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: Jul 2011
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 2,593
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I planted 14 varieties of tomato seeds on Dec 30. I used the method in the great "dense sowing" thread posted in this Forum, but with only 2-3 seeds per cell. I used Miracle Gro Potting Mix, and a 72 cell tray with a plastic top, sitting on old heating pads set to medium. Air temp was around 50 degrees.
Here are the % germinated on hour 80. Sungold Yellow Cherry is the big winner, with 75% germinated. Prue: 0% Green Zebra: 0% Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry: 0% Cherokee Purple: 25% Black Krim: 50% Red Zebra: 0% Black from Tula: 0% Bradley: 33% Lime Green: 0% Aunt Ruby German Green: 0% Cherokee Green: 0% Sungold Select: 20% Sungold Yellow Cherry: 75% |
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#2 | |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
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Or perhaps you traded for some of those seeds and if so if the trader didn't indicate the seed age I think that's a problem. At this point since all your seeds were given the same conditions I do think that the differences may indicate seed age differences.
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Carolyn |
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 2,593
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Carolyn, The seeds were purchased from four different sellers. None of the sellers stated age, but 3 of them stated "packaged for" 2011 or 2012. When all have germinated, I will post average germination times per vendor, if I think that is fair.
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#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Anmore, BC, Canada
Posts: 3,970
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Seed age is not the only variable - the degree of seed dryness could be a factor too.
I carefully document germination rates of all different seeds, both mine and acquired, and at times I get surprised to see 2001 seeds sprouting in just 8 days when newer seeds taking up to 12 days (under the same condition in my cold laundry room with 12 hrs bottom heat). Just had this happening this week when I was starting some seeds, had 83%, 87% and 90% germination with my 2003 seed and 50% with someone's else 2001 seed, but only 33% for my 2005 seed and 0% for someone's else 2005 seeds after 8 days. This is when some 2006 acquired seeds has not even sprouted yet. Sometimes I also get different germination rates when I test at different times - i.e., I test a seed batch and mark it 'low germination', then an year later I use it to plant my own seedlings and it shows much better germination. Go figure! ![]() Scott, if you got some seeds from me, you should be able to look up the year I grew them, it is available at both online seed catalog and at Tomatobase (under B.C KO T). Tatiana
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#5 |
Tomatoville® Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7
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So many variables - seed age of course, time seed was fermented (number of days) and conditions, seed dryness, how seed was stored, exact planting seed depth, placement in relation to hot spots on the heat mat - I always see minor variations in germination time....
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Craig |
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#6 | |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
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Your call.
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Carolyn |
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#7 | |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
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But for me, with increasing seed age they do dehydrate which is why I mentioned that variable first. Unfortunately it may turn out that Scott will have no idea whatsoever how old the seeds are b'c those packed by dates are of no use at all in determining seed age.
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Carolyn |
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#8 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Alaska Zone 3/4
Posts: 1,857
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Sherry |
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#9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern New Jersey
Posts: 36
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Try it with a soiless potting mix.
I work in a greenhouse when I'm not in school. We used a ripped bag of the Miracle Gro Potting Mix for personal projects and it was crap compared to the soiless mix we buy in bulk for growing plants for retail. Low germination rates and weeds were growing out of it. |
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#10 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Anmore, BC, Canada
Posts: 3,970
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![]() First I thought I lost my green thumb... first time I had such a devastating failure with pepper seed starts! ![]() Luckily the restarts look healthy and plentiful, so I am very relieved. Scott, I hope you'll still get good germination, as it's only been 4 days... ![]()
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#11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Alabama
Posts: 2,250
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Tania, your experience is typical for phytothora infection. Most people don't realize that pro-mix is sterilized by steam in the process of packing. If you leave a bag outside, it will be re-infested from airborne pathogens.
A huge rule of thumb for seed growers is to ALWAYS use a new unopened bag of soilless seed start mix for starting all solanum seed. How do I know this? yep, you got it, been there, done that, got the t-shirt. One other note that will really help, be very careful how deep you plant seed. As tomato seed get older, germination is inhibited by the depth at which seed are planted. If you plant them 1/8 of an inch deep, they will grow but if planted 1/4 of an inch deep, many will not. DarJones |
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#12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 2,593
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Folks, at 108 hours, I am getting 50% germination. Some varieties are obviously better than others. The two fastest germinators by far are:
Sungold Yellow Cherry Cherokee Purple. Both had 100% germination at around 100 hours. But I can see a clear pattern. Where the heating pads are coolest, seeds have not germinated. Where heating pads are warmer, seeds have mostly germinated. Even a few degrees of soil temperature seems to make a huge difference in germination periods. |
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#13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Zone 9 Texas, Fort Bend County
Posts: 436
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I got my best results with heating pads when I placed some type of barrier or even a grate between the pad and the tray full of seeds. Heating pads were difficult for me to regulate because the older ones that I had would get too hot and the newer ones had an "auto shut off" control.
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#14 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Anmore, BC, Canada
Posts: 3,970
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![]() I think I was simply lucky in the past not to get into this situation. Now have to shop for another bale of the starting mix... I never cover my seeds when I plant. I add just a bit of mix once I see them sprouting. This way I can see how they germinate (I am a control freak ![]()
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#15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 2,593
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Nine days from seeding. Here is the final performance, by variety (not by vendor):
Prue: 75% Green Zebra: 75% Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry: 100% (very tiny seedlings!) Cherokee Purple: 100% Black Krim: 100% Red Zebra: 50% Black from Tula: 0% Bradley: 66% Lime Green: 100% Aunt Ruby German Green: 66% Cherokee Green: 100% Sungold Select: 100% Sungold Yellow Cherry: 100% Why would Black from Tula be 0% (none of out 5 cells germinated)? Old seeds? Last edited by ScottinAtlanta; January 8, 2012 at 07:26 PM. |
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