Warm weather is just around the corner.. Anyone sow any seeds yet?

[rayinpenn]

I planted a half dozen or so Sungold tomato seeds under some lights. They are going to grow there for the next six weeks. Then I'll move them to my unheated green house. Typical last frost date here is 4/15, seeds should be sowed six weeks earlier for transplanting that gets me to 3/1. But the green house gets me two weeks.

I remember some really nasty early April weather so I plan on 'tenting' the tomatoes with plastic and have a 100 watt incandescent bulb under the plastic. Yeah it's on a GFI circuit. I've read as long as the tomatoes stay above 45 degrees at night I'll be fine.

I think of it as my early tomato experiment ... I just love those sun golds....
Plus tomatoes = wonderful warm weather...




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[CyclingInvestor]

I will plant 1 SuperBeef or BeefSteak tomato April 15, 1 more May 15. This normally gives me a ton of tomatoes in mid July thru August.

Although they would love the current 90 degree days (in LA), they hate the normal wet winter - they get moldy and puny.

 

[modhatter]

I planted a half dozen or so Sungold tomato seeds under some lights. They are going to grow there for the next six weeks. Then I'll move them to my unheated green house. Typical last frost date here is 4/15, seeds should be sowed six weeks earlier for transplanting that gets me to 3/1. But the green house gets me two weeks.

I remember some really nasty early April weather so I plan on 'tenting' the tomatoes with plastic and have a 100 watt incandescent bulb under the plastic. Yeah it's on a GFI circuit. I've read as long as the tomatoes stay above 45 degrees at night I'll be fine.

I think of it as my early tomato experiment ... I just love those sun golds....
Plus tomatoes = wonderful warm weather...




Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum.

Haven't tried the sewing seeds route yet. No room for grow light without clearing out a room. But tried my hand for the first time last year of growing tomatoes, some zucchini and eggplant in containers. I am in one of the worst growing parts of the country with temperatures in the summer reaching over 115 degrees. Not exactly vegetable friendly, but I did get some tomatoes and a few eggplants and one zucchini.

Going to try again in about 30 days with Earthboxes and see if I do any better. Very few people here have had any success with containers here in the hot desert. But it was fun trying. What I spent putting everything together rendered some pretty nice $80 tomatoes.

Could have bought a half a ton of organic rare heirloom tomatoes from Whole Foods store with a whole grass fed steer thrown in, for what I spent on my garden.

 

[KB]

I'll start my tomatoes next week; this year I'm growing 10 different varieties. Peppers and eggplants should have already been started, but I'm still deciding if I want to grow any this year. Flower seeds will start with the tomatoes. I found that the plants are the right size at 6 - 8 weeks, otherwise I need to transplant into gallon pots before planting in the beds.

I start my seeds on heat mats and then move them under the grow lights when they get their second set of leaves. I'll either put them in the greenhouse or just outside under a slatted patio cover when they go into 4 inch pots.

I'll plant them in the ground between April 1st and the 15th. I have raised beds so the soil warms a little earlier than in the ground.

I direct seed squash and beans, so they will go in just after the tomatoes.

 

[swakyaby]

I have a similar seedling setup as KB: a 2-tier compact grow-light stand with seedling heat mats. When the seedling have true leaves, I start fertilizing with 1/2 strength seedling fertilizer. I grow mainly beefsteak type tomatoes, with Brandywines my favorite; plan to start the seeds this week. Also grow bellpeppers, eggplants, squash, and some chilis in my raised planter beds. Growing conditions are nearly ideal here for vegetables--lots of sun, and not too hot. A vegetable gardener's paradise.