The 2013 Early Tomato Sowing Thread

[SarzWix]

I'm not mooning/lunaring/biodynamicing or bushing, just sowing 'a few' of the varieties I'll be sowing more of in Feb/March

[Aberdeenplotter]

I'm not mooning/lunaring/biodynamicing or bushing, just sowing 'a few' of the varieties I'll be sowing more of in Feb/March

spoilsport

[veggiechicken]

Glad to hear it Sarz - its a bit cold out tonight

[Paulieb]

I WAS going to be 'sensible' and not sow any toms till March, but after reading this thread I think that may change.

If I can sneak it past SWMBO then I'll be sowing 3 seeds of Kibits (which I put in the tom seed swap, as they were super early last year, which should make the most of the effort and care to get them through to 'greenhouse time' in April.

[lottie dolly]

I to will take the challenge this new year,will have a sort of seeds later on,when i been to bed,

[SarzWix]

Just sown half a dozen each of Amish Paste, Auntie Madge's, and Purple Plum. All quite old seeds so not expecting full germination, one or two of each will do Also sown Red Giant Onions and a bunch of chillis .

[Incy]

I'm in too. Bloody Butcher's, PW french Blacks, Black Russian, Ananas noire and summer cider were all sown on the 30th

[binley100]

Well thats the Rio Grande and now Salt spring sunrise germinating .....got a couple of empty spaces in the germination room . I shall have to fill them ........cos it'd be rude not too.

[Garden Bean]

Hi,
I grew tomatoes for the first time last year (sown in mid-January). I left them as house plants as they all managed to hold onto something or another near the window to prop themselves up. They have given me a good crop but what has surprised me is they are still very much alive, still flowering and fruiting one year on. Not having grown tomatoes before means I don't know if this is normal - any ideas if fruits will keep on coming as it seems a shame to bin these to start new seeds if this is the case?

[Paulieb]

Hi,
I grew tomatoes for the first time last year (sown in mid-January). I left them as house plants as they all managed to hold onto something or another near the window to prop themselves up. They have given me a good crop but what has surprised me is they are still very much alive, still flowering and fruiting one year on. Not having grown tomatoes before means I don't know if this is normal - any ideas if fruits will keep on coming as it seems a shame to bin these to start new seeds if this is the case?

In a favorable climate tomatoes are perennials. However in a greenhouse in the UK they are not, and as its easy enough to start new from seed every year, thats what generally happens.

However, as with chillis if you can spare the indoor space and time to care for them they can technically be overwintered and should keep cropping (or go dormant for a few months and come to life again in the spring).

You could also take cuttings in Feb/Mar from this plant to make some new young plants for this summer.

[Farmer_Gyles]

i'll be joining in just as soon as i've finished the decorating .... SWMBO won't let me in the garden to get the seed trays until then ....

[chris]

I'll be sowing a couple tomatoes today. I've found a VERY (in capital and bold letters - so the packet says) early bush tomato from Russia in my seed stash, I have no idea where I got it from - can't remember the name, Ur<something>. So I'll sow two of those, and 2 more of another 2 varieties that I've forgotten what are (but they're at the start of my seed box). The rest, I think I'm going to wait until later - I usually end up doing the VVG thing and having 40 odd plant pots all over the house (though, I believe that VVG had twice this amount ).

edit: tonight probably, when I'm back from work!

I'm also going to sow some aubs, I've a couple of tricks up my sleeve so trump bins, so fingers crossed, though I believe that she is already a week ahead of me!

[lottie dolly]

OK,done
1 seed per little pot .....rio grande x 2
1 seed per pot britain's breakfast x 2

pics to follow


here we go,it now is enclosed in a polly bag until the seeds pop up,the square pot is a few celariac seeds,thanks bins for planting the idea in my head

[VirginVegGrower]

I'll be sowing a couple tomatoes today. I've found a VERY (in capital and bold letters - so the packet says) early bush tomato from Russia in my seed stash, I have no idea where I got it from - can't remember the name, Ur<something>. So I'll sow two of those, and 2 more of another 2 varieties that I've forgotten what are (but they're at the start of my seed box). The rest, I think I'm going to wait until later - I usually end up doing the VVG thing and having 40 odd plant pots all over the house (though, I believe that VVG had twice this amount ).

edit: tonight probably, when I'm back from work!

I'm also going to sow some aubs, I've a couple of tricks up my sleeve so trump bins, so fingers crossed, though I believe that she is already a week ahead of me!

I cannot help it!

[Chalk_Heart]

I've sown three Sweet Million in my tray of pots on top of the rabbit hutch in the corner of the lounge. Last year I chucked them outside when they got to a foot tall and largely neglected them and they did rather well (I neglected to harvest them in time though).