tomato seed leaves

[brownfingers]

As I say, I do shade them when the sun is fierce to prevent leaf burn, but I suppose it may not keep the temperatures down enough.

[brownfingers]

I has been out and got me some luvvrly tomato plants. First off, I saw some Shirleys at 45p each. Nice healthy plants, grown in vending cups. I reckon they must have been sown in these pots. They are about 8"high and nice and stocky. The compost is absolutely sodden, so why have they not succumbed to damping off?
Later on I saw some even better plants for 50p each, so got some of them too. They were in very small pots and were very dry, but the plants were superb. Even though the pots were very small, the roots were not compacted as I would have expected. If I had kept plants of this size in pots so small and so dry, they would have kicked the bucket ages ago. So whats the secret these guys know thats elluding me?

[veggiechicken]

They've thrown away the dying plants before you saw them?

[redser]

They were probably only a day or two a way from the bin! Toms are very very tough and actually hard to kill

[brownfingers]

Hard to kill eh?
I've been struggling to keep my seedlings alive for more than a couple of weeks. It's not the fact that I'm losing them, it's the fact that I can't fathom out the cause. I usually have more than I can handle and give loads away.

The ones I've bought today are certainly not bin fodder, they are some of the best plants I've seen around.

[brownfingers]

I've had a novel thought. All varities I've tried have failed miserably over several attempted sowings. I've tried different composts and different levels of watering. I've tried different locations. I've backlit with tinfoil, and I've just kept turning the plants. No joy. I get them to 2 or 3 weeks old and the seed leaves die just after the first true leaves show properly. The seedlings then seem to stand still, then the true leaves start to go manky around the edges. Even some seedlings given by a mate set off well, but have now decided to play tommy act daft.

Now for the novel thought. Could my hands be producing some natural secretion which toms don't like?Usually I have great success with them, but this year is totally unfathomable.

The only other thing I can think of is the water itself ........ I've used tap water rather than from the water butt.

Or possibly over compaction when transplanting /potting up.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I always use tap water for seedlings, don't now why just do.

I do know from experience that if you smoke and don't wash your hands this can have a bad effect on toms.

[brownfingers]

Nah, dont smoke.

[brownfingers]

Since buying some fine specimens in, I decided to move all my toms out of the house and into the greenhouse to take their chances. 2 days later and they look different plants. All the newest true leaves are pointing directly upwards, almost closed together. How does that work then? Could it be something in the atmosphere inside the house that they dont like.

[RaptorUK]

Since buying some fine specimens in, I decided to move all my toms out of the house and into the greenhouse to take their chances. 2 days later and they look different plants. All the newest true leaves are pointing directly upwards, almost closed together. How does that work then? Could it be something in the atmosphere inside the house that they dont like.

They need time to acclimatize, especially to the evening temperatures . . . would have been better to just put them in the GH during the day for a few days to "harden off" . . .

[brownfingers]

They look deleriously happy this morning. I just hope they get a jog on now and get some timber on, even if I only give them away.

[Kristen]

I always use tap water for seedlings, don't now why just do

I use tap water on seedlings as it is "sterilised", so to speak. Rain water collects all sorts of muck off the roof etc. and seedlings, like babies, don't have much in the way of an immune system.

Bit tricky for anything that is ericaceous though as we have hard water