Durgan

Consolidated tomato pictures from 31 January to 20 March 2008. Now all they have to do is grow until planted in the garden about the 24 of May 2008.

31 January 2008 Planting Tomato Seeds 31 January 2008 Starting tomato seeds. Pictures of method.

Two plants of each of the following varities were chosen: Cherokee purple, Mortgage lifter, Better boy, Burpee big boy, Black krim, Black prince, Pilgrim, Japanese momomato, Better boy, Pink girl, Green zebra, Japanese black treffle, Marglobe supreme, and one plant of Sweet million.
Three seeds were placed in each pot, and the stronger will be chosen when they germinate. The other two will be cut off at soil level. A total of 27 plants.

5 February 2008 The little plastic bags keep the humidity level high, and the pots need no watering. The other choice is to keep a high humidity level in a growing room, which is difficult in a living area.

6 February 2008 Seeding growth after 6 Days 6 February 2008 Seeding growth after 6 Days.

Probably humidity does more to encourage germination than soil moisture, and since the seeds are close to the soil surface, the seeds tend to dry out rather quickly if not in a high humidity environment. The top of the clear plastic covers are opened when the seedlings are about one or two inches high.

I use this procedure for all my seed starting and it appears to promote germination without further care until sprouted. Tomato germination was 100%, or at least one plant was produced in each pot.

All the tomatoe seeds have now sprouted, except for mortgage lifter-first time grown. Some plants are an inch high. This is four days from planting to germination. This is evidence that the little miniture plastic bag greenhouses really work. Seeds planted on 31 Jan and all up on 4 Feb.

27 February 2008 Tomato Seedlings Thriving 27 February 2008 Pictures indicating Growth. Mortgage Lifter has now germinated.

11 March 2008 Transplanting Tomato Plant. 11 March 2008 Transplanting Tomato Plant.

The tomato plant is placed into a larger pot about one gallon size. This pot will be placed in the greenhouse, until ready to place in the garden about the 24 of May. A coffee filter is placed in the bottom of the pot to preven earth from spilling out the drain holes, and a plastic bag is place around the outside of the pot to prevent water seepage, whilest kept inside the house.The first leaves are cut off, and the plant is placed in a paper bag to keep the roots contained so the roots are not disturbed, and the tomato plants is covered with earth to slightly above the first leaves. Roots will form from the buried stem.

16 March 2008 Tomatoes in Greenhouse 16 March 2008 Moved to Greenhouse. It warmed up a bit.

20 March 2008 All Tomatoes in Greenhouse 20 March 2008 All Tomato plants now in greenhouse.

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Durgan Zone 5B
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