Starting garden yet?

[Ray2310]

Jim,

I can't understand why the tomatoes are not doing well. The first batch I planted is about 18" tall and the secnd batch 8" and all is well.

I have been picking radishes and onions by the handfuls.

First planting of Italians

Second planting

 

[jinman]

Jim,

I can't understand why the tomatoes are not doing well. The first batch I planted is about 18" tall and the secnd batch 8" and all is well.

I have been picking radishes and onions by the handfuls.

Well, I'm probably too proud to admit that it's my fault, but it probably is.

After the seeds germinated, we left them covered with clear plastic in our utility room in a very bright spot near a south window. They shot up about 3-1/2" and I backfilled dirt to give them more area to root. I also put them into the sun at mild temperatures and they wilted a bit. My wife was afraid of them getting too much sun, so she moved them back into the utility room. After that, due to wedding planning for our son, I didn't put them back into the sun for another 1-1/2 weeks and they got leggy again. I just think the stems didn't have enough sunlight to fill out and be able to take up enough water when they were finally put into the sun. They needed to toughen up when the stems were short.

Out of two plants, we have two that seem to be surviving, and I hope they will make it. We transplanted them into the final soil and pot for full growth, so I may have limited success. As I said, I'm sure it is no fault of the plant, just the lack of attention on my part.

 

[charlz]

Well, I'm probably too proud to admit that it's my fault, but it probably is.

After the seeds germinated, we left them covered with clear plastic in our utility room in a very bright spot near a south window. They shot up about 3-1/2" and I backfilled dirt to give them more area to root. I also put them into the sun at mild temperatures and they wilted a bit. My wife was afraid of them getting too much sun, so she moved them back into the utility room. After that, due to wedding planning for our son, I didn't put them back into the sun for another 1-1/2 weeks and they got leggy again. I just think the stems didn't have enough sunlight to fill out and be able to take up enough water when they were finally put into the sun. They needed to toughen up when the stems were short.

Out of two plants, we have two that seem to be surviving, and I hope they will make it. We transplanted them into the final soil and pot for full growth, so I may have limited success. As I said, I'm sure it is no fault of the plant, just the lack of attention on my part.

When they are indoors running a fan on them for a few minutes a day will toughen them up. You might have needed to harden them off more since they were started inside.... couple hours in the shade, couple hours in the sun, then all day in the sun. Takes almost a week but they are then tough enough to handle direct sun all day.