Friday, April 15, 2011

Tomato seedling progress report.

Here are the tomato seedlings now. Amazingly fast. Now I'm concerned they will get too big before planting outside. I'll figure something out. I'm thinking about making some cloches, but I might get out the "wall-o-water" units instead. They are more trouble but they work really well. These are SuperSweet 100, in a south window, with a fluorescent desk lamp for supplemental light. They are more compact and look sturdier than the other plants. That might be due to the lamp, the South window setting (rain rain rain clouds clouds clouds) or the variety. The little seedlings stretching toward the light are the many year old.pepper seeds, I planted thinking they would not germinate. I need to juggle plants around so they get more light.
These are all of the others. Taller, a little floppy, but OK. I think I'll replant them today.
The roots grow very easily through the coconut coir pots. It's almost like there is nothing there. I've always thought that pressed peat pots were not so root friendly, so did not use plantable pots. The coir pots have changed my mind. Even so, the tomatoes need to be up-potted, so this time I'll use the plastic pots. I'm concerned that roots will dry out when sticking out, and the coir pots become soft and might break easily when wet, especially with the larger size / heavier soil. I up-potted the SuperSweet 100 seedlings into plastic pots. Also one of the slicing tomatoes. It's only 48 outside now. Against the house, I think it's warmer, and not in the rain. I'm setting them outside in a sheltered, south-facing spot. This will start the hardening off process. I will bring them inside at night. Now in the "sun" (if you can call it that, rain rain rain) the differences are more apparent. Supersweet 100 from the South window, desk-lamp are stout, dark green, compact plants. Slicing tomato from east, grow-lamp are lankier, lighter green, a little floppy. Not scientific at all. I think the difference is the laps, with the desk lamp being much brighter.

1 comment:

  1. Looking great! They sure have enough light and growing up to standard of perfection... I'm slightly jealous! :-)

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