Tina, I can't wait. After seeing my other sprouts in my jugs, I've decided to take a few seeds from each variety and sow them now and see what happens. I just want to know! Next week will be warm and sunny (or, at least, that's what "they" say), so I'm going to sow about 5 seeds per variety and see which ones make it. I'm shore 'nuff ready for 'maters now!

Thanks for the link to the post!

Deanna

From what I understand, I can wintersow tomato seedlings now in zone 6, as long as they are 'double bagged' in two layers of clear plastic, right? Here is one layer. I am not sure if I need to poke holes in the plastic if I don't fasten the the baggie at the bottom. I will put 3 of these cups with sandwich baggies over them in a plastic pot, and then cover the plastic pot with a larger baggie. The larger baggie will be fastened to the pot and have holes in it.

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HI, is there any reason why the milk jugs aren't used for the tomatoes? (I looked at Trudi's website and saw the cups used)

I was going to try ws'g half my tomatoes since i'm running out of room indoors but i wanted to do it in the milk jugs if it is ok?

I have always done my WS tomatoes in either zipper baggies or milk containers. They have done fine and I know that Trudi wouldn't lead any of us wrong when it comes to this obsession. I've already sown most of my tomatoes for the season in the last week or so, about a month later than last year. I have high hopes for a bumper tomato crop!

Lois,

You always need to have holes or slits in the covers of your WS containers. You need to let the air move in and out and you want the rain to be able to get in and water the soil.

I won't be sowing mine for about a month. It just works better for me with germination in my zone 5 MA to wait until early to mid April to start them and I don't plant them out until June 1.

From you picture of the cup, just pull that baggie all the way down as far as it will go and put 2 slits in the top part that is snug of the opening of the cup and they will be fine.

I put mine inside some plastic crates and plant trays left over from the "old days" when I used to buy my plants.

The only cover they have is the ziploc baggie that is on them.

they look like this
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IRISH ROSE GROWER,

if you want to sow your tomato seeds in jugs, you can do that too.

I never use the jugs. I personally don't like them, the few I used didn't germinate well for me, but the same seeds from the same commercial packet that I sowed in smaller containers all did well.

I also found that with my bad back, and nerve and tendon damage in my arms that the gallon jugs are just too heavy for me to move and I had to wait for someone else to do it for me. far too much wasted time to plant out and move containers.

I don't use the soda (tonic) bottles either. We don't drink any soda, except for some cans at a 4th of july barbecue. No one has any to give me because we have a bottle deposit return, and everyone returns the bottles for the deposit money return. You never find them in a recycle bin or even on the ground.

The real reasons I use the individual cups though are several.

The ease of moving containers and having just one seedling in the container that I can take out, add more soil on the bottom and around the stem before plant out

the ease of moving them for me personally

the fact that I am starting tomato seeds for at least 6 people besides myself means it is far less work for me. I just hand over their seedlings and they take them home, return the cups later for me to reuse the following year.

I also like the fact that the toms are in their own container, one seed to a container and I don't have to do anything to the root system to break them apart to sow them or repot them for others.

and any extra toms are already potted up and ready to go for my annual plant swap.

Its the ease for me that has me sow my toms in individual containers but sowing them in jugs is fine as well.

It's all about what is easiest and works best for you that matters.

Fran

bump for diclemeg

Lois,

I did my tomatoes about a month ago in milk jugs -- no double bagging or anything. No sprouts yet, but I don't expect any until we have a nice warm spell, maybe by April.

Caryl

If anyone needs seeds I do have them for WSers.

Here is a link that might be useful: Your Choice Tomato SASE

Hey, thanks for the feedback, everyone. I cut slits in each cup's baggie and put them all out in the nice warm sun a few days ago... Guess what? I got me some tomato sprouts now! Nights seem a tad cold yet (even though I heard the peeper frogs tonight) so I am bringing them in every night and putting them back out every morning.

Lois in Pa

Hello i am trying this with tomatoes, do you bring them in if it is going to freeze outside? or snow?

Leave the trays of seeds outside.

If the temperatures drop below freezing, you can either throw and old sheet or row cover over the containers, or bring them into an unheated garage or shed. The idea is to give them only enough protection to keep them alive, but not to coddle them. If the seedlings are indoors for too long, you will have to harden them off, just like indoor sown seedlings have to be done.

Bonnie

whoops, I have never covered mine, I have just left them outside. I guess they will either be tougher or dead! I was going to plant more this weekend, These I will cover. I am a newbie so this is a great learning place. thanks everyone. diane

Doodles, when I say cover with old sheet if it drops below freezing, I am referring to already sprouted tomatoes. If they haven't sprouted yet, don't worry about covering with anything. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear about that.

Bonnie

Bonnie, THANKS, it is kinda confusing when you new at this, it is like having little babies and you have to watch out for them and ..........ya know read everything and then panic??? thanks, d

Ooh thanks for bumping this! I just received word that we got our spot at the local community garden. (Long waiting list!) And I am so excited that I can finally grow tomatoes this year! *Dances*

Trudi I dropped you an email. IN which I spelled your name wrong. *Wince* Im sorry about that!

Off to drool at Tomato posts!