Tomato Growing 2024

I've succumbed and they're on order.

 

Sorry @Goldenlily26 - I think I misunderstood what you were saying.
I'll blame it on the lack of sleep recently!

 

I have the situation where my area to put sowings and seedlings is an unheated room (south facing room with big window) but it just isn’t warm enough for germination there this year, so I have resorted to putting the trays in my airing cupboard! I have done it before and they can come out as soon as signs of life, or if the daytime is sunny.
Wish me luck.

 

Airing cupboards are great for tomato seed sowing. Before I got my heated propagator I used to put mine in there successfully each year. They don't need light to germinate, but you have to remember to check them each day. Mine used to shoot up within two or three days.

 

I'd rather let them germinate at a reasonable rate, than too rapidly. My kitchen can get hot when it's sunny at this time of year, but it can easily be down to around 11 or 12 overnight, or only mid teens on cloudy days.
You have to have somewhere to put them, in similar conditions, once you prick out and pot on. It then comes down to what the conditions are like for going outside or into a greenhouse so that they can thrive.
It's fine if you only have a few plants, and you aren't sowing any other plants either, but not if you have loads of them, and nowhere to put bigger pots if you can't get them outside

 

No worries Fairygirl.

I also like to allow my seeds to germinate as naturally as possible. Giving them heat only shortens the waiting time to see the seedlings through by about 3/4 days. I put clear plastic fruit punnets over the pots to help keep the compost damp, I remove the covers as soon as the seeds show, usually around 7 days, to avoid drawn leggy plants which do not seem to make as strong plants when forced, and mildew.
I have put some hard coated seed in the airing, usually after having them in the freezer to stratifie them, but that is a whole new kettle of fish.

 

I haven’t got anywhere indoors for setting seeds off early (heat or light wise) and we haven’t got an airing cupboard so everything gets sown and started off in our unheated greenhouse. I finally got around to sowing my tomato seeds last weekend, usually I aim for late March so a couple of weeks behind this year.

Mine are sown into trays and then I pot on once, before they go into the greenhouse beds. I no longer buy in compost and have used a mix of home-made compost and garden soil the last few years.

If they are slow to germinate because of the weather, I no longer worry, it just means a later crop. We usually get our first tomatoes to eat late July and then through to October.

 

I sow my tomatoes indoors. Main sowing for the greenhouse and outdoors was on the 13.03. Within 10 days all but one were out, germinated (The 7th day was when the most showed up). It was in my living room, pots standing on the shelf of my display unit (not covered). My house isn't very warm. Checked every day and moved germinated ones under the light - on the windowsill (but have additional lamp there too). I make notes, and every year it takes the same amount of time - around 7 days to germinate. Peppers take longer in the same conditions - 2 weeks.

 

Sown 18 cells with 2 or 3 seeds per cell, just in case, so I could end up with around 50 plants.....................we need about 12........................I do this every year, no neighbours or family grow their own, sure we will find room for them somewhere lol.

 

Ma babies

 

Mine are all looking rather straggly but i think theyll be fine. Its just been so rainy recently there hasnt been any sun...

Only 1 of my black nightshades came up, arrowed. Annoying since ive misplaced the seeds Aah all a disaster. Ah well! Too many toms anyway. Peppers are looking decent too.

 

I do the same sort of thing @Goldenlily26 - pots with clear lids or plastic containers from muffins or similar - they make good little propagators.
Light is the problem here early in the year - there's fewer daylight hours the further north you go - the opposite in summer. That's always a problem for toms. Too much heat does make for etiolated weaker plants, generally, so I try to avoid that by sowing later. I never use extra heat either. I think mine were sown a little later than usual - they've germinated but still only have their seed leaves.
It's always about working with your conditions, isn't it?

 

Yes. I have also sown a bit later this year due to the low light down here. My seeds are through but like yours, still only single seed leaves. It just means the plants are slightly behind compared to previous years.
I had a friend who used to delight in sowing early in warmth just to be able to say his tomatoes were up first. He then always struggled with weedy seedlings and on a few occasions had poorly chilled blue seedlings. Mine always seemed to catch up with his eventually.
I have always tended to garden to current weather conditions, sort of tried growing to the Moon but never quite got the hang of it. Weather interfered.
Over the last couple of years I have noticed some plants have revelled in the extra water, camellias and magnolias love it, also my Dieramas. Close to their native conditions I suppose.

 

@fairygirl Light levels are key. I've sown my tomatoes 6 weeks later than usual just because it's been so dark and grey. They're still at the seed leaf stage but are not etiolated.

 

I'm only growing 4 tomato plants this I don't eat many and end up just giving them away.
For a couple of years I've used some cheap lighting, but this year I didn't bother, the 4 plants I have look much better than last years.
I'm thinking I was really growing more than I could accommodate in the past and the plants suffered, I'm always growing lots of other stuff as well.

I'm getting to the point where I'm thinking less is more, if you get my meaning.