Steve,
Here's a link to a site that can answer all of your questions. Also, there are tomato growers in your area that can give better advice about local conditions and I'm sure they will chime in.
Good luck john

Duh! I forgot the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Starting seeds

Hi Steve

First I get all my supplies: soil for starting seedlings in a bag like miracle grow make a good one. Then cups, paper 3 oz, 8 and 16 oz styrofoam.
Label what you are going to grow and make holes with a scissors or knife for the paper cups. I start them all in the 3 oz, this way if they don't germinate for whatever the reason, only used a little soil.

I put them in a plastic bin in the laundry room till they sprout. Then they are moved to the porch with morning light, at night if cold they get covered.

For tomatoes, I transplant 2 more times to the 8 oz cup, then the 16 oz.

For peppers I transplant only once.

It works for me and I grow a lot of seedlings for me, friends and neighbors.

Maybe somebody does it differently and it also works. You have to find what is the best method for you. Mine is easy and don't need any special set up, lights or other things.

Silvia

Silvia- as always you are a wealth of information.
Oh by the way the Tatsoi seed you gave me all came up great, so great I had to thin it out, pulled the smaller ones out left them next to the rows and the pulled little seedlings took root and are growing as well, leaves are 1 1/2" long. I got one Red Lime seed to germinate and it has 3 leaves and about 3" tall- Thanks again for the info and seeds.

Steve
Don't let any greens or brassicas get old, harvest when young, this way you don't get bugs and around this time of the year I don't spray as much like in summer, some bugs go on vacation,:o)

My lunch today, mini cabbage, cauliflower (I used the leaves too), sweet peppers, few runner beans, some carrots. Stir fry with a little bit of peanut oil and water at high heat, at the end I add salt and pepper and a little bit of butter.

Silvia

Silvia, that looks delicious! I don't think there is a vegie that I don't like.

Thank you Shar

I also make unstuffed cabbage. It is a different version of the stuffed cabbage rolls but done in minutes, saute all the ingredients and put on top of cooked rice.

Vegetables especially when fresh are delicious!

Silvia

Steve

I thought it will be a good idea to show you my mini greenhouse in my porch, the plastic containers get covered at night when is cold. They have a small holes for drainage in the bottom and the top for aeration.

The light colored container has Tom's banana to be planted in the spring. Thank you Tom.

Silvia

Silvia-That stir fry looks delicious. And when you said your greenhouse porch I was thinking a sun room full of windows. I love the way you keep everything so simple but yet with such great results- a true master at your vocation.

Who or where can I get some banana & papaya starts ? I am in Land O Lakes, Thanks

I've stopped transplanting from 3 oz (with Burpee starter) to 8 oz to 6 in clay pots to the final spot. Instead I put a Mel's mixture (1/3 peat, 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 compost and worm castings) in a 6-8 in deep plastic trey and fill it about 1/2 full. As the tomatoes germinate and grow, I trim leaves and add more mix until mix reaches top. when the plants outgrow this medium I transfer only once to their final spot. Here is my plastic trey with a few plants left. The first ones in the trey were Beefsteaks seed 10-23.

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Here is pic of the bs's started on 10-23

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bernie

Steve

We are going to cool weather, so is better to plant bananas and papayas in the spring.

Papaya seeds are started in fall to be planted when is warm.

I have never been to Land O' Lakes so I don't know of any sources there. I only went 2 years ago to the Indy races in St. Pete. :o)

Bernie

That is a very nice set up! Like I always said you have to try what works best for you. In my case, I start a lot of different varieties that have to be properly label and also have to be individual to give friends the seedlings.

Silvia

Silvia, I still label the 3-4 types that are in a trey this size and still put some in 6in clay pots to distribute to the neighbors.

bernie

bernie
that's a neat way to start seedlings. The trick for me would be keeping them labelled properly since I start 8 seeds of many different tomatoes. I've always started mine in plastic beer cups and put individual seedlings one-per-beer cup then directly into the final large pot.

silvia
what a nice tidy set up you have. i've got pots and cups all over the place waiting their time. you are like a professional.

Denise

Silvia, Your porch is so very neat and tidy ! and I see your doggie, must have just come out the doggie-door... what a neat-freak you are, and I am jealous.. and looks like roses next to a fence in the back-left ? You are amazing .... sally

Hi Denise

Thank you. The trick for us is to use whatever is available at the house, like you have the beer cups, so you use that. Tom has also a nice set-up (he likes to think) lol and has lights and everything! He also uses the cut soda bottles, that is a good use of something that somebody throws away. I can not do that because I don't drink soda.

And you know very well how confusing we can get with different varieties. :o)

Hi Sally

Thank you. You have good eyes! I didn't even notice Nikki till I saw the picture. The background has variegated hibiscus and at the other side of the house I have 2 roses that are doing very well for me, Bill (castorp) gave me 2 years ago and they are Louis Philippe I think, now is raining I can't take a picture. I have the roses with thornless boysenberries on a trellis.

Here is another picture of Nikki, she is a party girl and ball player.

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Silvia