I tried winter sowing here in Z6 for three years with wildly mixed results, probably because the temperature profiles were quite different each year. Some perennials did ok, but they were different ones each year. If I wait to see if WS tomato seedlings are going to thrive, it is several weeks past the date at which I should sow them under lights. So I gave up WS and now all my seeds are grown under lights.

I haven't had the greatest results with WS either; in all fairness, I've only tried it a couple of times so it could have been operator error; I did get good germination from some hardy perennials, but honestly it seems like more hassle to me than just starting seeds indoors.

Whatever works! Just so we get those wonderful homegrown tomatoes
each summer.

A proposal for a Tomato Datasheet

As an aid to choosing which tomatoes to grow this year, I mocked up an Excel datasheet containing abbreviated descriptions of the color, shape, size, season, growth type, parents, height, leaf type, yield, taste, origin and disease resistance of (so far) 500 varieties culled from reference books and web sites. So far it seems helpful, but I need your advice as to whether an expanded version would be uof use to the gardening community.

If you have a copy of Microsoft Excel and would be willing to let me know your opinion on this beta-test version, please send me a D-message with your email address and I will send you a copy of the Excel datasheet plus a Word file suggesting how to use it.

Here's my tomato list for 2017:

Juane Flammee
Mortgage Lifter
Rose
Rutgers
Mr. Stripey
Limbaugh's Legacy (maybe)
Better Boy
Black from Tula
Caspian Pink

I already have seeds of Mortgage Lifter, Rose, Rutgers, Mr. Stripey and Limbaugh's Legacy,
but have ordered the rest. Need to get them WS'd ASAP!!! Some of them will be planted
among my flowers this year.

Rita, have you grown the Jaune Flammees in a container or are they too big for that? This
is my first time for them and I'm not sure what to expect.

I've just started the Catalog Conga Line.
Using the trial version of the datasheet mentioned above, I found 43 tomatoes I fell in love with. Cutting the list to accommodate the space I actually have available was (groan) excruciating.
Anyway here it is ( I hope the others don't mind if a hybrid sneaks in ):
LARGE AND MEDIUM SIZED
Polish C, Nepal, Mountain Fresh Plus, Opalka, Waratah
Joe's Pink Oxheart, Dwarf Purple Heart, Summertime Gold
Pinapple, Lucky Cross, Adelaide Festival, Amazon Chocolate
SMALL AND CHERRY SIZED
Kimberley, Fourth of July, Husky Cherry Red, Kangaroo Paw Yellow,
Galina's Yellow, Bundaberg Rumball, Michael Pollan
- - - - - - - -
Hemo: Most suppliers list Jaune Flamme height as 5-6 ft and vigorous. I grew it a few years ago (in the ground) and as I recall it was well over the top of a 4-ft cage.

My tomato varieties:
La vie en Rose
Legend
Fuzzy Peach
Big Beef (Hybrid)
Peacevine
Mortgage Lifter

Thanks, Don. I'll put them in the ground.

Judy, you have some on your list that I'm not familiar with. Have to check them out!

Angie ask away I love to talk tomatoes!

The ice storm this weekend allowed me time to come up with a preliminary list for 2017:

Black
Brad's Black Oxheart
Carbon
Daniel Burson
Cherokee Purple

Yellow/Gold/Orange/Bi-color
Aunt Gerties Gold
Orange Russian #117
Tom's Yellow Wonder

Red Beefsteak/round/oblate, etc
Ashleigh
Zogola
India
Nepal
Red Penna
Russian Bogytar
K-2

Cherry
Pearly Pink Cherry or Black Cherry
Ambrosia Red

Pink Beefsteak/round/oblate, etc
Earl's Faux
Joe's Portuguese
Aunt Ginny's Purple
Bradley
Cowlick's Brandywine
Terhune
Marianna's Peace
Rebel Yell
Goliath
Heatherington Pink
Blue Ridge Mountain
Kolb
Marge's Polish Pride

Red Oxheart/Heart-shaped
Ernesto
Wes
Fish Lake Oxheart

Pink Heart
Annan Russian
Korol London
Tsar Kolokol
Hungarian Heart
Ludmilla's Pink Heart

In an effort to reduce inventory of older seeds deference is made to some old varieties that need to be refreshed. There is still room for a few "new to me" varieties. This list is first draft and will be refined down to 35 plants by February for seed starting in March. Peppers will get started mid-February, so time is creeping up on us.

Paul, it will be here before we know it! Nice list.

Hemophobic said:Here's my tomato list for 2017:

Juane Flammee
Mortgage Lifter
Rose
Rutgers
Mr. Stripey
Limbaugh's Legacy (maybe)
Better Boy
Black from Tula
Caspian Pink

I already have seeds of Mortgage Lifter, Rose, Rutgers, Mr. Stripey and Limbaugh's Legacy,
but have ordered the rest. Need to get them WS'd ASAP!!! Some of them will be planted
among my flowers this year.

Rita, have you grown the Jaune Flammees in a container or are they too big for that? This
is my first time for them and I'm not sure what to expect.

I don't have my list for this year done up yet as I do it when I sow my seeds.

I would think they are too big for container growing. They make big plants but oh such tasty tomatoes. I still haven't decided how many I will plant this coming year. Last year had 3 or 4 (now I forget which) and the year before only one.

I ordered cell packs today to start my seedlings in so am thinking of my tomato starting.

What does everyone use to start their seeds? I may do it different this since last year was such a disappointment.

I try to start tomatoes about 8 weeks before last frost (Mid-May). Herbs are about 6 weeks, and easier plants like cucumbers and squash about 4 weeks. I start a few plants such as rosemary, onions and leeks very early--usually early January for setting out in mid April to early May depending upon weather.

Claudia said:What does everyone use to start their seeds? I may do it different this since last year was such a disappointment.

Claudia -- do you mean "what growing medium" ? I just use Miracle Grow potting soil in 6-packs for most things, plant my seeds, moisten very thoroughly, cover with plastic wrap or a "dome" cover, and place in a warm area until the seeds sprout. There are some exceptions; I've had really good luck with starting more "difficult" seeds by planting in moist vermiculite, and, of course, there are some seeds that need "cold stratification." I initially grow the seedlings under fluorescent lights indoors, and then around April 15th (about 6 weeks before they can be planted outdoors here) I move them to my greenhouse - which is mostly unheated, unless the temp is going down near freezing at night, then I use a propane heater.

If you were new to seed starting last year, just look on it as a learning experience; might take a while to really get the hang of it, but starting seeds is now actually my favorite part of gardening! Just a couple more weeks and I'll be starting onion seeds!

Earlier I said my pepper start date is mid-February, but actually they begin the first week of February. Tomatoes will get seeded mid-February since I supply several nurseries with seedlings and they all like to have plants by mid to late April. The early planters often freeze out and then have to repurchase, but you can't convince them to wait.

I use plastic 6 paks, 1.5' X 1.5' X 2' deep to begin, using a soilless mix for the planting medium and put 4 or 5 seeds per section, so 20-30 seeds per 6-pak. Some use seed starting mix but I use whatever is cheap or on hand to start. It can be the pre-fertilized mix because it is so weak, but not the moisture retaining mix. So long as my luck holds (15 years without a problem) I will continue. At two true leaves, or 4 leaves...whenever there is time...I pot up individual plants into a single 2'X2'X2.5' deep plastic pots using the same soilless mixture as the seed starting.

They do get a little more weak liquid fertilizer during the growing period. The plants stay there until put outside to harden off. One nursery likes me to use larger 6-paks with one plant in each section so they can sell 6 plants at a time, but I like individuals better.

I plant outside in the garden around May 10 or whenever the weather looks like it will be OK. Our last average frost is around April 25, but that is an average, so beware the late frost. Better later than replanting; everything catches up anyway.

Paul, I SO agree with you in regard to not using the "moisture retaining mix" !! That stuff "sounds like" such a good idea... but just don't do it, IMO.

For WSing, I use regular packaged garden soil, usually Miracle Gro.

I have ordered much larger 6 pack cells than those I was using last year. I found those too small last year for my tomato seedlings since I did not transplant them before setting out in the garden. I am really hoping these bigger cellpacks do the trick.

My tomato plants turned out fine last season because I had plenty. Plenty of plants and plenty of tomatoes. But I learned my lesson that the cellpacks were too small for them.