Growing some early tomatoes 2020

[Penellype]

I sowed 2 Shirley seeds on 9th January and they germinated about a week ago. They are currently under lights upstairs where it is warmer, and will be moved to the sitting room windowsill when they get too tall, probably during March.

[Babru]

Sowed a few Tiny Tim. Our season is a bit later here, I don't think there's much point, just yet, sowing anything which needs to go out in the greenhouse.

[broadway]

Sowed Red Pear, Lemon Sherbet, and Cherrie Kisses just now

[hop-a-long]

I have two blush tomato seedlings and one kiss the sky tomato seedling, sown on January 1st. They are happily growing under an 8 watt daylight bedside lamp that I got from lidl or somewhere, looking very healthy. These are the earliest tomatoes I've grown, gonna keep them by windowsill for as long as possible when they outgrow the lights.
My main motive for planting a few now is to get a token amount of plants on the go now, and get it out of my system until it really is the right time to grow them! Last year I planted dozens around this time of year and it was a bit too much hassle looking after them all, they kinda suffered and went backwards when I eventually moved them all out to the greenhouse in April or May, so figured I'll wait til end of Feb or start of march to plant the all rest this year.
Every year you learn something new I guess.

[Ms-T]

Sowed a few.
Micro
House dwarf cherry
Mini bel.

[Vegi potager]

Had a shuffle around on the propagator as my chilis are all up
So lo and behold... space

Now taken up by Red Robin, the other toms will have to wait. (hoping for 2 plants, 1 for me and 1 to give away, if all 4 seeds come up... I make more friends )

[Plot12c]

Will get some on the go tomorrow, have about 10 varieties to sow

[quanglewangle]

Gardeners' delight and Mandarin (at front) in greenhouse propagator. They now have their first true leaves just developing, about 28 days after sowing.



Gardeners' delight and Mandarin. Image is a link to full resolution picture

[Babru]

Tiny Tim up and under the grow light, so sowed some Windowbox Red. Then I will STOP till March when I will sow my cordons.

Last year I put my micro toms out in the greenhouse at the beginning of May, but it was a very cold spring and they sat and did nothing. No point sowing early toms if you don't get an early crop, so this year the numbers are down so they can all stay indoors on the windowsill. Fingers crossed for some toms in June!

[mcdood]

My solitary Red Alert coming along Ok, started to chit 3rd Jan.

[Snadger]

Just bought myself a long windowsill module propagator from B&M yesterday so I can pot on my Ailsa Craig toms from my own seed. Chilli peppers will be in there as well.

[quanglewangle]

Once they get their true leaves they really start to go.
My Gardeners' Delight (agonized over placement of apostrophe - is is the delight of one gardener, or many?) are growing fast now. About 35ish days after sowing.


Gardeners' Delight about 35ish days after sowing.

Managed to keep the compost temperature above 8�C although air drops to about 5�C inside the fleece "tent" I cover them with at night. Light is neutral white 15W and comes on 13 hours before sunset.


General view of heated sand propagator


Temperature over last week. Blue is air, green is one of the pots
Gap is a technical issue, not zero degres!

[Plot12c]

What varieties are you starting with?

Yellow pear, sweet millions, black opal, tigerella have been sown

[Plot12c]

Yellow pear, sweet millions, black opal, tigerella have been sown

Yellow pear are popping their heads through, I only sowed them 7 days ago, have them in a heated propagator

[SarrissUK]

Wow Quanglewangle, the geek in me is rejoicing at your heat charts! What are you using to monitor?