I’ve really gotten in to starting seeds this year. I have three varieties of tomatoes growing (Rutgers, Matina and Supersweet 100) and I think it’s safe to say that their doing quite well. I spent a lot of time reading about seeds over the winter so I’ve approached the project from a different knowledge base this year.
I’ve made a few simple adjustments:
–I started the seeds on damp towels in sealed plastic bags and planted them in seed starting mix as soon as they germinated. This is one of my new favorite approaches with seeds of all kinds. When I visited my friend Betsey (the onion lady) in January she showed me that her husband often starts “harder to germinate” seeds in plastic bags. I’ve also experimented with forcing germination at work lately with great success. Betsey recommended a blog called Tomato Dirt and as I read over their many tips for growing tomatoes from seed, I’ll be darned, this method was mentioned again. I tried it and the extra humidity got things going and before I knew it I had beautiful seedlings that had been transplanted into potting soil.
–I’ve kept the lights very close to the plants, about two inches above the tops of the seedlings. This keeps them from getting leggy and encourages them to grow stronger and sideways, rather than upward and spindly.
–I’ve brushed them gently with my hand once a day which also encourages a stronger, stockier plant.
–The lights are on a timer, twelve hours on, twelve hours off.
–I used one florescent bulb and one plant bulb in a regular shop light.
–I water from below encouraging strong root formation.
–I used seed starter containing vermiculite to encourage root formation.
–I talk to them, love them and spend time with them as I work on other projects.
I’d be growing well too if I were these tomatoes!
Here they are today. I’m thinking about moving them away from the lights and up to my sunny office, maybe even into larger pots.
Are you growing tomatoes this year? How’s it going? Share your tips in the comments!
and of course, enjoy everything!
Michele
The Salem Garden 