Tips on growing tomatos and squash.

[BlueRose]

I planted about 20 tomato seeds today inside several pots. I also planted about 15 yellow squash seeds in pots too. I'm going to grow them inside the house for a bit until the last frost is over and spring starts. I'm keeping them in the light during the day. I plan on transplanting them into the ground once they pop up from the dirt. And I have a few questions:

1) What are seedlings?

2) How long do tomatos take before they grow out of the dirt? Squash?

3) How long before they start to produce? Squash?

Any other tips would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[journey11]

BlueRose!

Tomatoes vary on how many days to maturity. What kind do you have?

Summer (yellow) squash, I believe bear in something like 45-50 days (off the top of my head).

A seedling is a seed that has sprouted. The days until germination (sprouting) depends on a couple things (soil temp, light, moisture, how deeply planted, etc.) Usually your package of seeds will give you a date range within to expect them.

 

[BlueRose]

Thank you so much for your welcome and answers journey11! I decided to check this place out after being a member of BackYardChickens.

And the tomatoes I have are called globe tomatoes, or something.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi BlueRose

Usually there is some information on the seed packet which gives you a clue as to how long it will be before the fruit ripens (this often is a little optimistic ).

The other thing that affects it is where you live & what kind of climate you have!

If you look just below journey's name you will see she has her zone & state listed, if tou could add that it would help us to help you....!



:rose Hattie :rose

 

[lupinfarm]

Morning Hattie! Isn't it like 5:30am there?

 

[BlueRose]

My bad, thanks Hattie! I'm from California, and it says March - June? Not too sure when it ends, but I know for sure it starts in March. So right now is planting time for me.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi Lupin !

Yup! but I'm a very early riser..........!! I have an erratic sleeping pattern. I tend to fall asleep not long after it gets dark.....a bit anti-social really.....!!



Blue Rose,

Go to one of the big tomato seed-sites & look for your variety there It should tell you just how many days it takes. Sometimes you have to press a INFORMATION button next to the variety or picture.

Try these sites:

http://www.amishlandseeds.com/

http://reneesgardenseeds.blogspot.com/

http://www.tomatofest.com/

Hope this helps!

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[BlueRose]

lol, I don't know why I just didn't look at the package. They're Rutgers. Are those good? I just noticed them and snagged a pack.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

OK! Here we go.............................Follow this link, it's an 80 day tomato they say:

http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_1bda.html


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[Whitewater]

Hey there

I can't answer your questions about tomatoes, but I wanted to warn you about summer squash. Most of its varieties are well-known, perhaps even infamous, for producing a TON of veggies. With 15 plants you better LOVE squash! And you better have a large family that loves squash, and a church congregation that loves squash, and co-workers, and friends . . . LOL! You may think I'm exaggerating, but there's even a national holiday to celebrate summer squash. It's name?

National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day (Aug 8th).

Around here, you have to be a zuke ninja because everybody either has them or knows somebody who's desperate to get rid of the bloody things, so they're going to say NO to your request to take some, hence the sneaking and ninja behavior. I know people who have tossed bags of zukes into the open windows of cars in a store parking lot, just to get rid of their excess.

Your squash will also take over your garden. It has been known to engulf fences (happened to me!), small dogs, and unwary passers-by. The plants can grow squashes as long as baseball bats and a good foot around (happened to me, the mega-zuke is still in our basement!) if you don't *religiously* go out to your plants every day and harvest. And I mean every day. They need 2-3 feet of space in every direction, per plant.

Summer squash can be a cute little unpollinated blob one day and within 24 hours be ready to harvest. Yes, personal experience. Give that same veggie another 24 hours and you have a monster that you'd have to register as a weapon.

Don't get me wrong, I love zukes and so does my hubby and so do our friends, all of whom don't have room to grow squash. We do, so Hubby and I sowed 4 seeds and then I bought 2 plants at a store, I figured that would be enough to satisfy everybody. Boy, was I wrong.

I didn't give them enough room and the 3 strongest plants eventually crowded out the 3 weakest plants, but those 3 plants (a mere 5th of what you've got right now) provided zukes for everybody all summer and I made bread (lots of bread) . . . this eventually made both Hubby and myself vow to never bring another zuke into our house ever again. We cheered when we tossed the plants onto the compost in October. We ate so much last summer that we can't even look at them now! It took all winter for us to face the concept of more zukes for this upcoming summer.

Obviously, summer squash is easy to grow and luckily, there are a gazillion recipes out there you can use it with. Good luck, and if, one of these days, you hear a rustle-rustle-rustle outside your front (or side) door, don't even bother to get up. That will be your squash! Either you've been gifted or your own plants decided to gang up and take over.

Oh, and they fight back. Wear gloves and long sleeves or else you'll end up, like I did, with itchy hives up and down your arms. The harvesting process necessitates that you get right in among the plant, and like I said, squash plants bite!

Here's an article on zukes. I think the Dave Barry quote at the beginning sums squash up quite nicely.

http://articles.dailypress.com/2007-09-19/features/0709140268_1_zucchini-farmers-markets-vegetables


Whitewater (you might consider doing some thinning on your squash seeds . . . 15 plants may just take over your entire city block . . . )