I'm having separation anxiety from my seedlings!

[Mediocrates]

(Lighthearted!) I'm parked up outside my son's workplace, waiting for him to finish so we can travel home together. I'm itching for him to finish so I can get home to check on my babies' progress 🌱 Also excited about having an annual leave day tomorrow to potter about with plants.

Anyone else just enjoying immersing yourselves in the absolute joy of the garden jobs in Spring?

I’ve got my lettuce seeds on the go. Lovely bowl for the patio.

@whataboutbob

But still I have planted my Ferline and my Black Russians and looking at the seedlings makes me feel good.

Someonegave me Black Russian seedlings a few years ago but I wasn’t blown away by the taste, or the quantity of fruit, that could have been my husbandry though. They do look good though.

Yes! First thing I do when I get up is check my seedlings and open up the zippy greenhouse 😁 My stocks germinated overnight, so exciting to see that little speck of green!

I've been holding off starting sowing, but after reading this lovely thread I sowed my first 15 tomato varieties today
And some flowers.

It. Is. On.

Yes some years they are great but last year I was disappointed, the few that escape blight really didn’t taste much better than supermarket tomatoes. I also think Ferline are underrated, and they have some blight resistance.

I'm trying crimson crush and burlesque tomatoes this year - both apparently blight-resistant.
We shall see!

Think I pricked out my tomatoes just a little too late. They're a bit leggy. And the peppers perhaps a couple of days too soon as they're still looking a little fragile 5 days later.
I'm busy taking them out every morning and then back in at night as I don't think they're quite sturdy enough to spend the night under bubble wrap in the greenhouse just yet.

Did you pot the tomatoes deep? You can plant the seedlings basically right up to the leaves. Or more I think they've had it?

On the 6th March I sowed chillis, various flowers and some sweet peas. Non of them have germinated despite lots of words of encouragement and gazing. I put them in the conservatory for the first week so I am guessing it was too cold. I only planted half of each pack so will try again tomorrow

Oh yes... several times a day I run down to my little shed to just to see if anything has happened in my little seedling trays.

So far only sunflowers are zooming on up. But tomorrow is another day.

I am planting my tomatoes straight into the garden this year once they are ready to go out as they seem to grow better than in largeish pots.

The pots can dry out really quickly if it's very hot but in the garden their roots can get down further and last year, the one I did plant in the garden did really well.

Also, it saves me having to buy yet more summer plants to put in the gaps where the tomatoes will go, so saving me a fortune as I'm a pushover for buying plants!

You can plant the seedlings basically right up to the leaves. Or more I think they've had it?

Yes, plant them as deep as you dare. Tomatoes are 'crawling plants', the little hairs you see on the stems are roots ready to take if they make contact with the ground. The deeper you plant, the bigger the root system to give them a good start.
That's why you can easily propagate from cuttings, especially if you remove from the 'arm pits' when growing cordons.

What a lovely thread!

I keep checking my windowledge seedlings, they are getting big now. Debating transferring them to the greenhouse but dont want to kill them! I've got snow peas and broad beans on the go.

Going to look through my seed box today to see what else I can plant 😁

check the seed package or t'internet for germination temp and lowest viable temps.

tomatos need about 15 degrees to germinate and once they have their first set of true leaves they can tolerate as low as 5 degrees but do best at 15 or higher. so cold(ish) frost free nights are usually not a problem.

@TheSpottedZebra zebra you are doing 15 varieties of tomato! Which are your favourites?

Just moved my scabious seedlings into cells, and my tithonia into pots.

Anyone got any cosmos tips? I always seem to lose loads.

Re cosmos @MrsBertBibby
I generally sow at least twice as many as I think I'll need , maybe more.

[quote whataboutbob]@TheSpottedZebra zebra you are doing 15 varieties of tomato! Which are your favourites?[/quote]
I love them all! But my most favourites are:

• For hanging baskets:
• LOSETTO a tiny red cherry that just goes and goes, tastes excellent and has a bit of blight resistance

-SUNSTRIPE - slightly enlongated, stripey cherry

Cordon Cherries:
-Gardener's Delight - sentimental choice, but a tasty 'do-er'.

• ROSELLA - delicious pink cherry

-SUNGOLD

Big, for slicing:

• BLACK KRIM - has an almost salty taste
• PINEAPPLE - beautiful and delicious

Others:

• COSTOLUTO FIORENTINA - Monty mentioned this one last week I think. Ribbed, and so tasty.

-PINK BRANDYWINE-

I feel like I've missed some of my ones I'll grow every year. Hmm...

So I did a thing yesterday...

Mediocrates did you Zoom your seedlings?

@TheSpottedZebra

Mediocrates did you Zoom your seedlings?

Nope, I installed a nanny cam so I can track their progress and makes time lapse of them 🤓 (I had to choose the tray in the most convenient location, which happened to have some seeds still to germinate)

Nanny Cam?

God that makes me feel a bit of a feckless seed parent!

Thank you zebra, lots of ideas there 🙂. I like the sound of black Krim. I have done Sungold a few years running, lovely tomato. Doing sweet aperitif this year and I’m being very lazy, I have ordered plug plants!

@whataboutbob

Thank you zebra, lots of ideas there 🙂. I like the sound of black Krim. I have done Sungold a few years running, lovely tomato. Doing sweet aperitif this year and I’m being very lazy, I have ordered plug plants!

black krim is lovely. green zebra as well, very tasty.

however both are large toms that take long to ripen.

I have windowbox (a small cherry tomato) and tigerella this year. both are tasty and ripen quickly and deliver toms from end of june to end of september outside.

I agree purplesequins, beefsteak are always a bit of a gamble, but so rewarding when they do make it to maturity. I’m seriously contemplating a small poly tunnel on my allotment.