Comments on: Tomato Transplant

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:15:25 +0000

Hi Niel –

About 4-6 weeks.

I usually sow the seeds indoors about 6-8 weeks before setting out.

By: niel

niel — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 07:19:53 +0000

how many days after pricking out, should tomatoes be transplanted?

By: Bifurcated Carrots » Tomato Trench Planting Method

Bifurcated Carrots » Tomato Trench Planting Method — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 07:42:45 +0000

[...] by Patrick on 01 Apr 2008 at 09:42 am | Tagged as: General I recently did a couple of posts about starting tomatoes in a tray, then transplanting the seedlings deep into a [...]

By: John Curtin

John Curtin — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:27:41 +0000

Hi Patrick,
Interesting post. I too have transplanted tomatoes (San Marzano) this week and have buried then deep (your suggestion thanks).

The Copia, Mortgage Lifter and Black Prince however are spindly – I’ll sow some more and see if I can get them more light!

By: Teresa

Teresa — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:38:01 +0000

Thanks! I’ve learnt a very useful bit of information regarding tomatoes’ ability to grow roots. Amazing.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:46:10 +0000

Hi Kate:

Yes, they were heated. They were also grown under a sodium vapor growlight, something more common here I guess because of the marijuana growers and lots of commercial greenhouses with tomatoes and other veggies. Anyhow, that meant the seedlings got plenty of light.

A growlight like this is handy because it produces nearly twice the light per watt of electricity than fluorescent tubes and the initial costs are much lower than the equivalent number of fluorescent bulbs, fixtures and so on. It costs about US$100 new, and available for much less second hand.

It’s very light weight so I can hang it from the ceiling with a few pieces of string or plant tie wire, and I can just spread out the seedlings on the floor of any convenient room. When I’m finished using it, it’s small enough to be tucked away on a closet shelf or in a small cardboard box. This is really important for me, as I don’t really have the space for a traditional fluorescent light grow rack or table arrangement.

The disadvantage is that it is 400w, which makes it a lot more economical for a room full of plants than a single tray of seedlings, and it is bright enough I have to be careful not to bother the neighbors with it. Given where I live, it’s my best option, but I can imagine it’s not for everyone.

As far as I know, I’m the only garden blogger with a sodium vapor growlight.

Several US bloggers have been talking about soil blockers, and they too were pretty happy with them. Maybe if I can find some other interested gardeners, we’ll team up and buy one together. It seems like a good idea. I doubt they sell them here in the Netherlands, so we might have to pay the extra costs of importing it, making it even more expensive.

By: Kate

Kate — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:43:16 +0000

I can’t believe how good they look after only 10 days. Must be something in the air in Amsterdam!Have they been heated? I use a soil-blocker when I sow seeds and that way you don’t get the transplant shock and don’t have to spend ages pricking out tiny seedlings.Each seed is sown into a 2″ by 2″ by 1″ cube of soil which has been compressed enough to make it hold together. Have you ever seen one or tried it? I have written about on my blog and I find it works really well.They are quite expensive but we have one between a group of us.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:05:15 +0000

Hi Christina: No, only tomatoes. It’s fine to start peppers or other plants in a tray, but when you transplant them you should keep them at about the same level in the soil. I should have made this clearer in the post, thanks for bringing it up.

By: Christina

Christina — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:10:28 +0000

What about peppers? Is it a good idea to plant them deeply as well?

This is very informative, thank you.