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06-04-2006, 05:05 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible

writes:
I have potted my first few tomato seeds here in Scotland, UK, and I am
wondering how long they take to germinate?

They are in seed compost/vermiculite in a propagator without heater.
It's been pretty cold at night and not too warm in the day. I've been
moving it around to catch whatever sun I can find, which isn't a lot
at the moment.

6 days and counting so far...

If they are in pots, try keeping them inside, at least at night, until
they have a good start. I started my seeds inside (first part of March);
most were up in about a week (I was surprised). After they germinated, I
took the trays outside during the day and put them in a temporary cold
frame (4x4 lumber with a window over them), bringing them back in at
night. A couple of weeks ago, I started leaving them out all the time
(cool but not freezing temps at night). They are not gaining much in
height right now - not like they will a month from now - but they are
looking healthy and "stout" (not spindly like in past years when I kept
them inside). By doing it this way, they had the benefit of the warmth
for the initial growth and the sunlight to keep them from getting "leggy"
and has seemed to work well. It seems logical that the very healthy look
to the leaves means there is a good healthy root system growing as well.
Three weeks ago, I planted some of the cauliflower plants in the garden in
coffee can "hot houses" (ends cut off and the translucent plastic lid on
top); they have done surprisingly well. It is still chilly here, but they
are looking healthy though still small. I suspect when it is warmer, they
will do better than what I might have purchased at the nursery.

This has been considerably more work (walking them out and back in each
day!), but so far it seems to working. By being outside, they have light
all around them equally so aren't "reaching" for the light and growing
evenly. This isn't scientific, and I've certainly not seen it in any
hints column, but it seems to be working. And, yes, it's a bit messy with
all those trays sitting inside each evening, but the results in the next
few months will be worth it! After all, isn't gardening really one big
experiment with conditions different year-to-year and location-to-location
(even in the same yard)? Some things work, some things don't, some work
in spite of us humans.g

My greenhouse should finally be built this year, and I'm thinking
seriously about spending the extra money to put heating coils (designed
for flooring) in the shelves. It will make the shelves much heavier but
will keep the soil warm in the pots and the greenhouse warmer overall than
it would be otherwise and should work as well as what I did this spring.
Because the heat will be more consistent, it will probably work much
better.

Glenna
(Pacific Northwest, U.S.A., Portland, Oregon, area)

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