Judith in England wrote:

That is the worst germination ratio I have ever had - I wondered what sort of
success others get from F1 tomatoes - particularly Suttons or other Sungolds.

This is only a data point: I'm trying "Blondkopfchen" for the first time;
heirloom yellow cherry tomato; supposed to be _very_ vigorous and
productive. I got seed from two different folks, and germination has been
slow and erratic. When I looked the variety up online, it isn't just me-
the seeds are smaller than the larger types I grow, and perhaps cherry
tomato seeds are sized in proportion? I will have enough plants to try,
and I'm making sure they're kept warm, with a thermostatic control/heat
mat, keeping the soil @27-30C. (I got a handful of Chinese made soil
thermometers and didn't notice they were Celsius. Well, it's high time I
got used to it!).
My climate may not be as chilly as Scotland, but summer is all too short in
"upstate" New York (about 150 miles north of New York City, if you're
looking at a map) and I can't afford to waste time either.


--
Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G