The Early Tomato Sowing Thread

[SarzWix]

Allotment Joe, as is stated clearly in the initial post, this thread is for people who DO want to sow a few EARLY seeds. The fact that EARLY is stated in the title surely states that this is not the 'normal' sowing time?! As it also requests naysayers to start their own thread, I suggest that's what you do.
I would also recommend that you tone down your posts a little. The way you've replied to Sylvan is not acceptable on this forum, and nor is your reference to a Moderator's post being 'a feeble attempt at censorship'.

[CaroltheCarrot]

If people dont experiment and report their successes, and failures, how can we learn anything new?

[zazen999]

OK, assuming you DO keep them inside until summer.

That's 5 months of keeping a tomato plant in the house

Do you have any idea how big a task and how big a plant that will be - and add on a bit for it being leggy.

Yes - because many of us have done this for several years.

As mentioned in the first post - naysayers keep out!

If you'd rather a less feeble attempt at censorship, that can be arranged.

[Allotment Joe]

No, I'm far from being a serious grower, I'm an enthusiatic amateur with a lot of experience under my belt and I still maintain that it's irresponsible to encourage newcomers to growing to start on a project like this, with all it's potential pitfalls.

Syvlan, even my feeble math deduces that 3 month old plants outside in May were not sown in January.

Did you not have the late frosts in June last year that wiped a lot of plants out, I'd have thought in the Pennines you would have got them harder.

Oh yes, another pitfall to early sowing that no one has pointed out.

[zazen999]

They HAVE all been pointed out - in the past. Which is why the original thread asked naysayers to start their own thread.

[smc999]

Hmmm....
You need to lighten up and realise this thread is for people who want to experiment.
I put my tomato seeds in at the start of Feb last year and had my best crops ever (greenhouse and Outside). The seedlings were leggy but planting them deep as suggested worked fine so I planted up Paul Robeson, Ailsa Craig, Gardeners delight, Minibel, Red Cherry and German Red Strawberry. I also put in some chillies (Tobasco and Cayene) and tomatillo's. All have come through and are about 1-2" tall and just starting to get their first proper leaves. My courgette's planted on at the same time (4th January) are also just getting their first proper leaves.
All experimental and good fun.

[SarzWix]

How are late frosts in June a particular pitfall to early sowing?! Surely that is a danger to ALL tender plants, and young, soft seedlings more so than bigger plants which have had more hardening off time?! Please apply some logic to your arguments!

And nowhere in the opening post does it encourage ANYONE to do this, let alone new growers.

As has been stated on several occasions, please go and start another thread about this. Call it "Why I won't be sowing any early tomatoes" and then you can say it all to your heart's content....

[pigletwillie]

I start my main tomatoes in late february purely because they are of a size that 80 of them fit (just) in my greenhouse till late April when they go out into the tunnels.

I will however be starting a handful of cherry tomatoes today for planting in the heated greenhouse when the main batch have gone, I will as usual be sowing sungold.

The cherries are a great salad tomato and the main crop ones are normally for preserving, the fact that I can start picking the cherries even a week or two earlier is a boon when you compare the taste to shop bought ones.

[Allotment Joe]

So members are not allowed to speak their minds - only mods?

What sort of forum is this?

No wonder your junior members get disillusioned by the bullying tactics of your mods.

[zazen999]

So members are not allowed to speak their minds - only mods?

What sort of forum is this?

No wonder your junior members get disillusioned by the bullying tactics of your mods.

You are obviously completely missing the 'go start your own thread' angle.

Selective reading just for the purposes of ranting?

[Seahorse]

What sort of forum is this?

One that doesn't permit people to be rude and start petty arguments for their own amusement. Bye.

[Incy]

One that doesn't permit people to be rude and start petty arguments for their own amusement. Bye.

Did you do the deed Seahorse
I was about to point out that I had a fantastic crop of alicante's last year, ready from May onwards from plants that accidently self seeded in October. Which makes January sowing seem rather late really

[SarzWix]

*sigh* I hate it when my really good arguments get ignored...

In other news...
I'm thinking of starting a handful of early plants for the heated greenhouse, but can't decide which varieties to go for. I think Sungolds are definitely in the short-list because they crop quickly, and can stand a lower temp than some. But what would be a good standard sized variety to try? My 'Shirley' all got used up last year, and don't really want any more F1s. Has anyone tried Bloody Butcher as an early?

[Incy]

Sarz, I started my Bloody Butchers around this time last year and they did really well considering they were in pots. If I remember rightly they were cropping from Late may/early June and thus we had a good crop before the blight hit.

[SarzWix]

Fab! Thanks hun, Sungold and Bloody Butcher it is then