Tomatoes

[BigstU]

I was hoping that I could get some advice on germing tom seeds as they have always failed on me in previous attempts. I then end up buying young plants to grow on.
I'm usually quite succesful at growing fruit and veg, but growing toms from seeds is defeating me.

Please can anyone help me

[Lesley Jay]

How are you sowing the tomato seeds?

[wellie]

BigstU,
Lesley's question does say it all, because if you're sowing them in the compost too deep, they'll run out of puff before they reach the top....
Too cold a temperature and they may just sit where they are and rot.
Too dry compost, well, there we go.
Patience is also a virtue, because many a time I have given up on seeds thinking that they've been germinating 'forever', and actually, it's not been nearly that long, and they suddenly pop up out of nowhere!
Or not...!
I'm really doing my best to be positive here!
Perhaps you'd give us a little bit more of a clue as to where you've got them germinating and stuff?

[marketestalls]

Hello BigStu

I just set mine away a couple of weeks ago and they are sprouting nicely. I saved up a few big jars from coffee etc - with lids. Then all I do is lie them on their sides, put some wet kitchen roll in the bottom and sprinkle the seeds on top. Best in a sunny place - and this year I rested the jars on a heat tray which I had previously used in winemaking experiments.

Hope this helps - good luck!

marketestalls

www.marketestalls.com - the Farmers Market Online
www.farmersmarketforum.co.uk

[TPeers]

Always date your sowings, then you know how long you have waited. I get so impatient for seeds to grow that two days after putting them in I feel like I have been waiting forever. If you date your label it is much easier to be sufficiently patient.

Also how old is your seed, tomato seed doesn't seem to keep to well (for me at least) you might need fresh, new seed. Vermiculite or similar on top of the seed, I get better germination if the covering layer is light and not compacted.

I'm curious, what varieties are you growing, I couldn't grow any last year as I was unable to get out into the garden, so I need to stagger out and get new seed myself - I'd love to know what is popular this year, I'm the only one of our family who eats toms (or gardens for that matter - his answer to me unable to garden - get a gardener!)

Should be better this year, good luck with your toms

Terry

[smallblueplanet]

Hi TP, I daren't list the 18 varieties we're growing. And I think on the veggie forum there's a thread where a Grape (in Spain) is growing 30-odd types!!!

I think maybe you should try some black toms - Black Prince and Black Krim are good starts (I think there's also a Black Cherry (salad size) variety too).

Garden Pearl are very good tasty doers and are good for pots/hanging baskets.

I really liked an red tom called Matina last year - just a very 'tomatoey' taste.

But there's so many, and your growing conditions will affect how they taste, there is plenty of opportunity to experiment.

[TPeers]

I've never tried a black tom, sounds fun! Are they indoor or outdoor varieties?

Terry

[smallblueplanet]

Depends which variety you try!

Black Prince were okay outdoors here last year.

[LostthePlot]

I think if it's to warm for them they try to be 3' tall before they can walk and too cold and they sit and do nothing. Also the right amount of light plays a good part because they like to race towards the light so a good, all round lit position is best, unless you can turn them on a regular basis. Also I found they if they do race ahead of themselves they do okay if they are repositioned further down the pot. HTH's

[Flummery]

I tried Russian Black one year. They grew well into large toms but they tasted of nowt at all! A great disappointment all round. I think a tom needs some acidity to balance the sweetness or they just come over as very bland. I do HATE a bland tom! Favourite is still Green zebra. It's an old variety so you can save the seeds.

[BigstU]

Thankyou for everyones help on this subject. Just to make things a little clearer on my original post, I was wanting to find out how you all germ your toms.

I am now on my second germ of toms, the 1st germ a couple of weeks ago being 50% successful. I planted 2 seeds in compost and 2 seeds in root riot cubes. Placed both into clear pastic bags and left on a windowsill. The ones sown in the root riot cubes germed on the 7th day. Still waiting for the soil ones.
The second germ was just done with the RR cubes and today the 6th day I have life.

From now on I'm using the root riot cubes for tom seed germing.

[JennieAtkinson]

Well done BigStu - whats a root riot cube??? Never heard of one of them before!

[sez]

I'm only a year into this growing things malarky but i've never had any trouble with toms. I sprinkle the seed onto damp compost in a seed tray, sprinkle a light coating of compost on top of that, and pop them in an unheated propagator (or cover them in a plastic bag). Mine are on the windowsill above a radiator.