Does anyone else here attempt to direct seed tomatoes. I have noticed that they seem to produce tomatoes nearly as fast as plants because there is no transplant shock I think. The plant also look healthier and are more sturdy looking. Are there any ideas on this?

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), April 08, 2000

Answers

You may have told me this before, but where are you? Short answer, tomatoes transplant very well, and transplants will usually do much better than direct seeded. (There are some secrets here, upon which I will expound, if requested). Vine crops - whole different story. They hate to be transplanted, and direct seeded do as well, maybe better. I think, mayhaps, we should all indicate where we are, or at least our "zone", if we wish to be secretive, when posting gardening questions. I have some good experience in some areas, none in others. Guess that's why we're all here! And a fine group of "we're here" it is! Good luck!

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), April 08, 2000.

Little Bit, Don't mean to dissagree with Brad but you can start tomato seeds in the garden. I had a friend who would plant the seeds at the end of a row, cover the area with the good old plastic gallon milk container. The greenhouse effect would germinate the seeds and when they got too big to cover with the milk jug, she planted them down the row. She liked it because she could have many different varieties of tomatoes. This took place in SEKansas, so the weather may not cooperate so well in other areas. Also have an organic gardener friend who set up a drip irrigation with IV bags and tubing, as an experiment one year, that worked pretty good too. karen

-- Karen Mauk (dairygoatmama@hotmail.com), April 08, 2000.

i get tomatoes that come up every year. I planted cherry tomatoes once, and they just keep coming up, from the rotted fruit that falls, sometimes thay get in the way, so I just move them, dont see why it wouldnt work with other types

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), April 08, 2000.

You might have a point there. I had some fine tomatoes grow up volunteer last summer, where I had grown some Jet Star tomatoes the year before, and one cherry tomatoe plant. I know you are not supposed to grow plants from hybrid seeds, but they were such sturdy little plants that I didn't have the heart ot pull them up. I was glad that I didn't. I had planted Romas and Burbanks in the big garden, and they battled with Fusarium wilt all summer. Some of our nicest slicing tomatoes came from the volunteer plants, and the cherry plants tasted awfully good in salads. We live in south central Indiana.

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), April 08, 2000.

I grow heirloom tomatos[ robrico paste, amish paste, yellow pear]and last year I did a experiment, started some in pots and some in beds, the bed ones matured at the same time as the transplanted ones, so this year i am derect seeding and moving volunteers were needed.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), April 08, 2000.

Living down here in Alabama, I usually direct seed.I never had much success with seedlings in the house, but I do have to say that the volunteer plants that come up in the garden from last years fallen fruit are ALWAYS bigger and bear sooner! Go figure!

Jason

-- Jason (ajakal3@yahoo.com), April 09, 2000.

I have to start my tomatoes in the house as we live in zone 3. If I want to have my plants ready to put outside by the end of May, I must start them now and I couldn't possibly direct seed them outside, even under cover. We are supposed to get two inches of snow tomorrow, so..... I have always had really good luck starting my seeds indoors and my plants are very sturdy and always do well when I transplant them outside. I suppose if I lived where it was warmer year round, then I would certainly attempt to start them directly in the garden because then it would be easier all around (less mess/easier to move if needed, etc.).

-- Tammy (btawilliams@juno.com), April 09, 2000.

I would love 2 inches of snow , we know have about 8 and it's still SNOWING! What happened to SPRING ? If April showers bring May flowers what the heck do April snows bring ?

-- Patty Gamble N. N.Y. (fodfarms@slic.com), April 09, 2000.

LBF, Zone 3.5 (on the edge) here, and I have done both. BTW, has someone mentioned that if you want to save seeds out to replant the following year, they do best if you let the tomatoes ferment in a pail first, then sort out the seeds to dry and save? anyway, moving on.

I never plant before Mother's Day. Grandma always warned me, and I learned the hard way, rushing home to cover plants. Last Summer I had several different varieties of tomatoes, and at least two were direct-seeded into the garden. I don't think tomatoes suffer from transplant shock so much, but until the soil is good and warm, not much is happening with the plants. So, if I plant them in May, they grow slowly until mid-June. If I plant seeds in May, they sprout and grow slowly until mid-June. I got fruits off of all last year. It helped with canning, so I wasn't deluged in tomatoes all within two weeks.

I also had considerable numbers that I brought in in the Fall under threat of frost (about 10 grocery bags full) and canned as they came ripe. These I stored and sorted in the cool basement, and had fresh tomatoes until October. Why not just set aside one row and give it a try?

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), April 09, 2000.

I put mt seed in the ground feb. 28 as soon as my volenters came up all are doing just as well have fruit on and buds are staying on thus year.

-- shaun cornish (shaun-terri@juno.com), April 09, 2000.

OK, friends & neighbors - I am in southern Maine. Lots of folks think of that as North! Point is: if I want a good crop of tomatoes, or if I am absolutely starving for that first homegrown, sweet, delicious, juicy, wonderful (control yourself, Yankee!) delectable, sought-after tomato, there's no question. I start them inside. And tomatoes, unlike vine crops, are very tolerant of transplanting. If you are in the south (say Massachusetts!) and can direct seed, go for it. But here, and anywhere where you might be getting tired of the imported plastic tomatoes, I suggest starting your seed about 6 weeks before expected last frost. Good Lord, this makes me anxious! I am still about 4 months from my first vine ripened tomato, even if everything goes well. And over 3 months to the first one if I am as astute and fortunate as I was ONCE before. Those of you who will have ripe tomatoes sooner, please say when and provide directions to your house! Good luck!

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), April 09, 2000.

I noticed the same thing when volunteer plants sprung up here and there. They matured at the same time. After I had nursed and pampered my seedlings in the house! Something you might try just for fun, keep a plant all year in a sunny window. I have had a Black Krim for the past two winters and is has supplied me with fresh vine-ripened tomatoes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and in between. It is in an 8" pot but I should have put it in a 5 gal. bucket. I live in SE NH. Warm spring this year!

-- Greyfox (fox789@webtv.net), April 11, 2000.

Brad and all the rest of you that got snowed in over the weekend -

You should read "First Tomato Soup" by Rosemary Wells. It's a kids book, but it's a real pick-me-up on a bad day.

-- Deborah (ActuaryMom@hotmail.com), April 11, 2000.

I tried direct seeding with something called cold set tomato seeds. They came up and grew nicely, but then it was a very cold summer and I didn't get many tomatoes from any of my plants...I live at 7200ft. in Colorado supposedly zone 5, but tomatoes remain my challenge, and I do love those tomatoes! Just planted 42 cells with seeds hoping for a warm enough spring to set them out June 1st!

-- Barb McKillip (jbmckillip@aol.com), April 15, 2000.