Hey gardeners! Tomatos?

[WolfeMacleod]

We decided to do some planting this year, although it seems the season up here in Seattle is going to be VERY short. Still cold, rainy, and cloudy.

Anyways, a few weeks ago I planted a several tomato plants in coffee cups placed on my windowsill, which faces the sun. They sprouted well, but they were crowded.

I transplanted them into a larger container a few days ago, and they seems a bit...limp, would be the correct word.
The sun hasn't really been out at all for over a week now.

Tonight I decided to re-plant them into individual pots, carefully separating tangled roots and well as I could and picking out the really limp ones.

Since it's been so cold lately, I've got them under a halogen spotlight for heat. Will this light work reasonably well for a grow-light, or just to give them heat?

Short of buying an actual grow-light, what sort of lights can I use? My shop is full of florescents....


I've got other stuff I need to take out of the coffee cups very soon.

[Bill Douglas]

Tomato plants you say?

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

When replanting the tomatoes, put the entire root ball about 1 to 2 inches deaper into the soil than it currently is. Trust me, this works well to keep your tomatoe plant rooted and getting water. If you don't believe, just put one in that way this year, but remember which one it is!! It will make a difference in how well your plant does and how long it lasts. (East Texas (spittin' out tobaccy) folk wisdom...)

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Groesbeck Hurricane

When replanting the tomatoes, put the entire root ball about 1 to 2 inches deaper into the soil than it currently is. Trust me, this works well to keep your tomatoe plant rooted and getting water. If you don't believe, just put one in that way this year, but remember which one it is!! It will make a difference in how well your plant does and how long it lasts. (East Texas (spittin' out tobaccy) folk wisdom...)

Did that this year for the first time. I hope it works because they are off to a piss poor start.

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

Blood meal. Do you have bugs on them? Aphids? It will really slow them down!!!

Also, are these in the ground or in a pot? Some tomatoes do not do well in pots, don't know why.

[Superman]

No need for grow lights. Any window would be good, the sunnier the better. Ideally, you should be at least a month ahead of where you are. It would be ideal if your plants were getting root-bound in their pots right now, with the plant being a foot high or so.

Use a good potting soil for the medium. Miracle Grow makes a good mix, and you don't have to add plant food. If your potting soil does not have plant food in it, get some. Miracle-Gro. Seriously. If you don't have some, get some. Feed them the Miracle-Gro mix for the next few months and they will make more tomatoes than you can eat or give away.

I just put mine in the ground outside yesterday. Mine are about a foot high. I actually planted them about five inches deeper than they were already, in the pots. The stalks have hairs on them. Those hairs become roots, if the plant gets planted deep enough.

I suspect your drooping problem has more to do with a moisture problem than anything else. Drooping usually means they are dehydrated. Hydrate the heck out of them. Use potting soil. And did I mention the secret weapon? Miracle-Gro.

[Superman]

Oh, and if bugs ever attack your plants, tomatoes or any other plants, spray them with a soapy water mixture. If the leaves are getting eaten, spray them with soapy water. The bugs will poop themselves to death, and the plant likes the soap.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Just finished lunch. fresh sourdough bread torn up on the plate. Chopped up 2 kinds of tomatoes. Sprinkled some balsamic vinegar, ev olive oil, salt and pepper, microwaved for 1 minute. threw on some chopped scallions. only thing that could have made it better was some goat cheese, maybe a few leaves of basil.

licked the plate clean.

[Damian in NJ]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

Just finished lunch. fresh sourdough bread torn up on the plate. Chopped up 2 kinds of tomatoes. Sprinkled some balsamic vinegar, ev olive oil, salt and pepper, microwaved for 1 minute. threw on some chopped scallions. only thing that could have made it better was some goat cheese, maybe a few leaves of basil.

licked the plate clean.

Lose the vinegar, it bruises the tomatoes. You'll never see a true insalata caprese with any type of vinegar, just olive oil. The Italians are usually right about such things.

Also, I never plant tomatoes in the ground until after Memorial Day, they need warm soil.

[Tobra]

Not true of California or other warmer climes. If roots are too tangled, you would be better served just leaving them together or may lose both. I will be putting mine in the ground this week.

Shaun, that is what the bread is for, mopping plate clean.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

The bread was a great sponge but a slick of oil and vinegar remained as I chomped on the last tear; it was wonderful.

tonight I'm making linguini with oil, garlic and parsley. that's it. such fond memories from my great grandparent's farm.

[Superman]

I didn't just plant tomatoes yesterday. I planted basil also. Tomato slices, chopped basil, perhaps some goat cheese and maybe a dribbling of olive oil. Mmmmm.....better than candy. Basil is magic.

I don't know about those red balls they sell in grocery stores that look like tomatoes, but they're not really tomatoes.

Wolfe......I just thought of something. Our growing season is, as you say, frustratingly short. I like the Early Girl tomatoe. Just fifty days to maturity. Worth it, man. They're at the grocery stores right now. Fine tasting tomato, too.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

tonight I'm making linguini with oil, garlic and parsley. that's it.

You forgot the anchovies.

JR

[Tobra]

and Superman forgot the Balsamic Vinegar

If you plant the tomatoes deeper, pinching off the lower leaves, the stem below the ground will sprout roots, gives you a head start on the root system.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by javadog

You forgot the anchovies.

JR

forgot? I don't recall much in the way of anchovies growing up. lot of eel, crab, shrimp, fish in general, but not much in the way of anchovies. Sardine sandwiched on scali bread with red onion and mustard, yes.

Originally Posted by Tobra

and Superman forgot the Balsamic Vinegar

there are balsamic vinegar plants?

[Tobra]

I usually plant them next to the goat cheese bushes.

[Don Ro]

I'm hungry ...

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by Superman

Wolfe......I just thought of something. Our growing season is, as you say, frustratingly short. I like the Early Girl tomatoe. Just fifty days to maturity. Worth it, man. They're at the grocery stores right now. Fine tasting tomato, too.

Supe, I'll look into those Early Girls, thanks.

I did get a bigger plant from Home Depot a few days ago. I know I'm running a little late in my own planting. I picked up a grow light and some fertilizer today.. and they were planted in Miracle Grow as you suggested.

All in all I think we'll have about 15 plants if these don't die off. What to do with all those tomatoes you ask? Salsa. Fresh Spaghetti sauce... I love tomatoes, and for ten years had none.. Jennifer didn't liek them at all.
I've never done S'ghetti Sauce truly FRESH like that before... always with canned tomatoes. My employee will get plenty.
I did plant them deeper than they were before.

Looking for other things I can plant.. NOW.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

forgot? I don't recall much in the way of anchovies growing up.

The recipe you were making usually consists of anchovies, garlic, parsley and oil. It's also usually made with spaghetti, not linguini. You heat the oil to a very low temperature and add the garlic and anchovies. The anchovies sort of dissolve. Towards the end you add the parsley. If you get the oil too hot it makes the anchovies too salty and if you get it real hot, you brown the garlic which makes it bitter. Use salt-packed anchovies if you can find them and soak them before use in milk.

Getting back to tomatoes, if you guys want a fresh tomato sauce (uncooked) I suggest that you grow some sort of cherry tomatoes. They work much better in the uncooked sauces than the full sized ones. For cooked sauces, most Italians will still use a canned San Marzano tomato. Looking at it another way, when an Italian has fresh tomatoes available, he doesn't make a slow cooked tomato sauce with it. He eats it fresh.

I'm also in agreement that the balsamic vinegar has no place in a bruschetta topping, or salad. Tomatoes, garlic, salt, basil and olive oil are more traditional ingredients and they aren't necessarily all used at once.

Cheers,
JR

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by javadog

The recipe you were making usually consists of anchovies, garlic, parsley and oil. It's also usually made with spaghetti, not linguini. You heat the oil to a very low temperature and add the garlic and anchovies. The anchovies sort of dissolve. Towards the end you add the parsley. If you get the oil too hot it makes the anchovies too salty and if you get it real hot, you brown the garlic which makes it bitter. Use salt-packed anchovies if you can find them and soak them before use in milk.


Cheers,
JR

Good to know, thanks. I made the oil-parsley-garlic sauce and then frizzled some parsley. it was good.

Today's lunch.