Picking out the seeds wasn't too hard. I know I like sweet, juicy tomatoes, and when I saw the "Brandywine Red", it looked like this variety would work.
Having never done this before, I looked online for ideas, but I couldn't find something simple. I knew I didn't want to put the money into buying the trays so I was at a loss of what to do. Randomly, I picked up an old Garden Gate mag from last year and came across a reader's suggestion on how she grew her tomato plants from seed.
Exhibit A : The Rotisserie Chicken Container
- Clean both parts with hot water and soap.
- Punch a few holes in the bottom of the tray for drainage. I filled the tray with a teaspoon of water and watched where the water pooled, then cut small holes in these locations. Then place a chard of pottery over the holes so the dirt doesn't flood out.
- Next, fill the bottom tray with seed starting mix about 3/4 full. Since I used "Brandywine Red", the package says to plant at a depth of 1/8", so what I did was just place the seeds on the top of the soil, then cover over with about 1/8" of dirt.
- With a spray bottle, mist the top of the soil with water until it is a damp. Cover with lid.
(the tiny white specks are the tomato seeds)
The tomato seed package says you will start to see sprouts within 7-15 days. I planted mine on March 11th, and five days later, I saw the first tiny shoots appearing. Now, two days later, each seed I planted is about one inch tall.
WOW! I can't believe it actually worked!
I took the lid off for the above photo, and then placed it back on, sitting it in it's afternoon sunny location. When the seedlings show a second set of leaves, it will be time to move them to larger pots. Stay tuned for additional updates on my tomato project 2009, growing tomato plants from seeds.
I took the lid off for the above photo, and then placed it back on, sitting it in it's afternoon sunny location. When the seedlings show a second set of leaves, it will be time to move them to larger pots. Stay tuned for additional updates on my tomato project 2009, growing tomato plants from seeds.
2 comments:
Cool! Never thought to use a plastic container to germinate the seeds. Be careful to watch the humidity levels... too much moisture is a bad thing.
When they are ready to transplant... you'll need a stake/support product to keep them growing vertical. I highly recommend The Tomato Stake This is a simple plastic stake that has the support ties built it. Very strong, super easy, and wont rust or rot like metal or wood stakes.
I have 7 of them planned for my garden this year, and maybe more if my seedlings do well.
Yep, I am watching that one..not to mention they will soon be touching the roof of the lid. I have been looking into options for stakes so thanks for the recommendation.
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