Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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April 25, 2022 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Back in da U.P.
Posts: 1,848
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i am running out of room.
my table down stairs is filled up with peppers.
the plant stand in the guest room is filled up with tomatoes. the sunny windows are filled up with micro tomatoes, and late going peppers, and tomatoes, and broccoli, cabbage, and kale that just got transplanted to individual cell packs. my lettuce transplants are on the north side windows, no place else to put them. basil still needs transplanting. second round of lettuce, and greens are seeded. oh, still have to transplant cherry tomatoes. marigold seeds planted, nasturtiums still to go. where to put them?? the problem is i started more peppers than normal, and a little too early to boot. i know better, but i was antsy to get started. i also have a few more varieties of tomatoes going than makes sense, not that sense comes into the picture. some of those varieties are nine to thirteen year old seeds. double sow, the older seeds they say because not all of them will sprout. so, with most of the older seeds, i now have twice as many tomatoes because most every seed sprouted. what i plan on doing is taking a few trays of tomatoes into work. the store front has large windows facing east, and south with a nice ledge to put things on. i have a few micro tomatoes there already. the store manager humors me, and lets me bring in plants as long as they don't exceed two feet in height. i might even sell a few as long as it doesn't interfere with work, maybe two bucks a plant. i could buy more shop lights, and set them up in the basement, but i best not go further in that direction. keith
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don't abort. we'll adopt. |
April 25, 2022 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Illinois
Posts: 199
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Keith, I feel your pain. I repotted my tomatoes and peppers the other day, weather was beautiful and I thought I'd be good to be able to leave them out until it was warm and dry enough to go into the ground. Well, surprise, surprise, freeze warning tonight. So now my dresser top (where I have been starting them under the grow light, a small stand by my dresser are both full of trays of plants, and I even had to just put one small tray on the floor...
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Kevin (aka the DJ) |
April 26, 2022 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Indianapolis Area 46112
Posts: 857
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Same Boat - no explanation needed other than 400+ Seedlings gotta go...........
Maybe was my short stay at Lake Superior State Collage in the late 60's that causes this kind of thing |
May 6, 2022 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: connecticut,usa
Posts: 1,152
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top of the clothes dryer
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May 7, 2022 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Indianapolis Area 46112
Posts: 857
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wifes territory
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May 7, 2022 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Back in da U.P.
Posts: 1,848
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wifes territory
hah, no such thing. she likes to eat fresh garden produce too. she isn't complaining, just water everything, and clean up the mess you make. keith
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don't abort. we'll adopt. |
May 7, 2022 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: connecticut,usa
Posts: 1,152
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I have old style cast iron radiators to heat the house turned off for the summer,I have plants on those.I found a grow light clamp light last year with built-in timer I can clamp to something in a hurry as a setup.Runs off a hefty USB power supply,so in a pinch I could theoretically run it off a 12v cigarette lighter adapter plug and a battery,or a solar setup.
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May 7, 2022 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: connecticut,usa
Posts: 1,152
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The fun begins when you start seeds early and have to transfer to bigger containers.
I only started 3 different types of tomato but started early. In the past I have modified the K rating on the bulbs to slow things down but got lazy this year. 5000k will keep the plants alive but sluggish growth until the proper planting time. |
May 7, 2022 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
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I hear you on crowding. This long cold spring has my space all used up here too. Starts to look better here after the 15th
Have a great season everyone! KarenO |
May 7, 2022 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Posts: 1,510
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I finally took all my plants out of the Greenhouse. I will have room if I don't add anything else. Good luck finding room for everything in your Gardens and Farms this year.
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May God Bless you and my Garden, Amen https://www.angelfieldfarms.com MrsJustice as Farmer Joyce Beggs |
May 8, 2022 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Indianapolis Area 46112
Posts: 857
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Ok, i"ll clean up my mess and water............fanny hoe
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May 8, 2022 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SE PA
Posts: 972
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Same here, too early, for once. I had to up pot some tomatoes last week. I'd rather just plant them small and not deal with that. My peppers though, they are looking good and didn't have much extra work from them. Second week of March seems right for my setup for peppers. Maybe a few early tomatoes then. But I think second week of April for the normal tomatoes. And I should start my cole crops around Feb 21 I'm thinking. They got zapped outside in the greenhouse on some cold nights and lost some leaves. But overall I should have started them two weeks earlier and protected them better.
I did put out some transplants too early though. Sprouted zucchini took off for a week and then 6 of 8 died due to the cold. I even had some red beet rows seeded 4/2 or so, looking good, half sprouted by mid April, and then got zapped. I couldn't find hardly any left the other day. I did go to more lights this year, a bunch of HF LEDs. More flexible than the single 4 bulb T5HO. I have four fixtures going for about the same wattage, and a second shelf for more tray space, freeing up a larger working area. But boy is it a jury rigged piece of garbage, I'm rather embarrassed to take credit for it. Four pieces of lumber uprights holding a 1/2" plywood shelf about 2 ft above the old tabletop. Who needs triangles! When I bump the table it goes *creak, creak* as the whole shelf wobbles to one side, then the other. |
May 9, 2022 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Illinois
Posts: 199
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Well, the space problem has resolved itself. Mother Nature finally took her meds or something, things have started to dry up, temperatures are soaring, and all the tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapenos, broccoli, and cauliflower are now in the ground. Got a few tomatoes left to give away is all I need to keep an eye on and water, which is good with our temperatures heading up to 90 this week all of a sudden!
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Kevin (aka the DJ) |
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