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Starting up 18 varieties of tomatoes, after creating some more bed space for this year. It's so nice to sit down and take some time to start the seeds 🌱
Dumb question, but how are you transplanting these without harming the roots from a contiguous plot of soil like this?
I just pluck them out with a small spoon or a chopstick while they are still pretty small. It works well, I did this for some years already.
But if you wait too long the roots get bigger and tangled, so it's a bit more effort because I usually transplant early into a small pot and then repot them later into a bigger pot. I try to save space while growing from seed because our last potential frost date is mid may and there's not so much space on our south windowsills where I put all my seedlings. So it does get crowded with fennel, zucchini, peppers/chilis and the tomatoes.
As long as you get most of the roots, tomatoes won't really care. I start mine in red solo cups with holes in the bottom.
Yeah, individual spaces for seedlings makes sense. I just feel like I'd destroy them if trying to get them out of something like this, so was curious.
Seedlings are pretty resilient, as long as they get enough care post transplant life will be good.
I planted mine already but maybe it was a mistake. We’re past the chance of frost but experienced gardeners are telling me the soil is too cold still. Also it was hailing torrentially yesterday lol. We’ll see how it works out I guess.
It’s a small garden so if they don’t make it I can always try again.
If you can, get some black plastic over the soil to help get temps up.
I tend to plant early after our last frost, when soil temps are still pretty low, and they plants don't really seem to care. They just don't take off that fast, but they do get less leggy.
I can’t wait to go plant shopping this weekend. I think the last frost is just upon us ^^
You're lucky, for our area last frosts can come up until the middle of may :/ but well, I get a longer winter break :)
Then hold on for a little longer! :) I am terribly excited to go to the market and get this years plants ^^ maybe i will even post images if people are interested
Very nice. I've started seeds the past three years, but came down with the flu when I was planning on doing it. It looks like I still have a month until our last frost date and that's probably enough time. Maybe I should stop being lazy.
Seeds are in mail! My last frost is end of may, so I’ll be starting my seedlings Apr 1.
Really? I tend to start late Feb/early March for a somewhat later last frost date. I have decent grow lights so the seedlings don't really get leggy. Our grown season also isn't super long, so I figure the older the plants are by the time they get in the ground the better.
If I want some gourds and stuff I should start them earlier, but if you start them 6-8 weeks before last frost they should be some monsters ready to transplant.
Still gives ~90 days growing, so there’s obviously some stuff that can’t be grown without a cold frame or season extenders.