Start your tomatoes from seed NOW if you're in zones 5-6

[ducks4you]

I really love Illinois Gardener. When I DVR it, I can zip through questions I'm not interested in, and focus on the important stuff, for me, like...TOMATOES!!! As an aside, in last week's show (April 8th,) they talked about THIS week, to start your seeds. The jist of the advice was this: Take your last average frost date, and add 2 weeks to that to make sure that your plants don't die from frost outside. The host, a U of I Ag professor, said that she hadn't bought her plants yet, but suggested started seeds indoors, NOW. Hope this helps anybody who thinks it's too late to do so!

 

[wifezilla]

I started mine in February. I put them outside this week with my redneck wall-o-water system.

I want ripe maters by June

 

[vfem]

I started the first week of March, I don't think I will have tomatoes by June. Everything looks so rinky dink. :/

 

[wifezilla]

I have a lot of cherry types. In Colorado those are always a safe bet.

 

[Lavender2]

Around here it's safe to plant when many gardeners are planting their tomatoes... for the third time ...

It has been such a crazy warm Spring! ... everything is 2-3 weeks ahead of a 'normal' year. After last year, when everything was 3 weeks behind, it seems even more crazy!

I started a few cherry and early girls a bit early, March 18 ... hopefully to get them into larger pots, and not forget to move them in on cold nights

April 4 is usually my 'good' date to start toms... safe in the garden around May 25. (But, I still wouldn't bet the farm on it!)

I've been better about keeping a fan going during the day on my seedlings this year (finally!.. you think I would get the hang of things after all these years .. ) ... and it has really made a difference!... esp with the tomatoes and peppers... stocky, sturdy lil buggers ... :weight ... now if I can figure out why I started so many!?

 

[ducks4you]

You started so many because you KNEW that I just ran out of MY canned tomatoes!!!!
Bad 2009--hardly ANY made it to a jar. Most of my storage was from 2008.

 

[Lavender2]

You started so many because you KNEW that I just ran out of MY canned tomatoes!!!!
Bad 2009--hardly ANY made it to a jar. Most of my storage was from 2008.

Sorry about your bad year ... ... This year will be better!!

We had close to our record crop last year .. of course ... DH had shoulder surgery in Aug ... and everyone else ran and hid on me ...

I supply 5-6 gardens (my kids and friends) with tomato plants ... but I may be a bit more stingy with my salsa ... if they don't shape up ...

 

[mothergoose]

I started some the first week of March...they are doing great, big too. They have been repotted into 3 quart pots, hopefully that will hold them till they go into the garden. I started somemore tomatoes yesterday. I have way too many already, but I keep finding more varieties to try...up to 13 varieties so far!!!

Lovin it,
Christie

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

thanks for letting me know to get them started now! i've been stalling here since we've been having wacky weather. i can't predict how this year will go with them. :/

 

[4grandbabies]

atarted mine WAY too early, and they are much bigger than I wanted them to get .. and I dont think I can plant for 3 weeks.. aarrgg.. I am old enough to know better!!