Starting seed in ground

OmahaJB · October 17, 2009

Anyone who's read my garden journal thread knows I've had disasters the last 2 years starting from seed, simply because my little apartment gets too humid which causes problems with mold spores forming on the seedlings in effect severely weakening or killing them them, mainly the leaves. I refuse to keep beating my head against a wall and will try something more drastic for next year.

That is, I'll try starting the seeds directly in the soil. Will probably wait until early next spring to try this, since if I put them in now they'll probably sprout now. What gave me the idea is I've read posts or an article, before that mentioned farmers smashing tomatoes that fell off the plants with their feet, then thinning the seedlings that grow the following spring. I'll be using quite a few grow bags hopefully, and only have a couple tomato plants in the ground. That's another reason I want to wait until next spring to plant them.

If anyone here has experience starting from seed this way I'd be interested in reading how it worked out.

Thanks, Jeff

oc tony · October 17, 2009

Try googling wintersown.org. Trudi has a real good website about sowing seed outside.

OmahaJB · October 17, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by oc tony

Try googling wintersown.org. Trudi has a real good website about sowing seed outside.

Thanks OC Tony. I went to the site but the area I need to read is under construction. I have webtv so it's possible I wouldn't be able to view it anyways, as I can't view PDF files, which I noticed some of the links were just that.

Jeff

oc tony · October 17, 2009

Hang in there you have at least four months before you have to get real serious about starting seeds. Maybe you could use a friends. family member, neighbors or library computer in the mean time.

geeboss · October 18, 2009

OmahaJB

I'll start most of my seeds indoors and a 10 types will be winter sown outside in early march here in N Va. For winter sowing I'll take a 1 gal water bottle and cut the top 1/4 down from the top and about 2/3 away around so I can tip the top open and place in the potting mix along with the seeds. I'll moisten the mix and place the container outside around March 8th and check on it weekly and will wet the mix if needed with a light watering.

Now the bottom of the container will have mainy holes drilled to release moisture ...I'll also mark the bottom with an industrial Sharpie with type of tomato seeds in the jug. Place it in a sunny location and let mother nature do her thing and low and behold sprouts will appear once the mixture is consistently warm enough. I'll let them continue growing for about 2 weeks and then thin them out and replant to individual cups.

Thanks to Trudi and wintersown group for helping us avoid mold or mildew from growing but you still need to keep a eye out for it in damp cool conditions outside.

George

'I believe that bigdaddyJ also tried winter sowing with KBX

OmahaJB · October 18, 2009

Thanks for the tip George. Much appreciated. I'm guessing here in NW Ohio I'd need to start that type set-up in April maybe, rather than in March. Seems logical.

I still can't help be fascinated by the farmers who just stomped fallen tomatoes into the ground and had plants come up the following season. And to think I'm using lights and special seedling mix to get seedlings. Next year though I have no choice but to find a different method for seed starting.

Blueaussi · October 18, 2009

I get volunteers in my garden all the time. Sometimes I let them grow, but usually they're so far behind the plants I start inside that they don't produce but a fruit or so before the really hot weather hits and shuts them back down.

I do let my yellow currant tomatoes grow that way. I make no effort to save seed on them, just cage up a few volunteers as they appear.

OmahaJB · October 18, 2009

Good info to know Blueaussi. I was worried the biggest problem would be leggy seedlings, and maybe damping off problems, but can see there are other things to consider as well.

Think what I'll do is try several different methods, hoping one or two work! Will try starting indoors as normal, but also try something similar to what George does. Plus, I may spread a little of that cactus soil on top of the ground and plant some seeds in early to mid April depending on the weather. I would maybe set something around where I plant the seeds like the water shields or something similar. Then transplant some of the ones that sprout when they are big enough.
Will be a fun experiment. And hopefully not a frustrating one.

habitat_gardener · October 20, 2009

I used wintersowing to start my tomato and pepper seeds this year. I used Craig's dense-sowing method, so I started with one pot of each variety and ended up with around a couple hundred seedlings.

Beginning in mid-March, my cold frame was a wire cage on its side, wrapped with bubble wrap, and protected on the sides with gallon bottles of water. I opened a vent most days, closed it when rain was forecast, and misted it as needed. For an antifungal, I lightly sprinkled some cinnamon on the soilless mix. Once I potted up the plants, I needed more room so used some translucent bins as cold frames, and as the plants got larger I even set up some walls-o-water to shelter a group of pots.

The only problems were the snails and slugs, who loved the cold frame and the pepper seedlings. But I planted enough seeds that I got at least one of every variety that germinated. The bins were a little more resistant to snails, because there were no holes in the bottom, but I had to empty water out of them when it rained or I watered.

I get some volunteers every year, and usually I let at least one grow. I've never gotten anything worth saving from a volunteer, though.

OmahaJB · October 20, 2009

Thanks for sharing your technique, habitat. Normally I trade away many of the seeds I buy and only keep a few for myself, but next year I probably will overplant in the hopes of getting enough good seedlings to make it to my plant out date. Then I plan on using mostly grow bags.

I'm already getting revved up for next year!

travis · October 20, 2009

JB, I start most of my tomato plants inside under lights or under plastic in hoop houses. But in one particular location my best solution is to start them directly in the ground because of the available facilities and the fact that it's warm year round.

The soil at this location is rather poor, calcarious, gravely sand with very little organic matter and a constant wind from 5 - 15 mph with 75 - 85F temps dries out the bed by midday.

So what I did is to place a 12 inch diameter cap of Promix about two inches thick at each plant location and set about six seeds in each wetted seed bed with a 9 inch plastic plate placed over top of the Promix circle with a rock on top to hold the plate in place so the water wouldn't evaporate too quickly.

I watered the Promix seed bed each morning and again each evening, and within five or six days had at least two or three sprouts at each spot. Then I removed the plastic plate and exposed the sprouts to direct sunlight

I had to return home before the plants got more than a few inches tall so I weeded them out to the best two seedlings per spot and the friends who own the home grew all those plants to full maturity and enjoyed the tomatoes greatly. The reports I got back from them showed that vines planted this way I believe ripened fruit at least a week or two earlier than if I had planted the seeds inside and transplanted them into the same raised bed.

OmahaJB · October 22, 2009

Thanks Travis. Now if I can get some of that Texas weather up here in Ohio in early March I'll be all set!

I will be trying a couple different techniques so I appeciate the info. Still have a couple of months to 'design' my plans.

October 17, 2009	#1
OmahaJB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Toledo, OH Posts: 1,821	Starting seed in ground Anyone who's read my garden journal thread knows I've had disasters the last 2 years starting from seed, simply because my little apartment gets too humid which causes problems with mold spores forming on the seedlings in effect severely weakening or killing them them, mainly the leaves. I refuse to keep beating my head against a wall and will try something more drastic for next year. That is, I'll try starting the seeds directly in the soil. Will probably wait until early next spring to try this, since if I put them in now they'll probably sprout now. What gave me the idea is I've read posts or an article, before that mentioned farmers smashing tomatoes that fell off the plants with their feet, then thinning the seedlings that grow the following spring. I'll be using quite a few grow bags hopefully, and only have a couple tomato plants in the ground. That's another reason I want to wait until next spring to plant them. If anyone here has experience starting from seed this way I'd be interested in reading how it worked out. Thanks, Jeff

October 17, 2009	#4
oc tony Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: oc ca. Posts: 173	Hang in there you have at least four months before you have to get real serious about starting seeds. Maybe you could use a friends. family member, neighbors or library computer in the mean time. Last edited by oc tony; October 17, 2009 at 05:33 PM. Reason: spelling

October 18, 2009	#5
geeboss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Fairfax, VA Z7 Posts: 524	OmahaJB I'll start most of my seeds indoors and a 10 types will be winter sown outside in early march here in N Va. For winter sowing I'll take a 1 gal water bottle and cut the top 1/4 down from the top and about 2/3 away around so I can tip the top open and place in the potting mix along with the seeds. I'll moisten the mix and place the container outside around March 8th and check on it weekly and will wet the mix if needed with a light watering. Now the bottom of the container will have mainy holes drilled to release moisture ...I'll also mark the bottom with an industrial Sharpie with type of tomato seeds in the jug. Place it in a sunny location and let mother nature do her thing and low and behold sprouts will appear once the mixture is consistently warm enough. I'll let them continue growing for about 2 weeks and then thin them out and replant to individual cups. Thanks to Trudi and wintersown group for helping us avoid mold or mildew from growing but you still need to keep a eye out for it in damp cool conditions outside. George 'I believe that bigdaddyJ also tried winter sowing with KBX

October 18, 2009	#7
Blueaussi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Zone 8a Posts: 1,205	I get volunteers in my garden all the time. Sometimes I let them grow, but usually they're so far behind the plants I start inside that they don't produce but a fruit or so before the really hot weather hits and shuts them back down. I do let my yellow currant tomatoes grow that way. I make no effort to save seed on them, just cage up a few volunteers as they appear.

October 20, 2009	#9
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,541	I used wintersowing to start my tomato and pepper seeds this year. I used Craig's dense-sowing method, so I started with one pot of each variety and ended up with around a couple hundred seedlings. Beginning in mid-March, my cold frame was a wire cage on its side, wrapped with bubble wrap, and protected on the sides with gallon bottles of water. I opened a vent most days, closed it when rain was forecast, and misted it as needed. For an antifungal, I lightly sprinkled some cinnamon on the soilless mix. Once I potted up the plants, I needed more room so used some translucent bins as cold frames, and as the plants got larger I even set up some walls-o-water to shelter a group of pots. The only problems were the snails and slugs, who loved the cold frame and the pepper seedlings. But I planted enough seeds that I got at least one of every variety that germinated. The bins were a little more resistant to snails, because there were no holes in the bottom, but I had to empty water out of them when it rained or I watered. I get some volunteers every year, and usually I let at least one grow. I've never gotten anything worth saving from a volunteer, though.

October 20, 2009	#11
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	JB, I start most of my tomato plants inside under lights or under plastic in hoop houses. But in one particular location my best solution is to start them directly in the ground because of the available facilities and the fact that it's warm year round. The soil at this location is rather poor, calcarious, gravely sand with very little organic matter and a constant wind from 5 - 15 mph with 75 - 85F temps dries out the bed by midday. So what I did is to place a 12 inch diameter cap of Promix about two inches thick at each plant location and set about six seeds in each wetted seed bed with a 9 inch plastic plate placed over top of the Promix circle with a rock on top to hold the plate in place so the water wouldn't evaporate too quickly. I watered the Promix seed bed each morning and again each evening, and within five or six days had at least two or three sprouts at each spot. Then I removed the plastic plate and exposed the sprouts to direct sunlight I had to return home before the plants got more than a few inches tall so I weeded them out to the best two seedlings per spot and the friends who own the home grew all those plants to full maturity and enjoyed the tomatoes greatly. The reports I got back from them showed that vines planted this way I believe ripened fruit at least a week or two earlier than if I had planted the seeds inside and transplanted them into the same raised bed.

October 22, 2009	#12
OmahaJB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Toledo, OH Posts: 1,821	Thanks Travis. Now if I can get some of that Texas weather up here in Ohio in early March I'll be all set! I will be trying a couple different techniques so I appeciate the info. Still have a couple of months to 'design' my plans.