skip to main content

Growing Tomatoes

Another potting up question from a newbie

15 years ago

This is my first year starting tomato from seeds. So far I have some success and am very excited. I had seeds germinated in egg containers and then moved to 6 pack plastic containers about 3" square(see pic). The first set of true leaves are emerging from the seedlings. I plan to pot up to 12 or 16 ounce plastic cups.

My questions are:

1. Is it time to move them to the cups? If not now, then when?

2. When I do move them, should I use the same jiffy-mix in the cup, or should I use MG potting mix?

Thanks for your help.

Erik

oops, I don't know how to upload pics. Maybe on a later post.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

bdobs
15 years ago
Its my first year from seed too, so I'm not too sure when's the best time to pot-up. I moved mine from Peet Pellets to 10oz cups when they had their first true leaves and they are doing quite well.

I have learned that your best bet is to move them to the potting mix as it has a bit of added nutrients the plant will feed off untill thye go out to the garden.

I (before I learned this) put them in Jiffy mix, which is fine, I just now have to give them a little food a few times before they go in the garden

Have fun
Brian
br33
15 years ago
I pot to 16oz. cups at 4 true leaves in MG potting mix. after 6-7 days I feed them with 1/2 tea spoon of fish and seaweed fert.in 1 gal.of water. put in cool place and fan 4=5 times aday or put electric fan on a timer and fan 5 min. twice aday. low fert.-coolplace-lots of sun or grow light. it works for me. GOOD LUCK Bill
Related Discussions
Another question about potting up clematis
Q
Comments (9)
I have some I grew from cuttings taken when I pruned mine last year, and I'm keeping them in pots for now, too, since they're still small. They started growing pretty tall, and I also snipped them back to about 8" tall so they can concentrate on root development. Mine are still in 4" pots, so I need to move them up to 1 gallon soon, I think. I'm still not sure if I should plant them outside this fall or next spring. They seem so tender! At least the skinniness of their stalks and all. Are they tougher than they look when this small?
...See More
Another newbie, another question
Q
Comments (5)
Zone 4a and this will be my fifth year doing this. I start around new years, typically with hardy perennials in my zone, shurbs/trees and seeds that i don't really care about (e.g. old seeds). I typically wait until late February to start putting out a lot of my annuals, and I leave the following til the end of march or early april: zinnias sunflowers ornamental millet abutilon dolichos lablab morning glories 4 o'clocks cosmos and pretty much anyhting tropical in origin Most of these will sprout if sown earlier, but their foliage is sufficiently tender that I lose them in the cold nights we have earlier in the winter/spring. If I wait til then, they typically don't pop til mid april or later and i typically don't have to worry about the seedlings freezing then.
...See More
Newbie canna questions from another newbie..
Q
Comments (6)
crsliz, I think there are as many ways people store their Cannas as there are Cannas. I grow most of mine in pots and I bring the pots and all in to the basement after the frost takes the leaves down. I give the soil a good washing with the hose. The Temp in the basement is between 50 -60 degrees. There is very little light. I water my pots about a 8 oz glass of water once a month, Just enough so they do not dry out. They start to sprout in March and I usually can put a good size growing plant outside at the end of May. You have to experiment and see what works for you. I just do not have time to dig up plants so any tender plants I grow are grown in pots and are used on the Patio, and Deck.
...See More
Questions from a newbie ... yes another one
Q
Comments (3)
Not sure what zone Tampa fall into, but Edith Malek the President of the American Clematis Society grows them quite successfully in southern California. I would stick with the type III clematis and especially the viticellas since they tend to hold up better in the hot sun than other types. As Jeanne suggested, plant them where they get morning sun and afternoon shade, keep them well watered, and mulch them very well. Avant Garde does very well for me in zone 7a planted in full blazing sun all day so that will be a good one to try. Give us ideas on the others you are thinking about. I agree with the others that Silver Star Vinery sends the biggest plants available. Dan at Brushwood also sends quart sized pots that do well. Although I have never ordered from them, Klehms Song Sparrow Nursery also is supposed to send clematis with very large rootballs. Just remember that the more you order at any one time, the cheaper the overall shipping per plant cost will be.
...See More
kingseeker
15 years ago
Newbee here first time for growing seeds. I used a 72 cell starter kit, if the roots are wrapped around the inside of the cell do you trim the roots on the re-pot?
Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
15 years ago
Loosen the roots gently, do not trim. Next time repot sooner.

Dan
wvtomatoman
15 years ago
"I used a 72 cell starter kit, if the roots are wrapped around the inside of the cell do you trim the roots on the re-pot?"
Unwrap them or score them. It isn't necessary to trim the roots. I've read on many occassions to be very careful not to disturb the roots. Hogwash. I've disturbed tomato plant roots on many occassions with no problems. hmmm, experiment possibility, very good thanks.

Good luck.

Randy
tn_veggie_gardner
15 years ago
Yea, definitely pay attention to the roots, if possible. You don't want them to wrap, unless you're using some type of peat container that gets planted with them (well, they shouldn't wrap then anyways). They're liable to be more prone to pests & disease with the roots wrapping & therefore close to the surface than normal. I usually start my seedlings in approx. 4 ox containers of some type & if they're not Jiffy's, then i'll transplant once a few roots reach the side on the bottom of the container. Of course, it also depends on some other items like leaf sets & size/maturity of the seedling.
long-islander
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you all for your advise. I think I'll re-pot with garden mix now. I will report again on the progress.

Erik
albertar
15 years ago
Hi Erik
I'm on Long Island also, and honestly it's a little early to be starting tomato seeds just yet, I usually start near the end of March or even early April. BUT, since you did already, you will have to keep repotting them until the ground is warm enough (after hardening them off and acclimating them to the outdoors). Plant them deeper when you both repot them and also once they finally do get outdoors which should be mid May. Last year I was hardening off my tomato plants and we had a frost during the first week of May and I lost like 10 plants. I grow for myself and always start extra's to give away to family and friends. Do you have a light set up or will you be keeping your seedlings in a window?

Alberta
kingseeker
15 years ago
Thanks for the reply. Time kinda went by before I realized that the roots were coming out the bottom of the cells.
long-islander
Original Author
15 years ago
I am still trying to load an image. I hope this one works.

It worked!!!!!! Yahhhhhh

Related Stories

LAUNDRY ROOMS Get More From a Multipurpose Laundry Room

By Lisa Frederick

Laundry plus bill paying? Sign us up. Plus a potting area? We dig it. See how multiuse laundry rooms work harder and smarter for you

REMODELING GUIDES 9 Hard Questions to Ask When Shopping for Stone

By Ventana Construction LLC

Learn all about stone sizes, cracks, color issues and more so problems don't chip away at your design happiness later

GREEN DECORATING 8 Questions to Help You See Through Green Hype

By Laura Gaskill

With the ecofriendly bandwagon picking up some dubious passengers, here's how to tell truly green products and services from the imposters

REMODELING GUIDES 13 Essential Questions to Ask Yourself Before Tackling a Renovation

By Affecting Spaces Design Studio

No one knows you better than yourself, so to get the remodel you truly want, consider these questions first

EXTERIORS Curb Appeal Feeling a Little Off? Some Questions to Consider

By Becky Harris

Color, scale, proportion, trim ... 14 things to think about if your exterior is bugging you

KITCHEN DESIGN 9 Questions to Ask When Planning a Kitchen Pantry

By Susan Redman

Avoid blunders and get the storage space and layout you need by asking these questions before you begin

FEEL-GOOD HOME The Question That Can Make You Love Your Home More

By Laura Gaskill

Change your relationship with your house for the better by focusing on the answer to something designers often ask

LAUNDRY ROOMS Soak Up Ideas From 3 Smart Laundry Rooms

By Mitchell Parker

We look at the designers’ secrets, ‘uh-oh’ moments and nitty-gritty details of 3 great laundry rooms uploaded to Houzz this week

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: From Burned Down to Done Up in Las Vegas

By Mitchell Parker

A fire gutted this midcentury home — and laid the groundwork for a beautiful new floor plan

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Potted Plants Perk Up the Streets of Coastal France

By Becky Harris

Dotting a stairway or perched on a café table, plants in colorful pots and vibrant flowers make a picturesque scene in a town on the coast

Sponsored

More Discussions

Has anyone heard of a storage tomato? Looking at Giallorosso di Crispi

4

"Purple" tomatoes?

4