Starting tomatoes. Update!

[Southern Gardener]

I have teeny tomato plants!

 

[jackiedon]

They look good. Mine are about that size. I put mine in 20 oz styrofoam cups with sandwich bags over them in my living room window.

Tomorrow I'm going to try to start some in some 20 oz coke bottles.

Is it exciting to see them grow!!

jackie

 

[smom1976]

Well, I planted my seeds. I bought an undercounter flouresent light from Wal-Mart for $9 and a small bulb for heat.

ok so you planted them on this day?

then 4 days later you have those sprouts?

I did somthing wrong..

Mine are not there at all.. how long before they pop out of the dirt you planted them in?

 

[setter4]

These are my tomatoes after about 10 days... can you even see them? lol

 

[Southern Gardener]

Well, I planted my seeds. I bought an undercounter flouresent light from Wal-Mart for $9 and a small bulb for heat.

ok so you planted them on this day?

then 4 days later you have those sprouts?

I did somthing wrong..

Mine are not there at all.. how long before they pop out of the dirt you planted them in?

No! I didn't plant them on that day - mine sprouted in 8-9 days. They are doing great! I'm going to seperate them today.

 

[vfem]

I planted more tomatoes from a trade... and I planted them 7-8 days ago. Only 4 have popped up... but I see dirt moving on a few....
Getting there!

 

[Ellie]

Just to add my two cents:

You can use a heating pad on low under seedlings if you want. Peppers do adore the bottom heat, and tomatoes like it but will do fine without it as posters have said.

Be sure to put a plastic bag over the heating pad because of water.

I use the top of my freezer because it is plenty warm up there. Funny, the refrigerator is not but the freezer is... go figure. Now, I came up with a neat feature for this. We have those bags with cracked corn in them that you heat up in the micorwave (some use rice or whatever). I put that on top of the freezer and then the seedlings on top of the pad. When the freezer heats up, it slightly heats the pad and hopefully holds the heat a little. Not sure if this does any good, but I did it this year and my peppers came up beautifully.

As soon as they come up, though, they then need light and not the same heat as for germination.

 

[obsessed]

I attempted to plant my tomatoes along with the pepper and eggplants etc., from seed a two weeks ago. I did it like the wintersown directions. I used clear plastic soda bottles and juice containers and potting soil. I placed them outside. Unfortunately, only some and very few plants have sprouted. I know I know be patient.... But I don't think they will all sprout.
It will probably be chalked up to user error, but I have had greater success when planting these types of seeds in the jiffy peat pots. I am a week away from my last frost so I may have to buy a couple of plant from the nursery this year.

 

[Southern Gardener]

I seperated my seedling last night. I can't believe how good they are doing. I thought about using a heating pad but I thought that might me to much heat. I still have the light under them - can I turn it off now or do they still need heat?

Thanks!

 

[Ellie]

Once mine are up, I discontinue any bottom heat if I was using it. They actually like cooler temps as they grow into our beloved little plants.

Not cold, just not at the warm germinating temps.