This time of year, we're busy sowing, pricking out, and tending thousands of baby tomato plants, also known as seedlings or starts. These are for our annual tomato plant sale which begins the end of March, beginning of April each year.
Keeping track of and keeping happy over 125 different varieties of tomatoes is difficult. Right now, we are keeping all the babies in my small greenhouse while our big one is being readied. We need to bring in every night and take out every morning about 50 flats of starts. Lisette is on the job taking the flats out into the sunshine.
My heat mat is on the left, with smaller drill flats full of germinating seeds on it. I keep that mat around 80 degrees, about 5 degrees over the optimal temperature for the tomatoes, and about 5 degrees under for the pepper seeds also germinating there. Each flat holds 20 "drills" or rows. I sow about 50 seeds per drill. Each flat represents close to one thousand plants.
Once the true leaf emerges (the second "set" of greenery), we prick each tiny plant out into its own pot.
Then begins the arduous process of hauling them outside each sunny morning and bringing them in each night to the heated greenhouse. That's a lot of tomatoes.
We can't wait for the big greenhouse to be retrofit. This process gets old pretty fast. But it is the way I've been doing it for a long time. These babies need babying. That's why it's called a nursery!
If you want to learn how to get a tiny tomato seed up and growing strong enough to plant out to the garden, consider one of my tomato growing classes. I've only got two left this season. You choose varieties from my exotic tomato seed bank of over 125 kinds, and take home a sown flat. You'll soon be bringing outside and taking back in your own fledgling plants.
You can find more information all about tomatoes on the World Tomato Society website. The site is open to the public until June 15, 2014. If you'd like to join the World Tomato Society to receive all of the member benefits, you can sign up here.
Thank you so much for your advice. I have since taken the cover off the greenhouse, and added a fan during the day. I live in Missouri and cannot put them outside right now. We are having some really bad wind this season and I am afraid it is too much for them. I have also added a light. They are looking better so far, and I plan to transplant them into deeper pots later today. Thanks again :)
Posted by: Christina Beckett | March 26, 2011 at 12:49 PM
Christina: Your tomatoes aren't doing well because they don't have enough light nor do they have proper air flow. They need natural or proper artificial light, and either natural air flow by being outside during the day or an artificial air blowing on them such as a fan (an open window won't push enough air for them). That's why they're spindly and too long: air flow and light.
Posted by: Love Apple Farm | March 22, 2011 at 07:15 PM
I have a small closet size green house in my kitchen. It's the kind with the zip up door. It's not very big but does the job for our small family. This is only my second year starting seeds indoors, and I am afraid my tomato plants arn't what they should be. They are about 3 to 4 inches tall and skinny. They are not thick stalked, and blow around very easy. Is this normal? Thanks for your help.
Posted by: Christina Beckett | March 22, 2011 at 04:33 PM
Interesting reading thanks for the post!
Posted by: Julia | March 31, 2009 at 01:23 AM
WE JUST FOUND YOUR ARTICLE IN THE SAN JOSE MERCURY LAST FALL AND ARE ANXIOUS TO COME TO YOUR PLACE THIS MARCH AND GET SOME TOMATO PLANTS, WE HAVE GOTTEN SOME AT OTHER PLACES THAT HAD TO BE SHIPPED TO US BUT SINCE YOUR SO CLOSE WE FELT IT WAS BEST TO BUY FORM OUR LOCALS. THANKS
Posted by: DIXIE DAVISON | March 08, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Cynthia, Results from our tomato class on 21FEB: 43 of 48 cells have germinated. I have them on a heat mat setting ~78F in an unheated greenhouse with a fan (Gilroy). They are so happy, so far. We ck. on them several times a day. I planted different varieties in each cell. I drew a schematic and noted germ.dates. Will send photos when 2nd set of true leaves arrive! Thanks again.
Posted by: Jodi Avery | March 05, 2009 at 01:19 AM
Cynthia,
Here in Ontario we're still FREEZING, and it'll be another 2-3 weeks before we even plant tomato seeds, let alone set-out seedlings! Thanks for the little dose of tomato-love to get me through a cold late-winter day!
Melanie
Posted by: Melanie | March 03, 2009 at 07:47 AM
Cynthia,
You're an inspiration!! I have a new strain of tomato, is it ok if I honor you with bestowing your name on it somehow?
Frank
Posted by: frank | March 03, 2009 at 07:34 AM
Your farm is so inspiring! I've been reading over many of your late winter posts for information as your spring is about a month ahead of ours here in Corvallis, Oregon. I'm ready to start seeds inside this week and was wondering what you use as your seed starting mix and if you use a different mix when you prick out?
Posted by: Jen Conley | March 02, 2009 at 09:02 PM
John: No, it won't hurt to plant the different varieties next to each other, but you do want to maintain proper spacing. I plant mine three feet apart, so each one gets about nine square feet of space for it to grow into. If you're new to growing, you might want to read my "How to Grow Better Tomatoes" page that you can access through the right hand column on this page. Follow those instructions precisely, and you should have a banner year.
Posted by: Love Apple Farm | February 24, 2009 at 04:12 PM
I have a question about planting tomatoes. I'm a novice gardener and don't know about this. Can I plant several varieties of tomatoes in the same patch? I'm planting everything from Kentucky Beefsteak to White Queen's, to Chocolate Cherry. Is this okay to do or could I harm the variety by having it next to another variety?
Posted by: John Hinton | February 24, 2009 at 01:46 PM