I posted a while back about problems getting tomatoes to germinate in normal
compost, and wondering if seed compost would be better.
I was keeping the seed trays in a mini greenhouse (metal frame, plastic
sheet cover) on a south facing sheltered patio.
[Also posted about previously.]
Nearly everything was germinating, but not the tomatoes.

I have managed to germinate more seeds from the same packets in seed compost
on an indoor windowsill so the seeds seem O.K.
I have now just brought in one of the original seed trays which has been
stubbornly refusing to germinate and it is now germinating on the kitchen
west facing windowsill by a radiator.

So the problem was the plastic greenhouse - presumably not enough
temperature, or not a stable temperature.

Cabbage and beet and perpetual spinach and cucumbers and courgettes and
sunflowers all seem to have germinated fine.
The cabbage and beetroot have done far better than those sown directly into
the soil of the allotment.

So the plastic greenhouse has its place, but in these cold, overcast, wet
weeks we have had it is not good for germinating plants such as tomatoes.

I am now wondering if the predicted warmer spell will mean that it is O.K.
to try planting out a few tomato plants as frost seems very unlikely here.
Perhaps they should be grown on some more inside/outside here where it is
more sheltered untill they are a bit bigger and the weather is consistently
warmer.
However I am likely to run out of space quite soon.

Cheers

Dave R
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

I think you're right. I always germinate any seed indoors which says on the packet something like "60=70 deg F", and find it gives me speedier more reliable germination. Anything where the instructions imply you should sow outdoors "when the soil has warmed up" or any similar phrase, I am happy to sow in the greenhouse. So cabbages, beet and so on are OK in a greenhouse, because the greenhouse is like outdoors, basically just running the season a bit earlier.

I think the trouble, as you say, is the low nighttime temperatures rather than the daytime temperatures - something that would affect you even more than it does me with my large slightly heated one.

Downside of germinating indoors is the transition back to the cooler greenhouse. I wait till they've got true leaves and seem to be growing strongly, then transfer them to the porch which hopefully doesn't drop as low at night since it has the house wall to keep the heat, then into the warm end of the greenhouse then finally into the cool end.

"David WE Roberts" wrote in
:

I posted a while back about problems getting tomatoes to germinate in
normal compost, and wondering if seed compost would be better.
I was keeping the seed trays in a mini greenhouse (metal frame,
plastic sheet cover) on a south facing sheltered patio.
[Also posted about previously.]
Nearly everything was germinating, but not the tomatoes.

I have managed to germinate more seeds from the same packets in seed
compost on an indoor windowsill so the seeds seem O.K.
I have now just brought in one of the original seed trays which has
been stubbornly refusing to germinate and it is now germinating on the
kitchen west facing windowsill by a radiator.

So the problem was the plastic greenhouse - presumably not enough
temperature, or not a stable temperature.

Cabbage and beet and perpetual spinach and cucumbers and courgettes
and sunflowers all seem to have germinated fine.
The cabbage and beetroot have done far better than those sown directly
into the soil of the allotment.

So the plastic greenhouse has its place, but in these cold, overcast,
wet weeks we have had it is not good for germinating plants such as
tomatoes.

I am now wondering if the predicted warmer spell will mean that it is
O.K. to try planting out a few tomato plants as frost seems very
unlikely here. Perhaps they should be grown on some more
inside/outside here where it is more sheltered untill they are a bit
bigger and the weather is consistently warmer.
However I am likely to run out of space quite soon.

Cheers

Dave R

If you have enough, Dave, I would put some out and see what happens.
It is a very bad year this one IMO, and we all have to improvise.
There is no guarantee that June or July will give us what we need!
Stay in there and do what is allowed with Mother Nature, a fickle force!

Best wishes.
Baz

On May 20, 4:59*pm, Baz wrote:
"David WE Roberts" wrote :





I posted a while back about problems getting tomatoes to germinate in
normal compost, and wondering if seed compost would be better.
I was keeping the seed trays in a mini greenhouse (metal frame,
plastic sheet cover) on a south facing sheltered patio.
[Also posted about previously.]
Nearly everything was germinating, but not the tomatoes.

I have managed to germinate more seeds from the same packets in seed
compost on an indoor windowsill so the seeds seem O.K.
I have now just brought in one of the original seed trays which has
been stubbornly refusing to germinate and it is now germinating on the
kitchen west facing windowsill by a radiator.

So the problem was the plastic greenhouse - presumably not enough
temperature, or not a stable temperature.

Cabbage and beet and perpetual spinach and cucumbers and courgettes
and sunflowers all seem to have germinated fine.
The cabbage and beetroot have done far better than those sown directly
into the soil of the allotment.

So the plastic greenhouse has its place, but in these cold, overcast,
wet weeks we have had it is not good for germinating plants such as
tomatoes.

I am now wondering if the predicted warmer spell will mean that it is
O.K. to try planting out a few tomato plants as frost seems very
unlikely here. Perhaps they should be grown on some more
inside/outside here where it is more sheltered untill they are a bit
bigger and the weather is consistently warmer.
However I am likely to run out of space quite soon.

Cheers

Dave R

If you have enough, Dave, I would put some out and see what happens.
It is a very bad year this one IMO, and we all have to improvise.
There is no guarantee that June or July will give us what we need!
Stay in there and do what is allowed with Mother Nature, a fickle force!

Best wishes.
Baz- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

If you are going to plant any out try geting a LARGE clear plastic
bag, open the top
Place 4 canes in the corners of the bag to hold it open around the
plant, draw the plastic up and tie the top closed for night time and
bad weather, in the daytime open the top and when the plant is ;arger
raise the bottom an inch or so to get an air flow.
It worked for me over 40 years ago.
David@ the normally wet end of Swansea Bay