It's just by the time the following year comes around I always forget everything!
one of these times.....
I will start my seedlings correctly. I will remember to put the light 2-3" away from my seedlings so they're not pathetic & leggy. I will remember NOT to use these little seed trays (I had one of these left over from last year). I will not put them out on the sunniest/warmest day of the year and get them sunburnt. AT LEAST I remembered to 'rescue' them from the torrential downpours we had the last two days. I think a couple are salvageable. Probably gonna have to go to the local nursery for some real tomato plants though.
It's just by the time the following year comes around I always forget everything!
It's just by the time the following year comes around I always forget everything!
Just keep trying and you will find a successful route.
Don't deny yourself a good growing year by insisting on anything. Cheat - anything short of climbing the fence and stealing your neighbor's plants & produce should be okay. There's nothing wrong with tending a tomato plant for 3 months that started out life in a big, commercial greenhouse.
You have just hit on a central problem with gardening: if things don't work out, often you have a year to wait to try a different route. Once you find something that works for you - you probably won't easily forget it. Write it down - even right here on HG. "Marrying yourself" to a certain way of doing things because that's worked for you in the past -- there's nothing wrong with that. That's just style!
There are lots of ways to mess up and it isn't easy for someone hundreds or thousands of miles away to come up with sure-fire advice, either. All gardening is local. Environments differ so very much, from one place to another.
Pick up what you can, where you can and go with that until something "better" comes along.
Steve
Don't deny yourself a good growing year by insisting on anything. Cheat - anything short of climbing the fence and stealing your neighbor's plants & produce should be okay. There's nothing wrong with tending a tomato plant for 3 months that started out life in a big, commercial greenhouse.
You have just hit on a central problem with gardening: if things don't work out, often you have a year to wait to try a different route. Once you find something that works for you - you probably won't easily forget it. Write it down - even right here on HG. "Marrying yourself" to a certain way of doing things because that's worked for you in the past -- there's nothing wrong with that. That's just style!
There are lots of ways to mess up and it isn't easy for someone hundreds or thousands of miles away to come up with sure-fire advice, either. All gardening is local. Environments differ so very much, from one place to another.
Pick up what you can, where you can and go with that until something "better" comes along.
Steve
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rainbowgardener
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Nope, sorry but those are pathetic little seedlings and are not worth trying to save. With a lot of care, they might survive and eventually turn in to tomato plants. But by then you will have lost at least a month of the season. Go get some nice well started plants at the nursery and make some notes for next year including when to plant your tomato seeds. Those look like they were only started a few weeks ago? I start my tomato seeds indoors under the lights in February. They are now in the ground, sturdy, 2' tall and have little tomatoes on them. I'm in a pretty similar climate to you.
Yeah I started them about a month ago. I never even THOUGHT about starting them in February - I just think if I started them in February I would be too early? I will have to try that for next year. I am going to try to save a couple, but I am not going to "depend" on them for anything - I have already gone to the local co-op greenhouse and gotten some plants from there. They just don't have the super fun varieties that I was planning this year! I think I will try again next year and start them earlier, and start them CORRECTLY and see how it goes.
Wellllllllllllllll I managed to salvage some of these seedlings! I probably could have salvaged more, but there's 4 in pots and some have flowers and going strong. I just had nowhere to put the rest! I gave some away. Next year I am going to do it correctly though and NOT use these seed starter tray things and remember to start 2" away and all that. 
Can you get them in a larger container, RogueRose?
A 4" pot won't be any fun to tend with a tomato plant in it. The plant will only be able to just survive with nearly constant attention. People say that a tomato should be in no less than 5 gallons but I've had quite nice, smaller varieties, in 3 gallon pots.
In fact, I'm keeping 3 plants in those size containers near the back steps this year.
Steve
A 4" pot won't be any fun to tend with a tomato plant in it. The plant will only be able to just survive with nearly constant attention. People say that a tomato should be in no less than 5 gallons but I've had quite nice, smaller varieties, in 3 gallon pots.
In fact, I'm keeping 3 plants in those size containers near the back steps this year.
Steve
Oh they're not in 4" in pots - they're 4 DIFFERENT pots - 5gallons.digitS' wrote:Can you get them in a larger container, RogueRose?
A 4" pot won't be any fun to tend with a tomato plant in it. The plant will only be able to just survive with nearly constant attention. People say that a tomato should be in no less than 5 gallons but I've had quite nice, smaller varieties, in 3 gallon pots.
In fact, I'm keeping 3 plants in those size containers near the back steps this year.
Steve
I just don't have any other pots big enough for the rest of the seedlings.