Waiting for Tomato "Babies"

[kilroyscarnival]

Not sure there's anything quite like waiting for the first seedlings to push up through the growing medium. I saw my first thin pale "baby" pushing up in the seed starting tray this morning. Planted delicately and shallowly Sunday. This is one of Bunny Hop Seeds' "Whippersnapper" variety, a basket determinate. It seems decidedly early, though I admit last night I had already convinced myself I'd done something horribly wrong already and nothing was going to come up (perhaps a symptom of a few weeks' trial and defeat with some six-year-old seeds I'd held onto way too long).

I've got the new Sunblaster T5 lamp beaming down on the little guy and his still-soil-sleeping kinder-kindred. I've forgotten this rush of excitement as it's been a while since I grew anything besides catnip and mixed greens from seed, and those are just kind of a broadcast planting. This little tomato is a genuine baby, and I'm going to read him his family story as written by Ellie on the site:

"'Whippersnapper' produces beautiful tumbling trusses of large cherry tomatoes that seem to ripen in a rainbow from light pearly pink to nearly red. It is quite prolific, and needs a strong support to the hanging basket. The taste is sweet and the skin is not thick, which may allow for some cracking, but makes for a more pleasant eating experience." (I love her prose.)

Somehow in this wash of maternal feeling for the little buddy, it has not yet connected that I'm merely growing him to pick and eat his fruit... maybe a story for another bedtime, Junior.

*footnote: I did plant rather shallowly, with the intention of very delicately adding sifted medium around it as it comes up, to avoid legginess. I'd better get siftin' too.

-- Ann

[NarnianGarden]

Over here, I am waiting for my babies to ripen... Week after week since they reached full size, and still, no full color, only faint inklings of what *might* be the first blush..

[Barb_FL]

Welcome Ann,

I'm just east of you on the coast. I was going to wait until Sept 1, but now I want them germinated by Sept 1 especially the older seeds.

Will check out that tomato you are growing. I only like thin skin and when I can't notice the skin so what you say sounds good to me.

[kilroyscarnival]

Thanks, Barb! The little guy now, just 36 hours later, has many new siblings. Just about 1 of every variety has popped up. They are:

Micros: Jochalos (yellow-orange) and Lille Lise (red)
The rest: Whippersnapper, Bundaberg Rumball, Dwarf Pink Passion, Peachy Keen, Ramblin’ Stripe (unexpected gift seeds), Neptune (supposed to be heat and humidity tolerant) and a couple Dwarf Purple Reign. I bought more seeds than that but am hoping to start them later to replace the early determinates and go in containers to dodge any frost. First time with grow lights which I hope are gonna work out. I probably started more than I can manage but hope I can pass young plants on to friends.