tomatoes in a heated propagator

[uulwyn]

Hi all,

I am growing tomoatoes in a heated propagotor along with some alpine strawberries and all is well apart from the tomatoes are getting very leggy, is this normal and bending towards the light. I currently turn the prop around each day to counteract this, but ive taken some piccies so you can give your advice...or perhaps im just worrying unduly.

When the tommies have there third leave i will still be keeping them indoors but put them into a 9cm pot...

all advice welcomed

Steve

[bramble]

Have you taken the lid off during the day. Is this your first time growing toms. Its usual to sow each seed seperately in a small pot or module, that way you can take the new plant out as soon as it gerrminates. The propogator may be too warm for them or does it have a thermostat.
Sorry i can't be more helpful without more details.

[bramble]

Just thinking if you sowed them straight into the propagator your seedlings won't have any drainage so be very careful not to over water them.

[uulwyn]

Yeah sorry, no thermostat, just sown 10 seeds straight. I dont water them either as the condensation does that, to be honest, i might just turn the prop off, as I think it's too warm.

[rustylady]

Too warm, and not enough light. I sow my toms five to a three and a half inch pot. Then stand this in the propagator. Propagators have no drainage, and you do need some. At least if you stand pots in the prop the excess water drains into the base and you can tip it out.

[uulwyn]

So are my tommies done for then rusty?should i swtich it off and keep lid off it?

[YFS]

Hi

I bought a prop from b+q yesturday, for £10.

Put some peppers and toms in; hoping to take them out and put them on a friends windowsill, will they be ok without heat?
Its only a small prop, so what to put some more seeds in asap. But I strugle with not enough light, living in a terrace means Ihardly get any sun, and no greenhouse.

YFS

[piskieinboots]

So are my tommies done for then rusty?

possibly not, I would prick them out into 3" pots (one per pot) sinking them into the compost right up to their seed leaves. Take extra care NOT to hold by the stem as once this is damaged there is no come-back.

Grow them on in a cooler condition, maybe the windowsill - but don't close the curtains on them at night!

Don't worry tho as you have time to catch up with new sowings if these do turn their toes up

[YFS]

Hi

I am begining to think that a heated prop is a waste of money. If you havnt anywhere warm enough to put them, then they must stay in the propogator.
And its only small, and how much would it cost in electricity just to start early a try full of seeds, and keep them there for weeks/months, and it cant be outside in the sun, because the electric point is in the house.

YFS

[chris]

I'm sure I read on here that it's like 50p a year to run ?

I just stuck mine as soon as they've germinated on a window sil that's south facing (currently I've used up the whole kitchen window sil)... I also have some upstairs in a room that's not used, with the radiator only on the frost setting - it's south facing also, and they're doing fine (it's not particularly warm in there).

[Sanjo]

Hi

I am begining to think that a heated prop is a waste of money. If you havent anywhere warm enough to put them, then they must stay in the propogator.
And its only small, and how much would it cost in electricity just to start early a try full of seeds, and keep them there for weeks/months, and it cant be outside in the sun, because the electric point is in the house.

YFS

It's horses for courses really isn't it. By using the propagator you get an early start, especially for things like tomatoes. To get anything useful with the summer we have you would probably end up having to buy plants in, and then they wouldn't be entirely your own work would they.
Propagators are really only for giving a kick start and once things are germinated they can be moved out.
It doesn't have to be into the warm, as long as it's frost free with reasonable light. It's also best to sow into a pot or small tray for transferring the seedlings on.
I am assuming here that when you say a full tray you mean a big one? I may have misunderstood that bit but a pinch of seeds in a small pot goes a very long way.
Don't give up on it and don't get fed up with it all.
A lot of grapes on here both experienced and inexperienced will tinker with the timings for sowing, often going against the seed packet advice (not to mention each others!!) and that can only be done by using some form of heat to germinate the seeds before nature really intends them to start up.
Having done that (and I am guilty too) we then have the problem of keeping them going until it's time to plant them out.
The more excited we get because we are trying to hurry spring along, the worse the problem becomes because we end up with too much stuff needing too much care in too little space!!!!