Hi BDJ,

I'm in zone seven too and merely because I'm preoccupied with sowing other things, I usually don't WS my tomatoes until at least the middle of February--I do a lot and I stagger it out, so I may be eventually done sowing tomatoes by the end of February.

The WS method doesn't change sowing depth for your tomato seeds, I usually cover mine by less than a 1/4 inch soil.

I don't know what types of containers you'll be making but it's best to choose containers that you can put at least 3" of soil into. Make sure you have adequate venting in the lids because in zone 7 Spring can become suddenly hot. Place your WS tomato flats somewhere they will not get direct overhead sunlight at midday. Germination will begin usually by the end of March to the middle of April, with staggers sprouting periodically for the next month.

I usually transplant the seedlings into the garden when they're less than a couple of inches tall, some are much smaller with barely their first set of true leaves. I have problems with slugs so I need to protect the seedlings and use cloches made from uncapped water bottles. By the time the seedling grows so large that the leaves touch the bottle I am ready to chuck the cloche.

T

PS, the flats will be outside day and night. Before you put soil into your container, flip it over and put on a piece of duct tape. With a Sharpie or Paint Pen write the name of the variety on the duct tape. I label flats on the bottom because sunlight can't fade the ink and I'll always have the name right there. To read the label on the bottom you don't flip over the flat, lol, you raise it up above your eyes and read the name on the bottom.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Transplanting Tomatoes

Thank you for all that good info. I am placing my container out on Valentine's day I have decided. I want to compare WS vs. my usual starting indoors and fussing with seedlings for 6 to 8 weeks before they are transplanted out for good around May 1. I will monitor both groups throughout the season. Same seeds. Same variety. My study will be small but hopefully useful for me here in my growing area going forward. I start many veggies and flowers indoors (without grow lights) and frankly if WS proves results equal to or better than that of my indoors methods it would be a nice time saver for me. Let's just say fussing over many flats of seedlings isn't the highlight of my gardening hobby these days...:)

I am a bit north of you in NJ and around 2/8 it is a go here for winter sowing Tomato seeds. Trudi and I get sprouts about the same day or a day apart.

ML

Yes, we do!

I have about twenty tomatoe seedlings that are two weeks old. I use the cake contianers from the grocery store as minigreenhouses. I have a covered patio that faces south & I put my seedlings out on the edge of my patio on a sunny day for three or four hours when it is above 50 degrees. The seedlings are protected from the cool air while they are in the sealed containers. I live in z7.

TN, I suppose that's a varation on what I describe...we put the seeds into vented containers and they are placed fully outside getting all the temperature swings with rain and snow, etc.; there's no coddling at all, weakest seedlings are naturally culled--the method fosters climate tolerant and very hardy seedlings.

BD,

mlcom and I have our first sprouts coming up, you should be seeing some within a week or two if not within days.

T

Good to know this Trudi! I'm checking every day now...:)

Our weather here has been rainy and cool. We should be getting low 60's but only getting low 50's. And not much sun.