BuddhaHead Steve
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Joined: Tue Apr 18, 2023 3:24 am

Tomatos to close to grow lights...

I built an indoor greenhouse for starting seeds & starts. It has a 4-bank of Bruple lights (14 hrs a day) adjustable up to 36 inches above the shelf. Heated & averages 72F. My tomato starts were planted end of Feb. in 4" pots. Transfer to 6" pots 2 weeks ago. Well, they must love their house because they are now 30" tall and nearly touching the LEDs. Some would say great, but I live in Seattle and "normal" transplanting day is May 14... Mothers day. What do I do??? The lights are as high as they can get...

Do I lower the temperature to slow the growth?
Do minimal water?
I don't think that topping is an option.
Put them out early and just bag them every night... Last year the nights were low 40F until mid-June... so maybe 6 weeks of bagging.
We "shouldn't get any frost. But who knows, the weather is so eratic.

Next year I'll wait another month....plant end of March.

Any advice???

Thanks
BuddhaHead Steve

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applestar
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Welcome to the forum!

I have several ideas but I have some concerns and need to know more details first.

- What varieties are they
- How many plants do you have? (do you have room and can you experiment with different methods)
- Concerned they may be spindly-tall … did they start out far from lights? May be best if you posted some photos.

My ideas are —
- yes topping is an option depending on variety (with added benefit — you can root the cut upper portion and make more plants) … are they starting to branch already?
- laying on side is an option if they are sturdy and there is room
- Starting to acclimate them outside (in their pots, not planting out) is an option when minimum overnight low temp is in 50’s
- what do you mean “bag” them? If protective structure, I have other suggestions….

…in the future, yes later seed starting, but also, once they have a set of true leaves, grow seedlings at lower temps 55°F to 65°F to slow them down… Kerp seedlings in bright light close to the light to avoid needlessly reaching for the light… we can discuss more for next year — would like to see your set up.

pepperhead212
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Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

Welcome to the forum!

I can't add much to what you've both thought about them, and I don't know how hot those lights are, so I don't know the "safe distance". But you have a good idea for the future - start later! It is about the same around here - they say to plant them on "Mother's Day", but there are also those buying tomatoes now, because the last frost date in my area is often listed as 4-15. However, that is the average last frost date! The stores don't mind - people just have to go out and buy more, if there's a later frost.

I started my tomatoes even later (4-7) this year, as 4-1 got them too large by the time I could put them out, on 5-8 or 5-9 - we've had a cold May, after a hot April, the last couple years.

Wall-o-waters work great, for extending the season, and protecting against frost. I used to use several each year, to get some earlier tomatoes. However, I don't do this anymore, as the warm soil in those sub-irrigated planters I use a lot of speeds up the plants about the same amount. Around 4-20 is when I'd usually plant outside in the WOWs, and get some ripe tomatoes around 6-20, or a little earlier. And usually something ripening in the last 10 days of June, from some of the SIPs.

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I don't have frost dates, so I start seeds outdoors on the bench. I still have to pay attention to temperature and hours of daylight. I did have a heat mat years ago and I tried to grow some seedling in trays under cover. Seeds started too early struggle to germinate and grow very slowly. It is better to just plant at the right time.



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