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janice8bcharlestonsc

Starting tomato seeds

This is a continuation thread from the Growing Tomatoes section.

I planted seed in a plastic seed starter flat with a plastic dome on July 1. Today, 9 days later, I noticed about 33% success rate. Some seeds did not germinate, some suffered some damping off I believe, because I left the clear plastic dome on too long. Some sprouts had the helmet stuck on. I posted photos and asked for advice this morning. Dave suggested transplanting NOW, in a different growing media than the Jiffy seed starter, and to start bottom watering immediately. I was only spritzing the top layer. He also recommended planting the seedlings deep. I had some Blackgold and red plastic cups on hand. I poked holes in the bottom of the cups. I tried to place the seedlings in medium up to their chins. I was surprised at how much root fibers there were already. Hopefully, I did all the right things the right way. I plan to keep adding growing media (keeping it close to the bottom leaves) as the seedling grows. My understanding is the entire length of the stem can grow new roots. A large root structure will help the plant grow stronger faster. I bottom-watered the cups then removed them. Here are the before and after photos:

Disclamer: I have no affiliation with the product shown. Just trying It out.