That's great. Mat-Su is a very fast grower. Mine have leaves right now as big as my hand.

And since I'm guessing it might be a little chilly where you live, I can't tell if it is Mat-Su specifically, or just a PL thing, because my Rebel Yell look the same, but they don't like being cold, especially when in a small container. As container size goes up, I think they will tolerate colder low temps at night.

Banadoura you can place them into a potting mix now. I would. Potting mix is cheaper than seed starting mix. Just make sure that it does not stay too wet. I try to avoid those mixes that have "moisture control" in them. They just seem to stay too wet for me and my tomatoes.

@Cole_Robbie Fast growing is great to hear, they will be ready in time for transplant outside around the end of May.

@MissS Excellent! I don't have enough seeds starting mix, so when the time comes I'll mix what I have with potting soil and repot. Thanks!

May 5 Update
 

MSE germination rate 100%, the 6th fella sprouted shortly after its buddies, alas with a tough helmet that I am still working on.

Bought some blue fertilizer for liquid feeding, first use on May 1, next will be tomorrow. I am scared of over watering so I am trying to keep 4-5 days in between. Using 1/8 tsp per 500ml water bottle.

[img]http://i.imgur.com/pa73Wf4.jpg[/img]

While the mix feels dry on the surface, sticking my thumb deeper feels like there's still moisture...I wonder if the lack of feeding explains the weird coloring on the ISPL's leaf:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/JAzMcB7.jpg[/img]

Plant looks strong and healthy, my guess is this leaf was the victim of pre-feeding and stayed that way.

Last but not least, the only Cherokee Purple that sprouted out of 4 seeds doesn't seem too happy! I am starting to think there will be no CP tasting this summer :cry:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/luujcji.jpg[/img]

There's always a small hope it will survive!

It's been raining here for 4-5 days per week, every week, a miserable April and May. I get the feeling summer will never show up :?

Your leaf discoloration is from lack of nutrients. Feeding them will help them to recover their color. You might want to double the dose of fertilizer for this next feeding and if you have some Epsom Salts on hand you can add 1 tablespoon to the gallon.

Your poor little Cherokee Purple may kick in, but it will take awhile. You just might be able to find a better specimen at your local garden center.

@MissS thank you, I appreciate your input!
When lower leaves (not cotyledons ) wither and fall, would you know what that indicates?

I am always a bit worried about over/under watering them, do you measure the quantity and follow a strict timeline?

DO NOT water on a schedule, especially in containers. That leads to under - or worse - over-watering.

Learn how to read your plants so that you know when they're too dry. Or pick up a moisture meter. They're cheap.

Yep, knowing when to water is a good trick to learn. The container will feel very light. If you can feel any moisture with your finger, it probably doesn't need water yet. Right before wilting is ideal, I think. A little wilting is easier to recover from than consistent over-watering.

I agree. No I do not stick to any type of watering schedule. The frequency changes all of the time depending on humidity, temperatures and amount of light. The plants will also need more frequent watering as their roots grow and fill the pots.

To start to learn when you need to water, fill an extra pot with the same mix that you have your plants in. Do not water it. Use it as a measure for how the pot weighs in your hand as opposed to those that hold your plants. When your plant pots become almost as light in weight as your empty control pot, then it is time to water your plants. I agree with Cole Robbie in that it is better for your plants to wilt than to be over-watered.

I think that your yellowing leaves are most likely from over-watering. Keep them on the dry side and they will recover.

Update May-12
 

I removed the notion of watering schedule from my head and currently working on feel and watering in small amounts accordingly in order to avoid overdoing it.

Fertilizer is at 1/4 tsp per small bottle of water (500 ml).

I did buy a moisture meter but returned it the day after. I mean as a test I put it in a container full of water and it barely touched the moist part! Maybe it was designed for smarter people :lol:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/Kph10Lt.jpg[/img]

My one and only Cherokee Purple simply gave up and died.

I have no idea why!!! It was watered with fertilizer and it was never transplanted or anything, I must have missed something.

My local nursery is advertising blue tomatoes which from this forum is nothing to rave about. No replacement available so tasting CP won't happen this year.

RIP CP :cry:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/0bJfSXx.jpg[/img]

There is one item that is baffling, some plants look really healthy with their new growth, yet their lower leaves whither and drop.

How would you explain that? :?!?:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/MyfL396.jpg[/img]

Your plants are yellowing from lack of nutrients. Increase the amount of fertilizer and feed them again. This time wet the soil a little more than usual and then allow them to dry out. You might also want to add some Epsom Salts to your mix. Epsom Salts are a great source of magnesium which will green up your plants quite rapidly. Use 1 tablespoon to each gallon of water.

I'm sorry to hear about your CP. Sometimes these things happen. Hopefully a little more nutrients will prevent your leaf drop. If it happens again try to post a picture of the leaf before it becomes too dried up for anyone to be able to see what is happening.

[QUOTE=Banadoura;639117]I did buy a moisture meter but returned it the day after. I mean as a test I put it in a container full of water and it barely touched the moist part! Maybe it was designed for smarter people :lol:[/QUOTE]

Maybe designed for more literal people... ;)

Moisture meters are designed to stick into dirt, not into water. They either don't work, or work very poorly, in water. They don't test for the conductivity of the probed medium - there is no power source inside - but (AIUI) the galvanic potential between the two dissimilar metals: the shaft and the tip. (This is a bit outside my understanding; a corrosion engineer is needed. But I believe it needs poor conductivity to work.) I bet if you had tried sticking it into moist and dry dirt you would have seen it working nicely.

Go get it back.

BTW, always wipe and dry the probe. If you leave it wet or dirty it will ruin the meter.

And good on you for getting away from a schedule!

@DM I swear I tried the meter in soil first, watered a pot and left it there for 5 mins and it barely budged. That's why I stuck in water :lol:

@MissS I panicked this afternoon when I saw a couple of plants unable to stand straight. I think I am underestimating their appetite so I will be doing exactly that: moist the soil more than usual.

For Epsom Salts, do you recommend a particular brand ?
Thanks!