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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Tomato Seeding Progress Report



I've got great germination rates for the tomato seeds that I sowed on February 20th. The tags say the 17th but that's the date I wrote them out and I didn't get around to sowing the seeds until the 20th. I'm keeping a separate blog for my record keeping, very boring, no photos, and constantly being updated with my notes for when things germinate, get planted out, etc.

Anyway, my notes say that I sowed seeds on the 20th, the first varieties germinated on the 23rd (Aunt Ruby's German Green and Giantesque), and the last variety to germinate did so on the 26th. I am really surprised that that last variety (Galinas cherry) produced anything at all. It's an old favorite that I haven't grown for years and since I haven't received the cherry tomato seeds that I ordered from Fedco (sheesh people, it's been almost 3 months!) and I still had some Galinas seeds, they got thrown into an empty space in a pot. Would you believe that those seeds are 10 years old? Yup, I've got a note on the seed packet that I first sowed those seeds on March 3 of 1999! Granted, only about a third of them germinated (5 out of 14), but what do you want for old seeds?

On the other hand, I got some freebie seeds for Vintage Wine bi-color beefsteaks. I sowed 4 seeds and only got 1 sprout. With that kind of germination rate for new seeds I can understand why they're giving them away.

Sigh, I'm already dreaming of fresh picked, truly vine ripened (what an abused marketing term), home grown tomatoes! Only 5 months to go.... Now, I've got to get their bed cleaned out and prepared.

12 comments:

  1. Your seedlings look great. I have to say I am envious of your climate!! So many plants survive the winter months. Can you plant all winter long??

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  2. Hi Becky, I do have the great good fortune to have been born and raised (and stayed) in a gardening wonderland! I can plant some things in the winter but it's a very limited selection. I managed to get carrots, lettuce, mache, and arugula to germinate, but beets were a complete failure. That's about all I've tried to start in winter so far...

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  3. They look great! It's hard to imagine the weight of tomatoes that will be produced by these tiny seedlings, but they will ... and it's all so exciting at this time of year. We've just started putting our tiny tomato seedlings out in the sun during the day to stop them growing too tall searching for light. But it looks in your pictures as though you have light on yours.

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  4. Chaiselongue, I'm perpetually amazed that such tiny little seeds can produce such huge plants and fruits in such a short period of time! I do have the plants under flourescent grow lights. The lights are normally sitting right at the tops of the tags. In another week or so I'll have to pot them up into individual pots and then they'll have to go outside during the day if the weather cooperates.

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  5. I keep hearing about people having their seed be on back order and not getting them on time - all different companies. Seed must be really popular this year. And yes call it home grown, vine ripened just doesn't mean much anymore.

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  6. Wow loads of varieties and that's great about the older seeds. I'm looking forward to watching your progress while we winter here

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  7. Daphne, I've been hearing the same, fortunately for me it's only one company that has me backordered and it's only one veggie that I really wanted to start NOW.

    Prue, It's been fun watching your tomato harvests!

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  8. Good luck Michelle! I've tried tomato once (of course it never made it because of my mistake of sowing it just before rains) and they're pretty easy to germinate here - all of the five germinated but succumbed to heavy rains and I didn't try it ever again, besides we don't get so many varieties here :( I was excited on seeing so many in your post.

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  9. Thanks Chandramouli! Maybe you'll give it another go someday. It is wonderful to pick your own homegrown tomatoes.

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  10. I do hope you're stroking them to make the plants stronger. (See my post on Touching your Tomatoes.)
    --Kate

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  11. The babies look great! Can everyone say Yum!

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  12. Kate, my babies get tickled every day! :) Thanks for stopping by.

    Tessa, oh yes, Yum Yum Yum, can't wait!

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