Growing some early toms 2018

[bramble]

Potted on my tomato plants this afternoon.
All growing well so far.
Cerise..2
Heartlands Yellow Gooseberry...2
Sweet Millions...2
Sweet Aperitif...2
Ricotta...1
North Pole...4
Kumato...2
Demidov...4
Peace Vine...2
Salisaw Cafe...1
Black Mauri....1
Peremoga...2
Minibell...3...
Buryzten...2.
I will probably keep just one of each but I will wait and see how well they grow.

[Scarlet]

How my little balconi reds are doing today -

[ATTACH=CONFIG]78492[/ATTACH]

Have you got grow lights or did you just repot deep?

[Scarlet]

Little Bartholomew is doing quite nicely as well.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]78499[/ATTACH]

Next year we might all be trying the variety "found seedling SP"

[It never rains..it pours]

Would anyone be able to advise how long it takes toms to grow from seed to the size (say 7" tall not including pot) of a garden centre brought plant. Plan plant early march and they will be in a light/warm (when not raining) conservatory. Ask as not grown from seed before and wondering on dates compared to brought tom plants last year

[Jungle Jane]

Have you got grow lights or did you just repot deep?

Ive got grow lights but these balconi reds are tiny miniature plants

[Jungle Jane]

Would anyone be able to advise how long it takes toms to grow from seed to the size (say 7" tall not including pot) of a garden centre brought plant. Plan plant early march and they will be in a light/warm (when not raining) conservatory. Ask as not grown from seed before and wondering on dates compared to brought tom plants last year

What varieties are you growing out of interest? If you sow the seed around the middle of March they’ll be roughly 7” by May,this photos from May 6th,the tomatoes look about 7”?

[veggiechicken]

Garden centre plants will have been raised in "ideal conditions" for heat and light - "forced" maybe?
Also may depend on whether they're cordon or bush tomatoes.

My seedlings would be in their final positions by the time they're 7" high.

[It never rains..it pours]

[QUOTE=Jungle Jane;1579059]What varieties are you growing out of interest? If you sow the seed around the middle of March they’ll be roughly 7” by May,this photos from May 6th,the tomatoes look about 7”?

Thank you JJ. That means if I plant 1st March then should be like your picture in early May, less sun here - I know as use to live in Essex.
Is the white sheet to increase light to back of plants ?
Have brought Gardners Delight, Shirley F1, Montecarlo F1, Alisa Craig & Alicante seeds

[Jungle Jane]

Nice tomato choices! First of March is really early in March,you could wait a couple more weeks so they’re not too tall in May if you need to carry them in & out? If you’ve less light than where I am would they get leggy if starting earlier,although it’s not that much difference in days. That white sheets silver on the other side,it’s the thing you put behind radiators to reflect the heat back in the house. It was just to get the early morning sun,all the plants were going outside in the day & back in at night waiting for decent temperatures to plant out

[It never rains..it pours]

Thank you for the advice JJ & VC. Only hope here is behind glass ie today conservatory and greenhouse were 20C, outside was a cold strong wind. Aparagus seeds planted dec 16 grew well in them and can safely say were a better result that the brought crowns. However Toms may need more light ? will try the radiator heat reflector myself

I have a spare swing arm desk lamp and wondered if I put something like the below in, it would light my basic 40 cell seed propagator on dull days when seeds up in March ?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spectrum-Ef.../dp/B071J3BC1W

Ps my tomato choices were dictated by the supplier write ups, time will tell if they were honest

[veggiechicken]

I started my early toms a few weeks ago and they're growing on, quite happily, on the bedroom windowsill. They're all varieties that stay small so they won't outgrow their space too quickly.
GH temps can be misleading. Mine is up in the 30s/40s in the day and is -1.7 at the moment. Toms need a minimum temp of about 10 overnight. We're a long way off that.

[It never rains..it pours]

Thanks for the advice VC, thats a large temperature range. Here greenhouse range lately has been max 20c and min 0c. Rare to see a minus this winter in greenhouse, suppose being near sea helps or doesnt if want bugs killed. Conservatory range 20c to 5c as has radiator set low. Think if put in conservatory before work and bring in house after work they wont drop below 10c. Also read florescents okish as grow light so have put in a 35w coil bulb, in desk lamp, had lying about when replaced with lcd which hope will do for this first attempt at tom seeds

[Jungle Jane]

Balconi reds having a drink by the window like a nice day out,I put a bit of seaweed feed in the water. They're just over one month old now & theres a few French marigolds next to them sowed on the same day.

[Scarlet]

Photo of one of mine so far....I need to pot them up really. I want to bury them a little deeper...but they are growing nice and slow and aren’t getting too leggy.
Halms Gelbe Topftomate

[Scoot]

I sowed a load of Gardener's Delight seeds (about 30-40) last week because they were old seed and i wanted to know if they would germinate and if not I would know to buy some more. Over the weekend about 20 of them came up. Considering i only want about 5 or 6 plants of Gardener's Delight, I think i may have to throw some out.