Got a T Tomatos catalog the other day

[FarmboyBill]

E mailed them the question
When is the right time to plant tomato seed in NE Okla 35 miles SW of Tulsa Zone 8?

They E mailed right back that, (Seed should be sown 6 weeks after last frost indoors)
Well, heck, Around here, a gardener had better have had their seed in long before that OUTDOORS.

2 yrs ago I bought a pkt of every tomato seed from them that was supposed to be drouth resistant. Planted them when it was still plenty cold, OUTDOORS. They didn't do anything till the middle of summer, and was just barely high enough to be planted outside by lates summer.
Several months ago Whiterock sent me some seed. I planted them in the summertime. Kept them watered, again outside. Nothing grew. BUT THEN, I had planted my garden with my new planter, and I think that I got too much fert on, The fert tube was positioned at the side of the row of set seed, but, its regulator slide from side to side over the opening. If set to lean, it wouldn't flow, just sometimes scatter at bumps. IF set so that it would flow conotinuously, it dropped too much. It wasn't till late fall when some seed started to show up.

[whiterock]

Bill, I start my seed in flats indoors, about the second week of January, sometimes I run a week or two late. I use those little plastic greenhouse flats with the clear top. put the starting mix in and water, make rows across the flat, usually about 8 and put a different variety in each row. A sharpie on the outside numbers the rows and a notebook list the varieties. After planting, I water again and cover and put on a shelf in a south window, when they are mostly up I uncover them. Grow lights hang above them. As they get leggy, and they do, I repot in styrofoam cups up to the first leaves, each cup is marked by variety. If I don't get them out, i just keep potting them up into bigger containers.

I have never had any luck planting tomatoes or peppers directly into the garden, although I get lots of volunteers each spring.

Ed

[FarmboyBill]

I never planted directly into the garden either. That was making reference to the rest of my garden seeds.
I planted the tomato sees in old black containers, plastic, that come in the crates when you buy whole crates, as I do of plants. I used potting soil mixed with the stuff that I had used the year before, since nothing grew to exhaust whatever was in that. I kept the trays well watered, but NOT continually soaked.
THE only difference that I can see, is I planted them outdoors, where you and TT say to plant indoors, which I will do this spring. IF I plant them in a plastic greenhouse, but outside, will that work, OR do they need an ambient heat source also? Im talking of temps dropping into the low 20s at night and into the high 40s during the day>

[whiterock]

They need bottom heat to germinate, once up just keep from freezing, but better to keep warm. I keep a elec oil filled radiator by the shelf and turn it on at night when i lower the heat in the rest of the house. Sun coming through the plastic will cook the plants in a hurry. Peppers need more bottom heat than tomatoes.

I have started in greenhouse without cover, the wind dries things out way too fast in seed flats.

[Danaus29]

I don't live in OK and certainly much colder than zone 8 but we start tomatoes INDOORS about 6 to 8 weeks before the last typical spring frost. If you have the room, light, and time you can start them indoors about 12 weeks before the last typical spring frost and set them outside in pots on days when temps are in the 50's. But they have to be moved back inside if the temp is supposed to drop below 40*F. Last spring frost here is typically May 15, so anytime between 12 and 6 weeks before that is tomato time.

[FarmboyBill]

Whaddia mean, you've started plants ion greenhouse WITHOUT cover? Aint that like just setting them out like I did?

[po boy]

I start mine indoors in February and use an old heating pad for bottom heat. A lot of them sprout in less than a week. I put them in larger pots as they grow and keep under a fluorescent light inside. I do put them outside on warm days.

[whiterock]

humidity is higher and no wind in greenhouse also had a mister set up on them to keep them moist

[FarmboyBill]

*I HAVE STARTED SEED IN GREENHOUSE WITHOUT COVER. The wind drys things out too fast in seed pots)

Humidity is higher and no wind in greenhouse also had a mister set up on them to keep them moist.

Do these jibe up to YOU??

[whiterock]

yep, if you plant uncovered outside the soil dries out too fast for the seed to germinate. In a greenhouse, and with a mist system it stays moist and there is no wind to dry it out.

[CountryWannabe]

I plant my seeds in early January in flats in the small cells. I use a heating mat underneath. As they grow I pot them up into bigger pots and they (the pots) go outdoors when it is warm and into the garage (finally) if it is cold. I finally plant them out when I am pretty sure we are not going to get any more freezes. I used to have a hoophouse which was invaluable for those last couple or three weeks when you are not *sure* it isn't going to freeze again

Mary

[whiterock]

As I pot mine up, I put them in clear totes. The totes are used to move them in and out of the house. I put them on the carport so no full sun. The lids hold the moisture in like a greenhouse, just open the lid a bit for ventilation, as weather warms, leave the lid off until you get them in the ground.

[po boy]

Originally Posted by whiterock

As I pot mine up, I put them in clear totes. The totes are used to move them in and out of the house. I put them on the carport so no full sun. The lids hold the moisture in like a greenhouse, just open the lid a bit for ventilation, as weather warms, leave the lid off until you get them in the ground.

I use those for mini greenhouses.

[FarmboyBill]

Whats a Clear Tote?

[whiterock]

Bill, next time you make an expedition to wal mart, go over in the house hold section and stand around until a nice looking single woman comes by and ask her to help you find them.

Clear plastic storage boxes, mine are stearilite brand.

[FarmboyBill]

HA, I don't know bout your WM, But if I did that at my WM, Id be an even older man than I am now.