Starting from seeds... is it just me?

[IndyGerdener]

Growing from seed from the bottom up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqEwTxywe98

Planting grown tomatoes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjQOnKdq_jE

[Gardener123]

I watched both of those videos and liked them so much that I subscribed to his channel.... is he also part of this forum?

[applestar]

Wow, I don't know where to begin.
If you do use the seed starting methods exactly as described in the first video, please come back and let us know the results.

As it is, I personally have not had success with just window light -- or more precisely window seedlings have been inferior. Peat pots can cause all kinds of problems when growing seedlings and after planting out, and what happens when compost is baked in the oven was covered already by rainbowgardener a whie back.

All in all, only part that I thought was somewhat usable was partly filling the seedling container with soil mix and adding more soil mix as the tomato seedling grows up, which is a method described by members here before too.

But with this method, the larger containers take up needlessly large amount of seed starting space. Tomato seeds germinate better with bottom heat, and depending on method used to supply heat, there is a limited seed starting area. So this would not be for me. Transplanting tomato seedlings is not difficult.

The bottom of the cup/container method may also create conditions for damping off and the height of the container may keep the light too far from the seedlings, though drink cups with white interior may compensate -- these were the containers used successfully by members who posted about this method if I remember correctly.

Also, after having researched a huge list of tomato varieties and their attributes, I tend to pay closer attention to individual varieties and look for ones that are worth growing.

...I don't know if he s a member of this forum. If he is, I hope he views what I wrote as constructive criticism.

[rainbowgardener]

Yes. I hadn't looked at this before, since the very old laptop I am currently using doesn't always do video very well. But after reading applestar's comments, I did look at it.

Please read our seed starting basics thread here

I agree with everything apple said... peat pots are usually seedling killers, seeds germinate much better on a heat mat (and sometimes won't germinate at all without it), and it is very difficult to get good seedlings with only window light. AND cooking your compost works, but it stinks up your house something fierce (I know this because I tried it one year, but I never repeated the experiment ).

[hendi_alex]

Unseasonably cold here the past couple of days, with highs in the low 40's. But one nice thing about S.C. weather, cold one day followed by very warm the next. My seedlings/transplants will be glad to get back out in the sunshine today, with highs near 70 degrees.

[Gardener123]

I must have missed the part about window light.... I won't be doing that since I have built a 3 shelf system with lights and emergency blankets... I did like the idea of planting leggy tomato plants on an angle. I also do have heating mats.

But see, I didn't just look at those 2 videos. I watched a whole lot o them, and the guy seems to get great results.