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

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Old December 18, 2007   #1
Worth1
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Default Southern seed starting!

.
When are you guys starting seeds in the south?
This month (Dec), next month(Jan)?

I will probably start mine in Mid January this year?
Just wondering!

Worth

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Old December 18, 2007   #2
feldon30
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Probably December 26th.
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Old December 18, 2007   #3
Worth1
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I'm just dieing to get started, you guys wouldn't believe what a beautiful day it is here in Central Texas.

Rest Of Today...Partly sunny. Warmer. Highs in the lower 70s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight...Partly cloudy. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows 45 to 50. Light and variable winds.

Wednesday...Partly sunny. Patchy fog in the morning. Highs in the mid 70s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night...Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers. Lows in the upper 50s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday...Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night...Mostly clear. Colder. Lows in the mid 40s.

Friday...Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 70s.

Friday Night...Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Warmer. Lows in the mid 50s.

Saturday...Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers in the morning. Breezy. Highs in the upper 60s.

Saturday Night...Partly cloudy. Colder. Lows in the mid 30s.

Sunday...Mostly clear. Cooler. Highs in the upper 50s. Lows 28 to 33.

Sunday Night...Mostly clear. Cooler. Highs in the upper 50s. Lows 28 to 33.

Worth
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Old December 18, 2007   #4
goldpearl
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It is gorgeous out today! I am ready to start tomatoes inside as soon as the holiday guests leave, sometime after Christmas or New Year's. I might go ahead and start filling the trays and hide them away until the coast is clear.
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Old December 18, 2007   #5
gardenhappy
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Default seed starting

I have stared all ready: hot peppers,tomato's,lavender,thyme,lemon grass,lettuce,chards,garlic seeds,onions,shallots,sweet peas so far and egg plants
we are cold right now went from 80,s to 34 but this is inside and going into greenhouse so i'm not worried when they are ready to transplant i could not wait any longer now that the mole crickets are for sure gone it's full steam ahead!!!!!!!!
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Old December 18, 2007   #6
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Well, the time I'd planned to spend on coming up with a spring growing list the week before Christmas (as well as the motivation) still hasn't materialized. Plus, I have company coming in the week of, so no dice there.

I'll be furiously scrambling to come up with a list the last couple days of Dec, then will start my seeds the first week of Jan.

If it's a warm or avg Jan, in the garage. If not, probably in the office, where I can close the door and keep them safe from the tender mercies of the cats. I plan to start any dwarves first, as they stay controllable much longer under the lights.
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Old December 18, 2007   #7
Rena
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I have 4 trays of dwarf plants already!! I also have a tray of various plants headed to Hot Miami!! I will start some lavender, calendula and Hhocks next week.
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Old December 18, 2007   #8
barkeater
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Best time to start tomato seeds is the week before the full moon, and any seeds within 3 days of the full moon.

The best transplants are 6-8 weeks old, so, if you want to transplant outdoors in mid February, use the full moon Dec. 24th (plant in the next 5 days). If you want to plant out in mid-March, start just before the full moon January 22.

Also, the best time to transplant is between the new and full moon, which corresponds to 6-8 week old transplants if you started at the right time.

You can't go wrong following Mother Nature's rules.
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Old December 19, 2007   #9
feldon30
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Call me a lunatic, but I intend to start seeds December 26th in 72 cell trays, then upsize to 4" pots, and by March 1st, they will be in gallon pots. My transplants will be 12-18" tall.
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Old December 19, 2007   #10
dice
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I am starting a few right now, ridiculous as that may
seem for our Pacific Northwest climate. I am going
to let them grow with not enough light, get as spindly
as they want, and then take cuttings around the first
of March, let them root in water, pot up in 8" pots
when they get some roots, and by the first week
of May they should be ready to transplant into the
garden.

(I want to see if I can convince a few later maturing
plants that June is actually September. I do not know
if that will really work, because they will have been
growing in "not enough light" for those first 4 months,
which may affect their concept of, "How long have
I been growing and is it time to set fruit yet?". But
I intend to find out.)

Edit:
"concept" is probably not the right word here.
"...which may affect their sense of,..."
(Plants don't have "concepts", but they do seem
to have something like senses.)
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Last edited by dice; December 19, 2007 at 09:52 PM. Reason: clarity
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Old December 19, 2007   #11
Rena
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Feldon, I grow a few tall like that. I just keep transplanting!
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Old December 20, 2007   #12
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I always start the week between Christmas and New Years. Usually plants are 18" tall by March 1st. I may try to plant a few in Feb. what with Global warming shorting our season alittle every year. Last year was cooler longer just because it never stopped raining. Got to have raised beds or don't bother.

Merry Christmas to all,
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Old December 20, 2007   #13
Worth1
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Deer Park View Post
I always start the week between Christmas and New Years. Usually plants are 18" tall by March 1st. I may try to plant a few in Feb. what with Global warming shorting our season alittle every year. Last year was cooler longer just because it never stopped raining. Got to have raised beds or don't bother.

Merry Christmas to all,
Deer Park
It has always made me laugh to see folks from down there come up here and plant all of their stuff up on a mound.

I already know why but I ask them why they do it.

They say, "thats what we always do.

I tell them, "thats right down where you come from you have to because of all of the rain, we don't need it up here".

We need them to be level with the ground so the roots can get all of the moisture they can get in Central Texas.

That is if you are not growing in raised beds with a drip or soaker hose.

Sometimes folks just do things without even realizing why they do it.

Worth
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Old December 24, 2007   #14
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I started seeds on Christmas last year but plan on the first week of January this year. I dont think a week or two will make that much difference for me.
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Old December 25, 2007   #15
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I just seeded twelve that need an early start - BW Sudduth, KBX, Earl's Faux, Cluj plus a few others and some of the truly early ones like Lime Green Salad, Silvery Fir Tree, and Kimberly. The large fruited ones will be set in 18 ga containers that I can bring in from the frost if needed around Feb 10 and the others will be put in 5 gallon buckets in hopes of an early harvest. I will be seeding some peppers and eggplants tonight and more tomatoes this week end. I will have the earlys in their final containers by Feb 12 and the 6 plants I put in the ground by March 8. Final container plants will be set out by Mar 15. Most container plants will be out by March 1. I am shooting for sixty plants this year - down from 80 last year.
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