my micro toms are growing still too

[phonelady61]

My little micro toms and some of my red robins are still growing under lights in the house and I love it . I will have tomatoes all through winter I just love it .

[rainbowgardener]

Terrific!

What kind of lighting do you have for them?

Check out our winter indoor tomatoes thread here: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 15&t=54307

[applestar]

Which micro Tom varieties are you growing? What are your pot sizes?

Can you give us a straight review of their flavor?

[phonelady61]

Which micro Tom varieties are you growing? What are your pot sizes?

Can you give us a straight review of their flavor?

I can try see I bought these seeds cause my cousin had bought some off of amazon and she said they were terrific .So I will give you all a review if they survive I have had a crappy year with tomatoes too much rain or too cold of a summer , yeah I know but this summer was cold to me .

[phonelady61]

Terrific!

What kind of lighting do you have for them?

Check out our winter indoor tomatoes thread here: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 15&t=54307

I bought a holder and a bulb at home depot and honestly it has been so long since I bought it I don't even know what kind it is ....I just went and got it . Then I was kind of scared cause my aunt was telling me that I had better be careful buying those lights because the home depot has been known to turn people in when they think they are growing marijuana . So my husband heard this and he said no more lights until we move out of this state .He is worried we will get a knock at the door and we don't need or want that . As I'm sure none of you all do either .

[rainbowgardener]

I don't think you need to worry. Through the seed starting season, I run 16 four foot long fluorescent tubes and I've never had any knock on the door. If they tried to track down everyone that has extra light bulbs, there'd be no time for other law enforcement. One bulb may not be enough to keep your tomatoes producing through the winter.

I expect the Home Depot thing is an urban legend. What would be in it for them to discourage paying customers?

[phonelady61]

I don't think you need to worry. Through the seed starting season, I run 16 four foot long fluorescent tubes and I've never had any knock on the door. If they tried to track down everyone that has extra light bulbs, there'd be no time for other law enforcement. One bulb may not be enough to keep your tomatoes producing through the winter.

I expect the Home Depot thing is an urban legend. What would be in it for them to discourage paying customers?

Okay one bulb is not enough for two tomatoe plants ? cause that is all I'm doing right now to see if they will make it .I guess I should have made that clear sorry .

[rainbowgardener]

Applestar should really respond to this, because she is the one growing tomatoes indoors for the second winter in a row. I have never tried it. But if you mean a regular light bulb (not a fluorescent tube), I doubt one is enough for one plant, even if the plant is also in front of a good window.

Understand that getting tomatoes to fruit indoors is not easy. I always used to tell people it couldn't be done without special high intensity metal halide or sodium lights, then Applestar proved me wrong. But she has some of her plants under banks of 4 T-8 fluorescent tubes, and some in front of a window with a vertical fluorescent tube on the opposite side to provide light to the whole plant. And she does a whole lot of rotating plants and working at it.

I don't mean to be discouraging, just to help you have realistic expectations. But I've been proved wrong before so feel free to give it a try and let us know what the results are.

[applestar]

To answer the question, I need more information:

-- how big are the plants right now and what size pots are they in?
-- where are they situated in your house? If in front of a window, which direction does it face? Does it have a screen on it or window treatments? Trees, buildings obscuring the sun?
-- describe the light fixture and the light bulb.

For examples of different ways of providing supplemental light, check out the thread/link rainbowgardener mentioned above.

In a nutshell, depending on available sunlight, one 6500K 26W CFL bulb can be enough for two small tomato plants up to a certain size IF in a lamp/light fixture with solid large (10"+) reflector. If your microtoms stay under the size limit, it's possible that will be enough. ...otherwise, 2nd bulb (socket extender and Y splitter) or another kind of light fixture will be needed.

[phonelady61]

To answer the question, I need more information:

-- how big are the plants right now and what size pots are they in?
-- where are they situated in your house? If in front of a window, which direction does it face? Does it have a screen on it or window treatments? Trees, buildings obscuring the sun?
-- describe the light fixture and the light bulb.

For examples of different ways of providing supplemental light, check out the thread/link rainbowgardener mentioned above.

In a nutshell, depending on available sunlight, one 6500K 26W CFL bulb can be enough for two small tomato plants up to a certain size IF in a lamp/light fixture with solid large (10"+) reflector. If your microtoms stay under the size limit, it's possible that will be enough. ...otherwise, 2nd bulb (socket extender and Y splitter) or another kind of light fixture will be needed.

they are still tiny seedlings and in a 6 in pot and I will transfer them into a bigger pot when they are ready . now I grow the regular dwarfs with no problem outside on my porch but it is too cold now to do that so I'm testing to see if these will work and will report back my findings and it is close to a window and it gets direct sun not obscured by anything .But again not in front of window . directly under the grow light bulb and fixture is round and can be moved if neccesary . I got the grow light bulb from home depot .I hope you can understand what I am saying thanks .