Direct Sowing into EB's

Cactusman · July 1, 2007

I'm going to try something new today, at least for me it will be. I'm going to sow seeds directly into EB's where mature tomatoes are still growing. I intend to remove the older plants when the seedlings are about 3-4 weeks old. My reasons for wanting to try this are: #1- I don't want to set up my seed starting paraphenalia inside the house in midsummer. #2- The partial shade of the older plants should provide a hospitable environment for the seedlings. #3- There will be no transplant shock. And believe me, setting out seedlings into the extreme heat of late August or early September in Texas is a real shock for anything except cactus. Has anyone else tried this and how did it work out? Paul

dcarch · July 1, 2007

Welcome to T.Ville

I have always been curious about sowing seeds directly in ground.

I seem to have noticed that (unconfirmed observation) volunteer seedling appears to have more vigor and better resistance to diseases.

Could it be that for those seedlings that survive damping-off and other elements actually develop some degree of immunity?

I often feel that current practice of starting seeds in sterile environment will produce progressively weaker next generations.

dcarch

Worth1 · July 2, 2007

WHAT you don’t have a room set aside just for seed starting, shame on you.

I keep mine in a room all year long.

But seriously, starting seeds in the ground is done more than you would think.
I have done it and it works fine in the summer for fall plants.

BUT, what I would worry about is if the plant you put the seed next to is diseased and thusly transfers over to the young plant and kills it off quickly.

Worth

biermaster · July 2, 2007

I tried it in a Fax EB and 4 out of the 6 started without problems. I planted heavy 6 seeds per box and most came up. The two that didn't show were in a different planting mix that was more peat than the others. I did this as it is too hot here for my normal small peat pot green house. I normally cut back my plants for the monsoon season but these EB had plants that I had pulled as they were showing the heat and fading fast so I pulled them. I will thin them in about another week. I still have time for them to set and turn if we have our normal?? frost date of the 25th of Oct.

Suze · July 2, 2007

Paul,

Yes, I've started seeds outside before for fall crop and even direct sowed when doing so a time or two.

My experience is that results are preferable when started inside because the seedlings can get awfully lanky when grown in hot weather. Hot temps cause a young seedling to strongly favor top growth over root growth. So, you can end up with poor root stucture as well. Then there's pest and disease considerations. Bugs tend to do a lot more damage to tender little seedlings than larger plants.

All things considered, I prefer to carefully harden them off later than try to start them outside.

Also (you may be aware of this), TX A&M lists direct sowing for fall as an option in their fall gardening guide. Keep in mind though that many of the varieties they recommend folks grow are determinate (not indet). Also, while I think they provide a lot of useful information in general, keep in mind that many of their findings are based on commercial/larger scale growing situations, and so their advice on culture and variety recommendations tends to reflect that at times.

If you try it, be sure and post back on your results.

biermaster · July 2, 2007

Thanks for the guide and the ideas I did this once last year for some grape tomatoes and they did very well. So nothing ventured, I will see what happens.

Rena · July 3, 2007

I grow almost all my plants in pots. This year I just took volunteers that had started at the bottom. There were so many that they looked like sprouts!

honu · July 8, 2007

Paul,
I often direct sow things other than tomatoes into large pots, usually soaking seeds for a day or more, sometimes until seeds start to sprout. Then I cover the seed w/ high peat mix like Jiffy Mix (to retain moisture), mulch well w/ wet brown paper bags, then cover that area w/ some plastic, to keep it from drying out. Have the pots hooked up to drippers on a timer to water daily to make sure the surface does not dry out.
As an alternative to setting up your indoor seed starting equipment or direct sowing, can you start them outdoors in a patio or other cooler shady area during summer? I do that all the time, as I don't own any indoor seed set up equipment.

July 2, 2007	#4
biermaster Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Tucson,Az Posts: 58	Direct sowing I tried it in a Fax EB and 4 out of the 6 started without problems. I planted heavy 6 seeds per box and most came up. The two that didn't show were in a different planting mix that was more peat than the others. I did this as it is too hot here for my normal small peat pot green house. I normally cut back my plants for the monsoon season but these EB had plants that I had pulled as they were showing the heat and fading fast so I pulled them. I will thin them in about another week. I still have time for them to set and turn if we have our normal?? frost date of the 25th of Oct. __________________ Freedom doesn't mean you can do as you want but to do what is "right"

July 2, 2007	#6
biermaster Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Tucson,Az Posts: 58	Direct sowing Thanks for the guide and the ideas I did this once last year for some grape tomatoes and they did very well. So nothing ventured, I will see what happens. __________________ Freedom doesn't mean you can do as you want but to do what is "right"

July 1, 2007	#1
Cactusman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: San Marcos,TX Posts: 1	Direct Sowing into EB's I'm going to try something new today, at least for me it will be. I'm going to sow seeds directly into EB's where mature tomatoes are still growing. I intend to remove the older plants when the seedlings are about 3-4 weeks old. My reasons for wanting to try this are: #1- I don't want to set up my seed starting paraphenalia inside the house in midsummer. #2- The partial shade of the older plants should provide a hospitable environment for the seedlings. #3- There will be no transplant shock. And believe me, setting out seedlings into the extreme heat of late August or early September in Texas is a real shock for anything except cactus. Has anyone else tried this and how did it work out? Paul

July 1, 2007	#2
dcarch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NY Posts: 2,618	Welcome to T.Ville I have always been curious about sowing seeds directly in ground. I seem to have noticed that (unconfirmed observation) volunteer seedling appears to have more vigor and better resistance to diseases. Could it be that for those seedlings that survive damping-off and other elements actually develop some degree of immunity? I often feel that current practice of starting seeds in sterile environment will produce progressively weaker next generations. dcarch __________________ tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato

July 2, 2007	#3
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	WHAT you don’t have a room set aside just for seed starting, shame on you. I keep mine in a room all year long. But seriously, starting seeds in the ground is done more than you would think. I have done it and it works fine in the summer for fall plants. BUT, what I would worry about is if the plant you put the seed next to is diseased and thusly transfers over to the young plant and kills it off quickly. Worth

July 2, 2007	#5
Suze Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 3,027	Paul, Yes, I've started seeds outside before for fall crop and even direct sowed when doing so a time or two. My experience is that results are preferable when started inside because the seedlings can get awfully lanky when grown in hot weather. Hot temps cause a young seedling to strongly favor top growth over root growth. So, you can end up with poor root stucture as well. Then there's pest and disease considerations. Bugs tend to do a lot more damage to tender little seedlings than larger plants. All things considered, I prefer to carefully harden them off later than try to start them outside. Also (you may be aware of this), TX A&M lists direct sowing for fall as an option in their fall gardening guide. Keep in mind though that many of the varieties they recommend folks grow are determinate (not indet). Also, while I think they provide a lot of useful information in general, keep in mind that many of their findings are based on commercial/larger scale growing situations, and so their advice on culture and variety recommendations tends to reflect that at times. If you try it, be sure and post back on your results.

July 3, 2007	#7
Rena Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Warm Springs, GA Posts: 1,421	I grow almost all my plants in pots. This year I just took volunteers that had started at the bottom. There were so many that they looked like sprouts!

July 8, 2007	#8
honu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Hawaii Posts: 270	Paul, I often direct sow things other than tomatoes into large pots, usually soaking seeds for a day or more, sometimes until seeds start to sprout. Then I cover the seed w/ high peat mix like Jiffy Mix (to retain moisture), mulch well w/ wet brown paper bags, then cover that area w/ some plastic, to keep it from drying out. Have the pots hooked up to drippers on a timer to water daily to make sure the surface does not dry out. As an alternative to setting up your indoor seed starting equipment or direct sowing, can you start them outdoors in a patio or other cooler shady area during summer? I do that all the time, as I don't own any indoor seed set up equipment.