I never start them this early. They grow too fast. I won't wintersowsow them for another couple of months. I don't transplant into the garden until mid May.

Karen

I'm going to restrain myself from starting too soon this year. It's hard to find a place for them indoors when they get really big. I will start some petunias and other annuals early so that they blossom before it gets too late to enjoy them.

My New Year's resolution (well, one of them) is also to restrain myself from starting my seeds under lights too early. I go by the seed-package recommendation that says for example "start 4-6 weeks before last frost" and because I'm insecure I start by the earlier date and then often have large seedlings thronging my seed trays that I have to pot up 'way ahead of my possible plant-out date. Why do the seed-people give such a large range of timing?

Me too! I haven't even placed any seed orders yet... probably a good thing

Same NY's resolution and I haven't placed any seed orders yet, either. Seems we're all on the same wavelength. I traditionally place my first seed order on New Years day and I'm off and rolling. Haven't even compiled them yet...

this is my mini greenhouse BEFORE i get it set up for seeds. my wife takes it over as soon as i take the lights off.

i bought that from swww.farmtek.com for about $59.00

i edited this because i forgot to add the picture so here it is.

I admire all of you who have managed to resist the call of the seed catalogues. In spite of the fact I didn't REALLY need anything, I still managed to place 3 or 4 seed orders.

Now my challenge is to not start things too early. Last year about made me crazy--with our cold spring, I just couldn't start moving things outdoors to harden them off.

I do need to get my wintersowing started though. Will hold off until next month before starting anything indoors.

i ususally start my tomatoes 8 weeks before my last frost date which is may 15th but i still wiat until june 1st to put them outside for good.

I started those two APS-12 trays of begonias, but that's all. Last year my impatiens took forever and and day to sprout, so I'll not wait too long to sow them this year.

I've bought just a few packs of seeds from 2 sites so far.

For Wintersowing, I'm still in the "thinking about" mode.

Karen

Nice-looking greenhouse, herbie.

I'm going to wintersow my tomatoes again this year. Easy peasy.

Karen

Hi Karen:
When did you winter sow your tomatoes? How far ahead of when you set them out in the garden I'm assuming a week of hardening them off?
Thanks!

Emily, it depends on what the weather is doing (and what I'm doing) each year. Most of the time I guess I do tomatoes around early to mid March. I found that starting them inside gave me bigger plants to babysit and plant out, but I didn't get fruit any earlier. So I just wintersow them now.

If you wintersow them, I'd recommend this tip that I got from a GardenWeb friend. Sow them in big cups, like 16 oz. size. Thin to one plant/cup. As they grow, rather than transplanting, just keep adding a little more soil to the top of the cup. Quick and easy, and the plant just keeps getting buried deeper.

Here are my tiny WSown tomatoes when planted out


Same plants in August


Karen

WOW

Yes, Franklin, wintersown tomatoes can WOW you.

In spring, while weather is cool, they do stay tiny in their cups. I add more soil to the top to the top of the cup so that they can grow roots from the stem too. When I plant them out in mid May they're usually tiny but they have awesome roots even then. As the summer heat arrives they grow like crazy. I've had no real problem with disease in them either. They're really healthy buggers.

Karen

Karen, those are some good-looking tomato vines! Which varieties did you winter sow, if I may ask? I also appreciate the tips and timeline advice. Think I'm going to aim for mid-March to WS my 'mater seeds--our last day of average frost here is May 25th and the soil doesn't warm up until June.
Last year I did not WS tomatoes but grew them under lights, and you're right, I ended up transplanting them 2-3 times before I could set them out and it was a drag.

I like the suggestion to use those big cups, too.
Sorry to hijack the "setup thread"! I always learn so much about all sorts of things on the seed-starting cubit!

I grew a a couple of each
Snow White- yellow cherry tomato, very sweet
Matina- good, small, red early variety
Aussie- huge red, late tomatoes. I didn't find them that flavorful.
Beefsteak- another large, red, late one. Tasted OK I thought, but not the best I ever tasted.

I do like to have at least one early variety so I start getting fruit earlier. The Matina are just 58 DTM and, though small, have a good flavor. I think they have a much better taste than Early Girl.

The Aussie and Beefsteak were my husband's choice. He wants big, red tomatoes. Black, yellow, orange, or cherry types are too different for him. 'nuff said there.

Karen

Thank you, Karen!! Love the idea of having two new tomatoes I haven't tried: Snow White and an early variety like Matina. I'll probably put in some heirlooms, too. I like the colorful ones--I don't see why heirlooms shouldn't WS as well as the F1 Hybrids, do you?
--Emily, who is staying inside by the 'puter today because it's 'way cold and icy outside!

Yes, Emily, heirlooms wintersow well, too. For wintersowing purposes, it's pretty much a tomato is a tomato is a tomato. A zinnia is a zinnia is a zinnia, etc

There are just a few exceptions to that. Sometimes, within a given genus or species plants can vary a lot.
e.g. euphorbia- there are some that are hardy to a given zone, while others are annual. So it helps to know what you have to start with.

Karen

wow is right Karen.. just tells me I need better soil... my self seeded ones were not that nice

I did amend that soil a lot. We built the frames for new raised beds 2 years ago in fall. Added a few inches of "topsoil", i.e. crappy clay. I added my homemade compost, lots of grass clippings and fall leaves, straw, whatever, ala lasagna garden. That once nasty clay soil was awesome.

I always have added compost to my tomato beds, almost every year. Again last fall I added grass clippings and lots of leaves and some straw. It will shrink a lot by planting time and I'll add more. I just don't think you can ever have enough organic matter. Oh yeah, and I keep it pretty organic. I don't use chemical ferts, only more earth friendly ones, and I don't generally use pesticides.

Karen