THE TOMATO GROWING THREAD 2018

@Scrungee , thanks for those informative posts I’m always impressed by how stocky your plants are. I’ll be sowing mine in a few weeks, so I’ll start them off in the ‘box’ and keep a close eye on them. Once they start to show signs of not being happy, I’ll move them into the greenhouse where I have a heated propagator. Light levels should be a lot better by then.

 

Is it safe to turn off the heatpad under my led lit tom seedlings. The unheated room they are in is only 12c right now.
Havent grown under lights before. If they stay heated will they go leggy despite being under 4x800 lumen led tubes ?

Thanks for any help.

 

Cheers @JWK .

Thats good to know. I can use the heatpad to get some pepper marconi sown then.

Regarding the led' s all looks good so far running cool whites. Ive got a few 4&5ft light fittings lying about that may be used if the toms continue to perform ok,early days yet.

Thanks again for your advice,

 

Hi WeeTam,
Actually the heat won't cause them to go leggy. It's rather the lack of light.
Try placing your tomatoes on a windowsill with your lumen LED tubes above the plants, that way, you will maximise the amount of light they receive.

Also, indeterminate tomatoes are usually more stretchy with longer and thinner stems.

 

My tomato seedlings under cool LEDs and not sitting in propagators went down to about 11 deg C without any adverse effects. I try and get the right balance between light and heat to keep them stocky and avoid higher temps without commensurate levels of light.

N.B. If you also have chillies on the heatmat, I tried some just under the cool LEDs and they failed to thrive, they definitely preferring warmer temps and are able to cope with loads more artificial light.

I'm a bit pushed for space indoors at the moment, so I'm leaving them as they are until next weekend when my greenhouse heating will go on together with the growlight box in there, but will be checking they're not getting rootbound (they are currently in 40x celltray modules).

 

You wont be impressed by these plants at my local Wyevale I saw this morning (£3 for 6 seedlings) ...

 

Same here at my garden centre, someones buying them though, not me:rasp:

 

Sown my tomatoes today Sungold - Suncherry Premium - Sweet million, waiting for Rosella to arrive in the post. Sungold and Suncherry Premium are a must for me lovely and sweet

 

Cheers Nick,moved them closer to natural light.

 

Checked my Microtom seedlings in 40x celltray modules and no sign of getting rootbound, so should be OK to leave several days until potting on.





But I definitely have my first flowers forming!

 

I only managed 2ft 'trailing' tomatoes when I got my labels mixed up and accidently planted cordon toms in my planters.