Quote:
Originally Posted by sageib
Hi Tomatoville,
I am a new member, and here is my first question. I start my tomato seeds the first week of February, indoors, in SE Michigan, using high intensity T-5 fluorescent grow lights. The plants grow very well, and are literally 30 inches tall, and are fairly sturdy and stocky by the time they go into the garden in late May. Most seed companies indicate their time to harvest from the time the transplants first go into the garden soil. So, given my plants are almost 15 weeks old from seed to garden, shouldn't these plants produce tomatoes sooner than plants that are 6 to 8 weeks old from seed to transplanting in the garden?
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I heard my name mentioned...
Short answer, yes.
Firstly, DTM is much more accurate from germination to first ripe fruit. From Set out means too much variability. Imo Of course a healthy 15 week old plant properly hardened off and blooming will fruit sooner.
There’s more than one way to grow tomatoes
don’t believe anybody who says there isn’t.
well grown large blooming transplants planted out at the correct time, not early will definarely allow a short season grower to harvest tomatoes sooner and over a longer season. A greenhouse or good cold frame helps tremendously along with the dedication to care for the seedlings for a longer period of time.
The secret is they do not go in the garden early. They go in when it is reliably warm, in my area that is the end of May for plants sown about the 20 of March and they are grown in large enough pots and fertilized. Minimum 1litre, pref 1 gallon
I reliably have at least some ripe full sized tomatoes by the second week in July
Until frost.
Northern gardeners who follow the traditional wisdom of planting out small non blooming transplants at the end of May will not be able to grow most good mid season tomatoes well or will not have ripe fruit until mid -late August and frost is then a threat. If you limit yourself to early varieties it’s not so important (which many northern gardeners do) but I don’t enjoy them and much prefer the huge selection of mid season beauties.