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Growing Tomatoes

is it possible to direct sow tom seeds here?

orangedragonfly

17 years ago

Im in Mass on the coast. My kids really really want to try some different varieties of toms, especially when I told them there are different colored ones , there are some that get to be HUGE. LOL My growing season is so short (compared to some) .

How can I put these seeds right outside in the ground from the very begining and not get a harvest at the end of August?

I normally buy plants at our local nursery , and they are always nice but we really want something different.

I dont have any space inside to start seedlings inside.

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Comments (4)

hortist
17 years ago
You could with some varieties. You could increase chances with small grow tunnel or cloches to start them in but you'd have to be vigilant about not letting it get too hot on a sunny spring day.

I assure you that you likely have some space inside to grow a few in small containers. 3-4 plants in a plastic cup in windowsill for example.

Doesnt take much space to grow indoors. In fact you can get 72 plants in a flat sized area with the right flat liner. That would be less that 2 ftÂ² in area.
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bill-inpnw
17 years ago
Had some plans to sell seedlings in the local area that fell thru, but I did learn something from the experience. Instead of the little seed trays that hold 9 seedlings, I'll be going with bigger pots to start them in so I wont have to pot up so much. that way I only have to transplant them outside. You can make a simple cold frame out of a window pane and straw bales to keep them in until the last freeze date passes. And you can still get a good number plants started in the same space. I'm either going to use 4" or 6" pots next time.

Bill
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^ yes when I grow them indoors I harden them like that but the whole point is I want to plant the seeds right in the garden without having 20 trays on the floor inside. You're thinking that, gee, if it only freezes for a little while, maybe the plant won't notice? Maybe some distraction is in order. I Swear I read that somewhere along the lines and I'm trying to find the article or whatever it was to link it. MAybe I took it a bit out of context and it was talking only about a specific type of garden vegetables but I'll try and link it. But thanks for that info about cold proteins etc, now I know the sprouts are nothing like cool season grass seeds which can freeze and be ok mostly edit, eh I think I found it: but mistook fall vegetables for summer ones: https://bonnieplants.com/gardening/so-what-happens-during-a-freeze/ When a freeze is predicted, what happens to your fall vegetables? Perhaps nothing, depending on the length and depth of the freeze. A light frost, during which the temperature falls below 32 degrees Fahrenheit and ice crystals begin to form, can actually improve the flavor of many cool weather greens, such as spinach, collards, and kale. A hard freeze, however—when the air temperature dips below 25 degrees Fahrenheit for at least four consecutive hours—can wreak havoc on your garden. Even these cold-hardy greens will need some extra protection if frequently exposed to temperatures in the low 20s and teens. someone here said their tomatoes did live through 25 degrees, https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2173563/how-cold-can-seedlings-get but I have enough days from seed to harvest googling these plants/seeds needs that I don't have to worry about risking planting just yet. thanks
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korney19
17 years ago
Are you thinking of this year or next year? This year I'd say no. Next year is iffy... some varieties can take 90 days, those days start counting at zero the day you'd transplant a 5 to 7 week old (or 6 to 8 week old) plant outside, so add another 35 to 56 days and you'll see you need 4 to 5 months of optimum weather... and that's not even taking into consideration any nasty elements, critters, temperature to germinate, etc.

Personally, even my customers in FL & TX & CA I recommend starting the seeds indoors, not outdoors. There's too much that can go wrong and you can lose another couple weeks on top of everything if you have to start over. Those couple weeks can be very important in getting any crop at all, especially in warmer areas that only have certain "windows" of opportunities to beat the heat. (In your case, to beat the cold maybe.)

Mark
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digdirt2
17 years ago
If you don't want to try indoor seed starting then talk with your local nursery/greenhouse about growing some specialty varieties for you. Local nursery here will do it for a regular customer if they supply the seeds and agree to buy the plants and they are happy to have a few different varieties to offer for sale.

I started doing it for my neighbors in my little greenhouse several years back and finally got them to move beyond the traditional Big Boy and Better Boy plants. ;)

Dave
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