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Old April 3, 2017   #11
Dewayne mater
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: DFW, Texas
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Many of us have a defacto "cold treatment" by the fact that where the young plants are growing, it is cool and too expensive or impractical to heat their area to ideal growth temps - probably in the 70s.
I fertilize small plants using a weak solution of Texas tomato food, usually on every other watering. The temps where they grow warm up as the outdoor temps warm up and when that happens, naturally, the growth rate accelerates. I also believe in letting the soil dry out because I don't think any tomato likes to be wet all the time and if they are, you encourage fungi to grow.

I'd say there is very likely more than one way to do raise seedlings that works very well. The key you want is plants big enough and with thick enough stalks to handle it when you put them outside where they are sure to face cool temps and high winds for a while - at least in my neck of the woods. So, since it hasn't been said here, I highly encourage the use of a fan to blow on the small plants. Gently at first and with increasing speeds as they get bigger and stronger. This encourages thick stalks.
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