Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old April 27, 2011   #1
davespitzer
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: East of Stockton, California
Posts: 97
Default heat mats- how long do seedlings need heat?

Maybe a silly question, but how long should I leave my seedlings on a heat mat? Just until they are up and going, or until they have true leaves, or until they're ready to transplant? I have limited space in my little greenhouse and want to start succession plantings, but there's no room on the heat mat. It's averaging 45-50°F at night, 80+ in the daytime in the greenhouse, probably mid 70's outside during the day (for now- weather's unpredictable this time of year here.) Thanks- Dave
davespitzer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 27, 2011   #2
hill60
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Vancouver Island BC
Posts: 122
Default

What I've been doing is as they just get true leave I take them off the heat. The heat seems to make them as leggy as stretching for light.
hill60 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 29, 2017   #3
rick9748
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: south carolina
Posts: 175
Default

Why no grow lights.Buy the cheapest shop light Lows has and 2 grow lights.$40.00 and works great.I just put mine, the light, on top of 1 gal paint cans and let them go.
rick9748 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 27, 2011   #4
mdvpc
Tomatoville® Moderator
 
mdvpc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 4,386
Default

I take them off as soon as they germinate.
__________________
Michael
mdvpc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 27, 2011   #5
Farmette
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 985
Default

I also take mine off just as soon as they germinate and get them under light.
Farmette is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 28, 2011   #6
clamato
Tomatovillian™
 
clamato's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Arroyo Grande, Ca
Posts: 5
Default

I think their tough little buggers. I move mine to outside and begin hardening them off as soon as they sprout.
clamato is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 28, 2011   #7
Gobig_or_Gohome_toms
Tomatovillian™
 
Gobig_or_Gohome_toms's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Zone 4 Lake Minnetonka, MN
Posts: 967
Default

As soon and they first start coming up take them off the heat.

Craig
Gobig_or_Gohome_toms is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 28, 2011   #8
les matzek
Tomatovillian™
 
les matzek's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Landers, CA
Posts: 191
Default

protect them from wind and get them in
direct sun as soon there are starting to
push up the seeding mix, good luck.

les
les matzek is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 28, 2011   #9
davespitzer
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: East of Stockton, California
Posts: 97
Default

Many thanks- that's exactly what I needed to know. I will move them outside tomorrow morning. Dave
davespitzer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 29, 2011   #10
kpatrick925
Tomatovillian™
 
kpatrick925's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: San Lorenzo, CA
Posts: 112
Default What should I protect them from?

So when you put them outside, are you protecting them from the wind primarily? or the sun? I have my seedlings under light right now but they are almost too tall (getting ready to touch the light) I am not ready to plant them yet but we are having a lot of wind right now. It has been in the low 40s at night and low to mid 60s during the day although it looks like it is supposed to warm up over the weekend. I want to put them out in the sun but am afraid the wind will beat them up. Are they ok with direct sunlight just not direct wind? This is my first time starting from seed and I would hate to kill them all because I didn't know what I am doing. I am including pics as I am very proud of my progress so far.
Attached Images
File Type: jpeg Tray 1 at 04272011 adj.jpeg (64.4 KB, 148 views)
File Type: jpeg Tray 2 at 04272011 adj.jpeg (71.9 KB, 142 views)
File Type: jpeg Tray 1_2 at 04272011adj.jpeg (72.5 KB, 143 views)
File Type: jpeg Tray 2_2 at 04272011adj.jpeg (62.0 KB, 146 views)
kpatrick925 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 29, 2011   #11
clara
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Germany
Posts: 1,350
Default

When my seedlings are looking like yours, I put them outside, but for the first days not in direct sunlight and protected from strong wind. Some sunlight in the morning or afternoon and a little bit of wind, yes. clara
clara is offline   Reply With Quote
Old April 29, 2011   #12
kpatrick925
Tomatovillian™
 
kpatrick925's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: San Lorenzo, CA
Posts: 112
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by clara View Post
When my seedlings are looking like yours, I put them outside, but for the first days not in direct sunlight and protected from strong wind. Some sunlight in the morning or afternoon and a little bit of wind, yes. clara
Thanks for the response Clara. I will start getting them used to outside but protected from too much sun and wind.
kpatrick925 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 1, 2011   #13
dice
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
Default

[Transition from inside under lights to outside in wind
and sun]

Feldon's guide for hardening off seedlings:
http://www.settfest.com/2010/06/star.../#hardeningoff

Photo showing sunburned tomato leaves (what happens
when they go into the garden with insufficient hardening
off first):
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5TlVck4SXN...0/IMG_9671.JPG
__________________
--
alias
dice is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 2, 2011   #14
kpatrick925
Tomatovillian™
 
kpatrick925's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: San Lorenzo, CA
Posts: 112
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by dice View Post
[Transition from inside under lights to outside in wind
and sun]

Feldon's guide for hardening off seedlings:
http://www.settfest.com/2010/06/star.../#hardeningoff

Photo showing sunburned tomato leaves (what happens
when they go into the garden with insufficient hardening
off first):
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5TlVck4SXN...0/IMG_9671.JPG
Thanks Dice. I noticed that the plants I bought from the nursery have leaves that are sturdier than the plants I am growing from seed. Does this happen when hardening off or is it just a natural occurance of maturity? There seems to be a lot of info on hardening off but I'm curious of what I'm looking for in my seedlings as I go thru the process. How do I know when they are hardened off and ok to just be out? Great website by the way.
kpatrick925 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 2, 2011   #15
dice
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PNW
Posts: 4,743
Default

Hardening off is mostly a change in the surface cells
of the leaves and in the cells of the stems. It is not something
that you can see without a microscope.

Nursery plants have a few differences. They have more
light when they are growing after first sprouting. They have
nutrition that aids them in growing thick stems and leaves.
The temperature in greenhouses is adjusted to what is best
for the plant at that stage of growth. Some of the plants have
a growth retardant sprayed on, so that they are older than
the height of the plant would indicate.

They may or may not be hardened off. Growers in Florida
have reported sunburn on plants that were sitting outside
under a screen when they were purchased and transpanted
into a garden that got 12 hours of direct sunlight. They were
hardened off against the wind (the stems were thick and sturdy),
but the epidermis had not undergone sufficient hardening
off to withstand all day sun. (Leaves can actually get windburn,
too. People in the North American great plains and southwest
sometimes see it. Symptoms are similar to sunburn.)
__________________
--
alias
dice is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:50 PM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★