Data for my book - how you can help! and - about my book!

[recruiterg]

I am in a suburb of Minneapolis zone 4b. I usually shoot for plant out of about May 15th. You need to be careful here because the weather is unpredictable. Plant out can vary plus or minus a week or two from that date. I typically start seeds the second week of March, but alas I can't wait and I am starting this weekend. I grow under lights, then move them to a cold frame.

[b54red]

We are in zone 8b and so we sometimes can start as early as late February but the usual start is the first two weeks of March. Fall tomatoes can be planted from June to late August depending on the variety and how early winter hits. We do have two main seasons for tomatoes but I go for staggered planting throughout the season to have fresh tomatoes from May til Christmas.

[Douglas14]

I'm in central MN, USDA Plant Hardiness zone 4a. I start my tomato seeds somewhere around March 20th. Keeping an eye on the weather, I hope to get my plants out in the garden by May 15th. This can be risky though, and I have lost plants to frost in the past. I think a safer guideline for my area would be to start seeds, and plant out 2 weeks later than what I do/plan. I'd recommend starting seeds around April 1, and planting out around May 20th to June 1 depending on the weather forecast. Of course microclimate variations need to be considered.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by nctomatoman

Hey all....I am in deep in my book writing, and thought that I can provide some really helpful (and current) info about the various timings that tomato enthusiasts in various zones/states use.

I have only grown Tomatoes in central Oklahoma 5 years. So I am still trying to perfect my timing. The weather here varies widely and is particularly difficult to time out. But here is my schedule this year.


Central Oklahoma zone 7a, But very close to zone 7b
Planted 3/2 using your dense planting method in cells on a heat mat
Sprouting started 3/4
I will put outside in mini greenhouse 3/12
They will probably be repotted around 3/20 +/- and put in the low tunnel
They will go in the ground according to the weather anytime in April, preferably before the 15th

The weather has been giving me fits this year, since I don't use artificial light and outside I use natural heating and a combination of mini-greenhouse and low tunnel and have a rotation of early crops (brassicas and lettuce etc...) that must get processed through the system before I start my tomatoes. So I am running about a week or two behind what I planned to do. However last year I planted too early and had to replant all but 2 tomatoes due to an early spring flood. So possibly it will work out for the best, being a couple weeks behind schedule.

For fall it varies widely. 2 years ago I was picking tomatoes fresh from outside at Christmas, just by covering them with a plastic row cover. Last year the first frost came early and killed everything at the end of September or early October (can't remember the exact date) before I had got a cover on them.

[no charge]

Southern Missouri here 6B, start seeds (heirlooms only) 3rd week January..dense method (thanks for that), under florescent lights . Transplanted mid February into Solo cups, placed on unheated sun porch (I do place a incandescent light bulb for very cold times). Planted in garden mid March to April 1st. Protected with plastic over T-Posts

[Qweniden]

In Sacramento CA.

Mid February I put seeds on damp cotton balls in small plastic bags. One seed and cotton ball per baggy. I usually do 2 or 3 of each variety to insure I have at least one seedling.

I put them in a warm place until they sprout and start showing the initial leaves.

Then I plant them in starter mix in 12 ounce styrofoam cups with holes punched in the bottom. The plants go under an indoor florescent light.

I raise the light as the plants grow. Around the last week of march I start hardening the plants by giving them a few hours of daylight a day.

Then I plant sometime iin the first week of April.

I used to start the whole process earlier but if I wait until the march rains are over to plant outside I have less disease.

[dice]

Pacific NW, Zone 8a-8b, marine climate.

Seeds started anywhere from March 1-15, seedlings
potted up from plug flat cells to 3-4" pots when they
have 2 true leaves (never timed it), plant out May
7th-15th (rarely need frost protection after that).
Seeds are indoors under lights or outdoors in a cold
frame or greenhouse with frost protection at night
from pot up to plant out.

[remy]

I'm in WNY zone 6. I start my plants around St. Joseph's Day (March 19th) or as close as I can thereafter. You know I've never paid attention to the date of when I pot up! I just do it when it needs to be done.
I plant out no earlier than mid-May. I do not plant until the apple trees are done blooming. I find this is a better indicator of the weather than a calendar date. The second half of May around here can be quite wet so some years I have to wait til the beginning of June.
I find a lot of people start way too early which I think just leads to bigger, harder to take care of and harder to transplant tomatoes that don't really do any better.
Harvest starts at the end of July/beginning of Aug. for the early cherries and ones like Sophie's Choice. The main crop starts in mid-Aug. and goes through mid-Sept.
One thing I find most people find surprising when I tell them about starting from seed is petting the plants. They often laugh, but I explain about how gently running hands across them a few times a day makes them strong.
Remy

Remy,

I've never thought about it, but I guess I also pet my plants. They usually have a soft, lush appearance looking down at the seedlings in the trays. I've always thought of it more as the impulse to pat a child on the head as a reassurance or the unspoken words of "your doing good".

Ted

[pdxwindjammer]

Here in Portland, OR I start my seeds between February 15-March 15th, depending on how busy I am and when I am taking vacations. I generally do two batches set a couple of weeks apart so I don't have to pot them all up at the same time.

Portland has many micro climates due to the hills and trees in the area.

I use the dense planting method shown on your videos and pot up 4-6 weeks after planting the seeds. Since different varieties germinate and grow at different speeds, I may pot up one variety 2 weeks earlier than another.

I plant out into the garden, uncovered, between May 15th and the first or second week of June. Last year we had so much rain the late May and early June that I didn't get my plants in ground until about June 15th, lastest planting ever!

I grow about 50 different varieties, mostly heirlooms with a few open pollinated varieties.

I sent your friend and past neighbor, Rick, several varieties of heirlooms this year to grow from seed. I look forward to hearing back from him regarding how some of my favorites do for him in Austin!

[PNW_D]

Vancouver, BC - PNW zone 8b (frost free date March 28)
start seeds around first day of spring March 20 (this year started March 13)
use 3 x 5 plastic starters with 6-9 seeds per, place on bottom heat
as soon as seedlings start to break the soil they are removed from bottom heat and moved to cool sunroom
seedlings transplanted once into 12 oz foam cups then transplanted into garden around mid-May depending on weather
harvest begins hopefully early August and continues into October if plants survive

[baileyj]

I am in zone 7A near Annapolis, Maryland.

• Early-mid February around the 7-14th start my tomato seeds using the dense method in flats of 50-72 plant spaces. I use a light seed starting mix, They go on a heat mat, no lights until they start to germinate in about 3-5 days.
• By day 5-7 under the lights, remove the dome cover to avoid too much humidity/mold.
• March 10th Transplant about when the true leaves are doing well and plants are about 2-3 inches and look hardy into solo cups. This year added about 1/4 amount of Fafard potting mix to my usual seed starting mix to the transplant cups for a bit more stability.
• Late March/Early April-I have a grow house, but have not gotten it together to use it well. I will plan to put seedling flats into the grow house. I only do this when I am home so I don't lose plants due to it overheating or getting too cold. I really use it more for other veggie transplants..I hate to lose even 1 tomato plant so about 3 days a week I lug them in/out if the night temp is around 40. Hopefully I will feel more confident this year.
• 2-3rd week of April-Plant out in the Earthboxes as long as the plants have been hardened off as above and are about 4-6 inches tall. Frost date here is late April. My goal date to have all in is April 30th,
• Harvest starting early July-if all goes well and lasts until Late August.

I am moving to my other house in about a year which is Zone 7B so I will plan to back up these plans about 2 weeks. With all the temp swings I hate to start them too early and have them waiting to be planted. In the past, say 10 years ago, the rule of thumb here was vegetables get planted Mother's day weekend but I plant at least 3-4 weeks ahead of that date.
Good luck on the book, hope this helps and is clear.
Thanks,
Judi

[remy]

Originally Posted by tedln

Remy,

I've never thought about it, but I guess I also pet my plants. They usually have a soft, lush appearance looking down at the seedlings in the trays. I've always thought of it more as the impulse to pat a child on the head as a reassurance or the unspoken words of "your doing good".

Ted

Ted, I think I started off the same as you petting them for being good babies! I always had nice sturdy seedlings. Then some time along the way, read something about simulating wind to make seedlings stronger which can be done by petting them or a fan. I like petting better. It doesn't cost anything, it doesn't lower the air temp, and most importantly because, you have to visit your seedlings a few times a day(I know that isn't a problem with many of you on this forum, ). When you visit them often, you will in turn take better care of them with proper watering and if a problem arises, you will notice it quicker.
Remy

[barbamWY]

I am in Northern Wyoming zone 4. I start my tomatoes about the 27th of March to set out with frost protection mid May. It is unsettled until first part of June. I have had frost June 10. I use Wall O Waters or low hoops with heavy row cover called Frost Blanket. The soil stays cold until mid May so even though I can put seedlings out earlier with Wall O Waters, I don't really see much earlier ripe tomatoes since they don't kick into gear until the soil warms up. If I have seed failure, I can usually reseed until about April 10 and be ok getting ripe tomatoes before frost, which is usually the end of September.
Barb

[lakelady]

For a few very early plants to go out in WOWs in April, I start seeds in late February. The rest of my plants get sown 2nd week of March, anywhere from 3-6 seeds per cell in a 72 cell flat in sterile starting mix, with a dome, over heatmat. Once they are up, I gently scoop out the lot in each cell, and individually plant them in tiny cups with drainage holes in bottom. As they grow, once I see 2 sets of leaves, I repot them again into larger cups with drainage holes, or small pots. I then give them weak solution of seaweed fertilizer. They are under lights up until this point, when I can put them in a southern exposure window and bring outdoors early April on nice days for a few hours. If they get too big, they will be repotted yet once again. Usually plant unprotected into the garden about Mothers' Day or 2nd week in May.

I think the repotting several times and moving them in and out all the time result in very strong seedlings, I never have problems at plant out, and my giveaway plant friends all remark that my seedlings are much hardier than what they bought at the garden center.