True leaves

River · Sun Jan 25, 2015 10:21 pm

I planted celebrity Amelia's sun gold and black cherry on nov 10th by 1/15 majority had germinated as of today 10 days later it appears that I have new leaves forming. The temp in my house is around 65 degrees. I read that different varieties and I guess environment can have different results. There are roots starting to protrude as well in the 72 cells.

This is my first time. Is this possible?

imafan26 · Sun Jan 25, 2015 10:28 pm

Yep, time to pot them up to larger pots. You don't want to check the growth of any vegetable, once it stunts, it rarely becomes anything close to what it can be.

When it is cooler plants grow very slowly. That same seed planted a little later would have been one third of the way grown by now. I planted the beefsteak tomatoes 1/11/15 in a 4 inch community pot. They are about 4 inches now with their first set of true leaves so time for me to pot them up too. Now I just have to make more space.

rainbowgardener · Sun Jan 25, 2015 11:31 pm

Wow, you were very patient! I would have given up on those seeds long since - two months later they germinated? I start tomato seeds on heat mats and they germinate in 3-7 days. From sprouting, ten days to true leaves is not fast.

imafan26 · Mon Jan 26, 2015 2:51 am

Actually, they have been ready to pot up for a few days. I have to move some other things off the bench to make room for them. They would have been ready sooner, but this time of year when it is still 60 degrees at night, they are a bit slower. I have no heat mat, they are germinated on an outdoor bench.

rainbowgardener · Mon Jan 26, 2015 10:41 am

my comment was @ River who said, if I read it right, that tomato seed was planted 11/10 and "majority had sprouted" 1/15. That's about 9 weeks. I never would have waited nine weeks for tomato seeds to sprout, patiently keeping them watered, etc. After about a week if none had showed, I would have started over.

River · Mon Jan 26, 2015 7:03 pm

rainbowgardener wrote:my comment was @ River who said, if I read it right, that tomato seed was planted 11/10 and "majority had sprouted" 1/15. That's about 9 weeks. I never would have waited nine weeks for tomato seeds to sprout, patiently keeping them watered, etc. After about a week if none had showed, I would have started over.

My bad 1/10/15 sprouted by the 14th all were up on the 15th. I just didn't think they would have to be repotted this soon. Plus I placed a 2nd order to the greenhouse megastore Saturday night for more pots and trays.

I am going to pinch or cut out the multiple plants. It was suggested that I should plant 2seeds per cell one in each corner. The one thing I did learn the germination rate was close to 95%. Hopefully it will give them some extra time before my shipment comes in.

Susan W · Mon Jan 26, 2015 7:49 pm

River, Are you saying you have 72 starts, which may end up to be 50 -60 plant in ground. If they make, that's alot of space, and bunches of tomatoes. Just clarifying, not judging!

River · Mon Jan 26, 2015 8:40 pm

Susan W wrote:River, Are you saying you have 72 starts, which may end up to be 50 -60 plant in ground. If they make, that's alot of space, and bunches of tomatoes. Just clarifying, not judging!

Yes u are right. I will plant my Cherry tomatoes in containers and I will only need 30 plants for the garden. If it all goes ok I will give some to my friends. I won't have heavy yields due to the forest on the east and south end. I get the majority from overhead and the west. Hopefully 6 hours.
The plants that are on the east end will get the least.

The containers are in a better place just a small patio.

I haven't gardened in this area since 1969. So I sent a sample off to auburn and I am working on building up my soil. I didn't plant tomatoes, but I saw the stunted growth of different plants maybe due to the high acidity, and not fertile enough. So this fall I spread fresh horse manure and dolomite pelletized lime, and tilled it in. Planted Crimson clover for a cover crop. I built 3 large compost piles last summer for planting this spring.

imafan26 · Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:41 pm

Did you amend after the test came back or before? I would not lime until I got the result. Changing pH should be done gradually. Many things can cause stunting. If the ground had not been worked in a while, it probably did not have a lot of organic matter left in it. Adding organic matter doesn't hurt, but I would wait on manures lime, sulfur and other fertilizers until the tests come back.

I used to lime every couple of years without testing and it came to a point where certain things like okra that used to grow just wouldn't anymore. Turned out my pH was fine without the lime, only the cabbages were happy with the extra lime.

River · Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:59 pm

imafan26 wrote:Did you amend after the test came back or before? I would not lime until I got the result. Changing pH should be done gradually. Many things can cause stunting. If the ground had not been worked in a while, it probably did not have a lot of organic matter left in it. Adding organic matter doesn't hurt, but I would wait on manures lime, sulfur and other fertilizers until the tests come back.

I used to lime every couple of years without testing and it came to a point where certain things like okra that used to grow just wouldn't anymore. Turned out my pH was fine without the lime, only the cabbages were happy with the extra lime.

No I would never amend without the specifics. Everything was done after I got the results. I thought about sending another sample when I till it the first of March. They gave me the exacts but they suggested chemical fertilizers. I prefer to go organic, and I didn't mention that when I sent my sample. Our soil is very acidic due to a large amount of rain. I think we hold the title on the continental US.