Trying to grow some Branywine tomatoes from seeds. Most of them have come up & have2 leaves now .tryed this before & this stage is as far as I get.what do they need now ??? should I give them some plant food or just keep them watered Would be thankful for any advice on whereto go from here. I used schults seed starter for soil..

-- DAVE COYNER (dkoiner@webtv.net), March 21, 2002

Answers

You need to get flourescent lights over them right away. Set the lights to where the bulbs almost touch the plants, but not quite. Very close, anyway. Raise the lights as the plants grow taller. The lights being close will prevent the plants from become spindly. Let the plants have at least 12 hours of light each day. Water them with a strong camomile tea solution to prevent fungus and damping off disease.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), March 21, 2002.

Dave, I keep plants warm, well lit (daylight from window) and water when needed. If the soil is too wet the plants will rot. I also usually keep them covered with clear plastic tops until they are a little larger. Then I remove covers & gradually introduce them to cooler temps, eventually moving flats outside during day and working up to overnight. I don't feed them until planting in garden. This has worked for us - we have tomatoes for friends, neighbors & entire winter from a relatively few plants. Good luck - somehow they seem to taste better when raised from seed. (May be only in my mind)

-- Debbie in IL (debbie@fli-soft.com), March 21, 2002.

Branywine tomatoes are the best! When I start my plants, I try to water from the bottom so that the water does not pool around the base of the plant. If you can, try to immerse the whole flat in tepid water in your bath tub. If you are using peat pots, it's a little trickier to get water to the roots unless you can pack them on an old screen frams or something. The whole idea is to evenly moisten the soil without letting the seedling sit in too much wetness. "Dampening off" is the term plant books give when the seedling withers at the base and dies. Mildew can also form in the soil and kill the seedling. I would wait to water until the soil feels dry. If your seedlings flop over from being too dry, don't worry because they will spring back up when water gets to the roots. Make sure that you have them in a place where they do not get baked in full sun because the intense heat will harden the soil making it difficult for the water too seep in. An East window works the best because the sun is not as intense and the plants don't get leggy. I would wait to fertilize until they are in the ground because your starting soil should have every thing the seelding needs. Even in my poor soil, good mulch and compost is all my mature plants need to hold blossoms and produce decent tomatoes. Without good drainage, you could accidently burn the seedlings with fertilizer. Don't give up - after several years I still am learning!

-- Sarah (peepa@astound.net), March 21, 2002.

If your plants do get spindly or leggy you can transplant them deeper, so the top of the dirt is right up to the bottom of the main leaves. (I wish I could show you! It's hard to describe!) Just don't worry if they do get spindly, they'll still be okay.

-- heather (h.m.metheny@att.net), March 21, 2002.

We start ours in a North window as it is the only spot large enough and warm enough to start the flats. As the weather warms they are moved to SW (no direct sun) exposure on the porch.

-- Debbie in IL (deb@msi-soft.com), March 21, 2002.

Dave, I too am growing Brandywine from seeds this year. I'm also growing Celebrity and Juliet from seed, but the Brandywine seem to be doing the best so far! I am also using the Schultz Potting Mix, and it is loose enough that I don't have any rotting problems. I water well, then let the peat pots dry before watering again. I use a turkey baster when the seedlings are really small (for watering from the top), plus I water from the bottom. The fertilizer in the mix is all that is needed at this point. I also have mine under florescent lights. I got anxious and planted mine way too early - they are ready to be put in the ground, but it is going to be 18 degrees tonight! Good luck - sounds like you are on the right track.

-- Sandy in KS (scwilson@mindspring.com), March 21, 2002.

I'm growing both Brandywine and Rutgers. I did last year too. Mine are started in a soil mix that has time-released fertilizer, so after the initial soaking of the soil, you are only supposed to spray the seedlings or they get too much fertilizer released into them. I thought I'd mention that just in case yours does. I put mine outside in the sun with at little shield from wind for a few hours each day on nice sunny days; otherwise I keep them in a South facing window until they are big enough to transplant. Last year mine never did grow very large in the seed starting pots, but after I transplanted them into the garden, they grew and produced just fine (they caught up with some Fantastics that I purchased).

-- Sharon (cheesyemailaddy@notreal.com), March 21, 2002.

The root system need room to grow also, I have had the best luck with a container as wide as the folage width. Also Remember that tomatos will not pollinate after 85 degrees.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), March 21, 2002.

Keep a daytime/nighttime temperature differential of at least 10 degrees this will help keep the plants from becoming spindly also do not have light on them for 24 hours a day.

-- Brian Phillip (notiller64@yahoo.com), March 21, 2002.

Hi Folks i dont fool with raising plants eny more just plant the seeds in the ground. works for me. Bob se,ks.

-- Bobco (bobco@kans.com), March 21, 2002.

Heather - I'm right with ya. In, fact when I go to put them in the ground I put them in right up to the bottom "true" leaves (past the two seed leaves). Seems like the plants sprout roots right from the stems and anchor the plant nicely. I would think that deeper roots make for a plant that is less sensitive to moisture variations.

-- Sarah (peepa@astound.net), March 21, 2002.

Dave, if you transplant the seedlings try not to 'crush' the stems when you dig them up. I use a plastic knife to lift them out of the ground and plant the stem leaving only the leaves! They will continue to grow even if you transplant them several times --each time moving them to a larger container then into the ground!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), March 21, 2002.

Hey bob! if you have those seeds in the ground now they are getting very cold right about now. I have started black krim and sweet yellow. Does any one know anything about either of these? I got them free from baker creek heirloom seed co. They are doing very well. Corky sw mo

-- Corky Wolf (corkywolf@hotmail.net), March 21, 2002.

Hello Dave,

I grow my tomato plants from seed every year. Its real simple to do. I fill up tin cans with holes punched in the bottom of them with planting soil. I put two or three seeds in the soil about an inch deep. Water them lightly and keep in a sunny place inside your house. The soil NEEDS to stay warm in order for them to sprout. Never transplant them until you have at least THREE sets of leaves. I try to give them as much head start in the late winter/early spring as I possibly can. When the temperature of my garden soil is above sixty degrees and the plants have three or more sets of leaves then it is time of transplant them. Before I transplant them I leave them out side a few hours each day until they adjust to the outside weather. Extending the time period ever so often until they can stay out doors all day without wilting. That is when I put them in the garden. This year I am growing Goliath, Box Car Willie, and a experiemental purple tomato that I got from Shumways. I have 110 plants.

Sincerely,

Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), March 22, 2002.