Tomato seedlings grew 3 inches in 2 days

14 years ago

I can't believe it. Two days ago my tallest tomato plant was 4.5 inches tall, today it is 7.5 inches tall. Part may the branches were curving upwards towards my fluorescent lights. Yesterday was the first day I left them under lights all day except for six hours of dark. The rain storm is over that we had yesterday so I will put them back outside and see if the branches return to a more normal horizontal position. The plants are nice and stocky with a rich green color. The oldest plants are 34 days old from the day I planted the seed. At this rate I should be able to start planting and selling my tomato plants later this week or next week.

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Comments (12)

austinnhanasmom
14 years ago
must be livin' right:)
mtbigfish
14 years ago
Calif
Sounds good maybe you can get some of the Fullerton College (JC ) business as they are starting their sales this week - last 2 times I went they had 1 1/2" to 3" lanky babies - you should check it out and take a few handouts with you - may hear someonme looking for something you have or they may run out of something

Looks like you will be ahead of Fullerton Arboretum by 2 weeks too
Good luck
Dennis
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californian
Original Author
14 years ago
Dennis, yeah I think I will go to both sales just to check out the competition, might even buy something if they have any nice looking plants of a variety I want and am not already growing myself. Bur I don't think it would be right to distribute handouts about my own sale at their sale.
BTW, I sold ten rolls of that silt fence I bought for more than I paid for all 76 rolls (I went back and bought the rest) so I now have a lifetime supply of garden stakes and weed stop landscape fabric for free. I decided to cover my whole backyard with the black woven fabric except for holes in it where my plants will be growing out of, so no more weeding and pulling Bermuda grass.
tn_veggie_gardner
14 years ago
3 inches in 2 days, huh? Even I know that constitutes legginess. =)
californian
Original Author
14 years ago
Nope, it is not legginess. It was the leaves arching upwards to touch the lights. As soon as I put the plants out in the sun they lost an inch of height as the leaves dropped back down to their normal positions. My plants are anything but leggy, the distance between branches is very short, maybe 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch. Some of the pictures some people post of their plants looks like its two inches between branches. But they are growing fast, I had to leave about 30 plants outside tonight because they wouldn't fit under my lights. I have to increase the spacing between my shelves tomorrow (the shelves are adjustable on a wire rack), and raise my shop light which is on chains so I can bring them inside when we get the next storm or cold night.
tn_veggie_gardner
14 years ago
haha...ok...whatever you say. =)
anthony_toronto
14 years ago
tn veggie I don't think you know what legginess is, but you clearly seem to know how to be an a-hole
mtbigfish
14 years ago
Calif
I would never suggest you go up to people and ask for business or hand them a flyer unsolicitated - not ethical
but if you find an opportunity where they bring it up by all means take it

I have seen people milling at both of those sales and when they hear someone say "oh I was looking for "such and such" and the tell them they don't have it then another person started talking with them and said they know where they can get it and gave them a folded up flyer
Also a few times I have heard people say "I wouldn't buy those tiny leggy plants" and a person said me too - that's why I grow my own and after awhile told them they might have some extra plants they could sell them if they were interested - of course they said yes and she gave them a list

I bought some that way before after seeing the persons plants later that day
I even think one guy had plants out in the parking lot in his truck but I think that is not cool
When I went to pick up plants once were 4 other people buying from her that had been at the Arboretum earlier and they were still complaining - 1 guy bought 3 doz plants right when I was there - the person selling said she and her husband have had people show from both places before and have close to 100 people from a 2 year period that now order from them at the first of the season - I wish I had kept their # or directions as this last year I was moving and had to buy plants - what a year for wimpy tiny plants

So don't just go around soliciting from their customers - wait until or if you hear a cue - talk with the customers about what they have grown - what they like - offer suggestions while you are walking around - you'll be surprised where that leads you - and then maybe next year you have some customers at the start of the season
Dennis
mtbigfish
14 years ago
Oh the legginess thing mentioned above

is the main stem of the 6"+ plant the thickness of a #2 pencil? if so they are not leggy even 1/4 inch is OK
Dennis
tn_veggie_gardner
14 years ago
Take some current pics of them, californian & let us see. =) Unless you took a set of "before" pics though, we will never see the proof that the still small seedlings did actually grow 3 inches in 2 days though. I would like to hear what one of the tomato experts on GW has to say about this, if any of them have even read this thread & not just passed it over b/c of the title...

- Steve
wordwiz
14 years ago
I've seen tomatillos grow that much in a day, but they "were" leggy and apparently there is little that can be done about about. Even a guy growing seedling under 55,000 lux (Bunches of CFL bulbs in a grow chamber) had leggy plants.

Growing an inch a day is good but not unbelievable nor a sign of legginess. tn, just my opinion but I think you would be better served to just kindly ask for pics without accusations.

YMMV,

Mike
mtbigfish
14 years ago
Californian
I think I read your post on Craigslist
I sent you an email on your saying Carbon was a Russian tomato and Brandywine Pink vs just Brandywine

You may want to read and change your add if that is indead you.
Good Luck - may see you this weekend at Fullerton College (community)if you go this weekend Fri Sat or Sun

Got any hits yet?

Thanks
Dennis

Tomato seedlings grew 3 inches in 2 days

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Tomato seedlings grew 3 inches in 2 days

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