordido]

Now that's a tiller.. wow! I'm planning to start seeds over St. Patty's Day weekend & plant out on Mother's Day weekend. This will be my second time starting seeds.. went great the first year and I'm *really* hoping it wasn't just beginner's luck! I only have space for about 10-11 plants total. Here's what I'm currently thinking:

• SunGold
• SuperSweet 100
• Cherokee Purple
  
• Kellogg's Breakfast or KBX
• Pink Berkeley Tie Dye
• Brandy Boy
• Rosella Purple (Dwarf)
• Emerald Giant (Dwarf)
• Little Lucky
• Rebel Yell
• Wes

As a novice gardener, I'd love to hear any feedback or other suggestions you might have. I'm hoping for a mix of colors and tastes, mostly to give away to family & friends, although I'm planning to try canning for the first time as well! Would these varieties be suitable for canning diced tomatoes (as opposed to sauce) or should I swap in a paste or roma?

I'm excited to read everyone else's lists!

[sjamesNorway]

Sown March 1st (today!) for transplanting in heated greenhouse May 1st:

Bulgarian Triumph
Cherokee Green
George Detsikas Italian Red
2 x Girl Girl’s Weird Thing
Indian Stripe PL
KARMA Pink (2 in 1 container)
Maglia Rosa
Not Purple Strawberry
Not Vintage Wine
Orange Jazz
2 x Rosado de Ayerbe

To be sown April 7th for transplanting outside on June 7th:
Belyi Naliv
EM-Champion
Gregori’s Altai
Jaune Flamme
KARMA Pink (2 in one container)
Pearly Pink Orange
Pervaya Lyubov
(Ron’s) Carbon Copy
2 x Sakharnyi Pudovichok
Tarasenko Rozovyi
Yamal
Zolotoe Serdtse






Steve

[HudsonValley]

I'm still sorting my MMMM seeds, and won't sow much of anything until early April, but I started a few micro-dwarf seeds (Hardin's Miniature and Jochalos) four days ago. They came up today and they're adorable!

[pmcgrady]

Originally Posted by HudsonValley

I'm still sorting my MMMM seeds, and won't sow much of anything until early April, but I started a few micro-dwarf seeds (Hardin's Miniature and Jochalos) four days ago. They came up today and they're adorable!

My Hardin's are zero germination, the rest of the dwarfs are up and going , but it's been spotty. First year for dwarfs, so I have a lot to learn. Dwarf Purple Heart is interesting, and a few others

[menken]

This is my first year starting seeds. I started mine on Feb 21st and they were germinating within one day. After a minor freakout they are doing well (some are a bit leggy but overall looking good).

I ordered seeds from Victory, Baker Creek and Totally Tomatoes. The only ones I have tasted before are the sungolds. My goal is to get 24 total plants in the garden but I still need to find places to put them in our 3500 sq foot city lot.

Red Brandywine (reg leaf)
Cherokee Purple
Lillian's Yellow Heirloom
Homestead 24
Little Lucky
Bali
Black Vernissage (freebie)
Livingston's Golden Queen
Juliet
Sungold

Can you tell that Epic Tomatoes is what inspired me to do this??

[bower]

I'm feeling the early this year... tomatoes are up today and half of them shucked their seeds by this evening. They'll go out in the greenhouse April 15-ish and permanent spots by May 1.
So far I have:
some determinates:
O-33
Napoli a Fiaschetto
Rodney F4 - two sibs

indeterminates:
Moravsky Div
Karma Pink
Skipper Brown and Purple F4 sibs
Copper Compass F3
Whiskeyjack F3
Black Kitten Paws F4
Yellow Warbler F4
Finch F2
There will be lots of extras in small pots or multi for selection not for production.

[jmsieglaff]

Micro dwarves are potted up already.
Dwarf tomatoes get started about March 20.
Indeterminate tomatoes April 1.

Growing lots, excited to try some Brandywine strains and confirm my first cross took (emasculated early enough).

[Nan_PA_6b]

PCMG- do you want I should send you another pack of Hardin's Mini?

Nan

Originally Posted by pmcgrady

My Hardin's are zero germination, the rest of the dwarfs are up and going , but it's been spotty. First year for dwarfs, so I have a lot to learn. Dwarf Purple Heart is interesting, and a few others