Seed starting the old way.

[Usingmyrights]

What we're the tricks used to.start picky seeds the old way? Back before grow lights, green houses, cold frames, etc. I want to add to my tomatos, but the type I want aren't typically sold in stores, at least not locally. I want decent plants, but would try to go more of the way of homesteaders past. I'm already well into the growing season, so late frost aren't a concern. I did pick up some seed starting mix though.

[mnn2501]

I remember Grandpa and Grandma starting seed in pots placed on the window sill's a few feet from the wood stove while the snow was still melting. As I recall they got kind of leggy but (at least on tomatoes) Grandpa just buried them deeper. They did a couple windows worth, it wasn't a terribly big garden.

[Wolfy-hound]

I just put seeds in dirt in a warm spot. I don't ever use grow lights or greenhouses, but I'm not putting in acres of plants either.

It really depends on the seeds too. Some can be better sprouted in plastic bags, some warmer, some sunlight, some wetter... some should be dried first, others not allowed to dry.

[Usingmyrights]

Wolfy - What area of FL are you from? I'm a little east of Gainesville.

[katydidagain]

Not Wolfy but I'm in the Jacksonville area until whenever.

[Usingmyrights]

Katy - I grew up over that way. Back on topic. I really want to get back to doing things the old way. It worked for generations, so it should work now. I don't know what the plant quality difference is, but would like to try.

[cathleenc]

Cold frames are very old school. Same with using a hotbed (actively composting manure pile that generates heat).

[michiganfarmer]

Good OP question

[whiterock]

When i was a boy, neighbor used hotbed/coldframe to start peppers and tomatoes. It was set up on the south side of a storage shed. I was amazed at how many tomatoes he set out yearly. Only grew two varieties of tomatoes and sold at Dallas Farmers Market on Saturdays.

[jwal10]

Plants weren't kept in a greenhouse as long as they are today even IF one was used. Small seed starting trays with a plastic or glass cover was used. Even cold, dreary England had some great sunrooms and greenhouses. You started the plants and got them out into a cold frame sooner. Remember they just wanted a few days or weeks head start. Now we are used to months. I have a dark paver floor in my greenhouse, I cover with black plastic, it heats up more, put my starter trays right on the warm floor and move them to a new area of the warmed plastic each day. I don't use grow lights. I have used a grow mat for the really tough to start, warm loving seedlings. A lean to greenhouse concentrates the heat and light....James

[Usingmyrights]

Do the more natural ways produce leggier seedlings compared to using lights?

[WoolyBear]

Back in my "olden" days (50 years ago) my mother started her tomato seeds in a cut off milk carton. She filled it with dirt ( I think from the garden back then), dropped the seeds in a little hole, watered it good, put plastic wrap over the top and set it in a south facing window. This is how she still does it. If she puts in 6 seeds, she gets 6 plants. I think there were only a couple of years that she had any "misfires" 6 seeds, 3 plants.

[J.T.M.]

Originally Posted by WoolyBear

Back in my "olden" days (50 years ago) my mother started her tomato seeds in a cut off milk carton. She filled it with dirt ( I think from the garden back then), dropped the seeds in a little hole, watered it good, put plastic wrap over the top and set it in a south facing window. This is how she still does it. If she puts in 6 seeds, she gets 6 plants. I think there were only a couple of years that she had any "misfires" 6 seeds, 3 plants.

This is how I do it ...except instead of milk carton I use chicken / goose eggs as a planter .

[KIT.S]

If your tomatoes get leggy, you can cut off some of the stem above a set of leaves and plant the pinched-off top. It will nearly always root right away, and now you have 2 shorter plants. Also, when planting tomatoes and tomatillos in the ground, we plant them horizontally and they root all along the stem. They're stronger and have many more roots that way.

Back when, before the current incarnation of fluorescent lights, we set the trays of seedlings on top of the lights, and the heat would warm the soil and encourage germination. Now they're not as warm, but the idea is there, kind of. My son found flat plastic heat pads in rolls that he can cut with sissors and attach a 110 plug to, so he makes me heating pads for much less than those in the garden catalogs.

He also used these plastic heating strips around the sides of a fridge-sized incubator with an electronic temp control. Works great for hatching any size eggs.
Kit

[Usingmyrights]

The eggshells is a good idea. Just break the shell up a lil so the roots can spread when its ready to plant. Also have a jump start on a calcium source to help prevent blossom end rot.

[Wolfy-hound]

To whoever asked.. I'm actually between Gainesville and Jacksonville. I work over in St Augustine though.

I forgot to mention, apparently the best way to start black krim tomato seeds is to plant them in the little pots, wait impatiently forever for them to sprout, decide after two months that they will not sprout and give up, then happen to look over and see tall plants growing! I think it's been at least 3 months since I planted the seeds and NOW I've got seedling tomatoes! I'm moving them into larger pots today in fact.

"Ignore it and be surprised" is going to be my new method.

[ronbre]

i use a windowsill and the sunshine..outside on nice days or on a shady porch..just put all but the last ones in the ground today..still have a few to finish up on but was waiting for more rain

[skeeter]

Well if the soil is warm, I would just plant them directly in the garden and just place a jar over them to keep the ground moist. Keep an eye on it and try to keep the moisture consistent until you see the sprouts come up. Should take about a week to week in a half to see some activity. The jar will also protect the young seedlings from the birds. (I have to cover my seedlings here to keep the birds from eating them.)

I also take my tomato seeds before I plant them and let them soak in some water for about 12 hours. This helps to speed up germination and I usually get a better turn out. I do this with other seeds too, especially those that don't like to germinate.

I have found that if I plant my tomatoes too early in the spring and the ground has not warmed up enough they will just sit there and not grow until the ground gets to the temperature that they like. I have not had that problem in the plants that I start indoors but I always place them in a sunny warm place in the house.

[Oldcountryboy]

Back when I use to start my tomato plants from seed I would wrap a tomato cage with clear plastic and turn it upside down over a small circular prepared bed that I had scattered seeds in. This would act as a mini greenhouse to warm the ground up and keep the frost off.

But what I would do first is prepare the bed by leveling a spot at the end of the row I was going to be transplanting the plants in. In this bed I would mix in some seed starter mix and then I would scatter seeds around on the bed and then cover with more seed starter mix. Then water it down and place the upside down tomato cage over it. The seeds would sprout in a few days and start growing real good.

I would do this about a week to 10 days before our average last frost date. Then when I would think it was all safe, I would transplant down the row the tomato plants. I would usually have plenty left over that I would leave just incase one of my transplants didn't do so well or something happens.

Since the weather is warm enough, you could probably skip the little mini-greenhouse. Or the plastic as mentioned below.

I have also just scattered seeds down a row that has been prepared with seed starter mix and then put a long sheet of plastic over it after watering. Then I would thin the plants out to proper spacing.