Delicious looking tomatoes. Got this link from a comment on your winter sow video. Nothing tastes better than home grown. Store bought organic veggies don't compare. Besides saving seeds, steam canning tomato sauce, I hung basil to dry inside. It's said that air dry like that keeps the beni in tact. Put them into a used jar and crush what I need for recipes. Love that you save seeds and starting them for viability before planting. No waste. We all appreciate how much went into the whole process start to finish including editing. Great job. My hubby has the green thumb. I find the tutorials. Thank you again.
Thank you - there are faster methods for getting really big tomato plants. But mine is the least effort (5 min a day) and you get large plants ready to transplant...at the appropriate time. And I hate wasting anything! I appreciate the kind words too - I do put a lot of effort into editing videos. I want you (the viewer) to get maximum value from them and not waste anyone's time.
I’m thankful for the C shut down. It gave you time to help all of us learn more. God works in mysterious ways. I’m in zone 9b and start in a greenhouse, but still learned so much. Blessings!
Where are you located? I'm impressed that you could grow these tomatoes without grow lights! Also impressed with your wife's canning abilities, I'm hoping to learn for this season!
Hi Lindsey - I'm in southern Pennsylvania, zone 6b. It was the first time she canned (I still never have) and she was using her Mom's equipment. It was pretty cool, and we get to eat something we grew all Winter until next summer.
Great video Re: canning It may be a good idea to store your jars without the bands. If you get a bad seal the lid can then lift off ,rather than having the band make it seem like you have a seal.. Thank you for the video
That's great! I germinate my seedlings also ontop of my hot water holding tank. But their in peat pellets when I do it. Then when they do germinate I put them in potting soil. I also germinate them right outside . I take a whole bag of potting soil and lay it on my concrete in the sun. Cut out the middle of the bag on one side after sticking a screwdriver in the other side for drainage holes. Plant my seeds then cover with a plastic clear tote until they germinate. My last frost date is may 15th about. I'm in zone 6a N.Y. Tomatoes are a must in my garden. There's nothing like a fresh garden tomatoe.
Sounds like you've got a good set up there Nora. That is a great idea putting a large plastic tote over the top of them. I never ate more tomatoes in my life than last year. We used to just have 4-6 plants in total, but decided we wanted to try canning, and next thing you know I've got 11 and gave away another 12 plants to neighbors!
That's a good guestion Kimberly for every year it's different depending on the weather. And this year so far has been the craziest with such a mild winter so far we might get a very early spring. You could try in the beginning of April. If you plant the seeds in the bag and we get warm days in the 60s that soil inside underneath the tote will be warm enough to germinate them tomatoe seeds.
I am in 5b Near Canton Ohio. For mini greenhouses I am going to use recycled refrigerator crisper drawers with clear glass former shelves ontop. I do have some sun bulbs and a heater with a thermostat. I use a plastic shelf unit wrapped with clear visqueen, lights hung over the greenhouses and the heater inside too. I have done this for 25 years. I do like your method, I will give it a try too. Thanks for a great video!
That is a great idea with the drawers Mike. And a great way to truly 'recycle' something. I'm certain your method works great, as you are creating all the right conditions. I just never wanted to set one up and just tried this on somewhat of a whim, and got great results.
Thank you I may have a drawer. I'm going to do this with that and a plastic tote. I'm going to have to experiment with the best spot because we have trees. Going to be interesting. Probably have to go to back of house as the sun moves but there is some more sun back there. ❤️🙏
You are very welcome! Fresh tomatoes are awesome. I ate one in an omelet each day from the end of July until October. And ate them with so many other foods. It was awesome.
Wish I could plant them outside. Unfortunately we have too much rain and too low temperatures for that. In the west of Ireland we only have the polytunnel solution. Thanks for a really good video, I hope to use a lot of your pointers this year.
Hi I’m in Edinburgh, Scotland I knew peppers need a longer growing season and tried to over winter them unsuccessfully last year so this year I decided to “over winter” them at the start of the grow and they are looking great! I started them and my tomatoes early November in my south Facing window. It’s now 15february and I have had flowers on 2 plants with 2 of the flowers translating into baby tomatoes. I just want to see what will happen but it’s kept me happy over the winter time as I almost experience gardening withdrawal grief over the winter ❤
Very interesting. I will try it. I failed so many times before, if its not one thing (plants dry out) its another (too much water and damping off) or sun burn or frost - as I forget them outside. Takes REAL commitment to stay on it every day. But I WILL try again.
Great science experiment!. I've seen questions and your answers about winter sowing them instead, so I thought I would share my experience. It does indeed work wonderfully. I'm in Zone 5A, so cooler than you, and my winter sown tomatoes planted in March did fantastic (as did everything else including warm and cold season vegetables, fruits, and herbs, all my annual flowers, and perennials/natives). You also don't need to do the inside/outside thing. Just like your native flowers, they're fine in the cold in their milk jugs before they sprout. Once it gets warm enough and they germinate, cover the jugs with a blanket if frost/freezing temps are expected overnight.. We had a freak warm up in April this year (80s and 90s), causing a lot of things to germinate that wouldn't usually germinate yet, so I had to cover my sprouted jugs with blankets for 18 nights straight, but everything made it through and thrived. Anyway, it works well for anyone asking. By the way, I've been canning for decades. Eating meals with home canned goodness from my garden in January always makes me smile. You shouldn't store the canning rings on the jars. Check the seal after 12 hours (or the next day). If sealed, remove the ring, wash the jar, dry, label, and store on your shelves. Rings left on in storage can rust in place, making them very difficult to remove. Having the rings on can also disguise a failed seal. Happy canning!
Thank you for sharing that info, as I've never tried winter sowing tomatoes. And thank you for the tips regarding no rings on the cans! We actually made some pickles this year - and they are ringless!
@@growitbuildit That's awesome! My family aren't pickle eaters but like Dill Relish (not sweet), so I stick with that. I'm thinking of trying zucchini relish yet this year. Once you start canning, it's addictive. Kind of like gardening. It's a lot of work but tastes so good!
It's February 8th here in Yucaipa, CA 2900 feet. Last year I purchased a heat mat and a small greenhouse like yours. Everything you said could go wrong, DID. This year I did order a small grow light, but it's not gonna be here until March 3rd. Until then, I'm going to try your method as much as I can. It's 51 during the day and 31 at night. We'll see how it goes. ThankQ for the very well done video.
First time I've seen one of your videos. I loved your experimenting, and I'm going to try your method. A year and a half ago, I gathered seeds from a volunteer tomato that I thought was especially tasty. I left them in a jar of water to ferment, and then forgot about them. Oops! They started sprouting in the water. I wasn't sure what to do, but I potted them up and grew them in my garden window. I was able to plant them in my garden super early, though I had to protect them at night. We had an early crop of tomatoes in late spring/early summer.
Hi Susan - I hope you have the same results as me. That is cool you were able to keep it alive over winter. And even better that you got early tomatoes!
2 years ago, I grew 6 tomato plants in container bags, the kind you can water through. I set them on my lawn, I also had some cucumbers in similar bags, and potatoes, etc. I got a LOT of tomatoes off just those 6 plants, I put up three dozen pints of salsa along with the tomatoes I ate fresh. Last year I put in raised beds, but the weather wasn't as good. I got a few tomatoes, not enough to can. I do a lot of canning so I plan to figure it out!
Thank you Annie - this has worked really well for me for a few years now. I am kicking myself though, as when I repotted up the 'leggy' seedlings I saved a lot of extra plants. I continued to grow those, but they never got under a greenhouse again. At the end they were about 4-6" tall, much smaller than the large ones I showed. The only difference was the extra heat from the 'greenhouse' effect. It really makes a difference.
That's amazing! By the time you were repotting leggy seedlings, I'd have thought the extra heat from the dome would not have mattered so much. Thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to continue to use the greenhouse cover to the very end!@@growitbuildit
You can actually see the repotted, non-greenhouse seedlings at 19:20 in the background. You will likely have to pause the video, but you can compare them to the greenhouse plants in the foreground. It was quite the difference. Those plants all went to neighbors who were happy to receive them.
Thank you!!!! I have seedlings already coming up for tomatoes and they appear to have just shut down attempting to get true leaves. I knew it was a long shot considering they are in the garage and it is certainly cold in there I'm not sure if the heat mat can actually keep up the temps due to no humidity comes currently. I have other colder crops started as well, but I'm going to assume I did fine with germination, but the plants shut down basically or at least it appears that they have. It was my test run because it is my first time even trying to grow tomato seeds, but if it isn't a nutrient deficiency, I'm afraid it is the temperature that they are at. Good to have all of this information in one place great video and great details.
This is great if you’re in a house with easy access to your yard or farm. I’m in NYC in a 7th floor apartment with no immediate outside space for seedlings. My plants’ final grow space is in a community garden 3 blocks away so I cannot move seedlings back and forth daily between my apartment and the garden. Nevertheless, I may try this with a handful of tomatoes & peppers, moving them between a tiny unheated greenhouse and the open air. Another set will be winter-sown without pre-germination. They just won’t be as big on transplant day.
They are the best. I got some store-bought ones cheap last year, and I am disappointed. I haven't been able to erase any of them! The yogurt containers work great as I can just get a bit of water and rub them clean.
Another great video, thank you for all of the info/tips! I don't have those nice domes that you are using, but do you think I could achieve similar results with milk jugs? Similar to how you used them in the winter sowing milkweed video?
You probably could Gary - you would just want to be a bit cautious with the outside temperature, same as I am. If you would be able to open/close the jugs easily, that would help too. You would probably plant on one plant per jug.
I’m going to try a test on tomatoes and peppers in winter sow this year to see if it matters in growth rate. They say once the tomatoes hit warm weather they all grow about the same from some videos I’ve watched. I won’t start them until 6 weeks before last frost date or a bit later though. It would be nice to keep all the mess outside.
This method of pre germinating tomato and pepper seeds is exactly what I planned on doing. I was surprised to see you had done this. Every year I always started then too soon and had a jungle. Not this year. Earlier I was trying to scarify hibiscus seeds and 1 of the 5 flipped and flew over to the sink. I said that’s it and threw them in a baggie with damp paper towel inside a domed tray on a heat mat. In 2 days they germinated! Yes! I figured a hard seed like that took only 2 days that peppers and tomatoes should be similar or shorter. This will prevent planting too many per cell and guarantee no empty cells. It will also keep the growth on time. I’m adding 2 weeks to my frost date and counting back from there for start date and pre germinating will really keep things on schedule as some pepper seeds especially hot ones take awhile. I just did trial and error for non stop begonias. Couldn’t find anything on aftercare and I thought maybe they needed more heat. Bingo! Put them on top shelf with loose dome and seen growth improvement in one day. The oscillating fan for rest of seedlings was creating to much cold. Great job!
Hi Dusty - glad you enjoyed this method. It's amazing how easy it is to get some seeds to germinate by just keeping them in a moist environment. Good luck this season!
Hi Ann - The dome is about 7" tall, so by the time they are hitting the dome the plant it is nearly transplant time, and the outside temperatures are usually getting pretty warm. So you don't even need to use it much at the end (last 7 days or so).
Just wow, thank you so much for the information. I am from Central Jersey and always are late with starting my tomatoes. Where can I find the temp info? Thanks again.
You’ve sure planted the seeds of curiosity here! Now I’m wondering if I can create a microclimate in SW Okla on the south side of my brick house with multiple layers like small cheap greenhouse over cold frame over Rubbermaid clear tub. Maybe a ring of connected 2L water bottles inside the cold frame. Going to look for the thermometer. Thanks!
Good info. Only thing I think I would do different is in the actual garden. I think tomato cages have a decent use case for determinate tomatoes but for indeterminate not so much and using tall poles on either side of a row of tomatoes with a strong line going between them and drop lines go down to each plant and guiding the tomato up the line allows those to get very tall. But I didn't check what kind of tomatoes you were growing to see if you would get any benefit.
I use indeterminate, but usually just end up having them drape over the cage. It has worked pretty well so far. But with the number of Black Locust seedlings I have around me making a couple sturdy poles that lasted wouldn't be too hard.
Hi Frani - I'm really not sure. I have only done this with tomatoes and peppers. If the annual was originally from a very hot region of the world, it would probably work well. But I don't know for sure and am just speculating
it's capillary action to be more precise. I bought 10 seeds for $20 from norfolk. They gave me 13 and 8 have not germinated. I decided to soak the 5 seeds I had left in warm water and they began sprouting already. I just want to know your opinion on this purple GMO tomatoes
I have grown several hybrids in the past, and they generally work well. But I have no experience with the purple GMO seeds you are talking about. But I would just treat them like any other tomato plant.
Correct. In general - I try to germinate the seeds on the paper towel six weeks before my transplant date. I haven't run into a situation where I had to go cover plants at night due to a late hard freeze, as the transplant date for my zone has been safe for the years I've been doing this method.
I’m in Omaha Ne I have raised gardens I make my own compost from vegetable trimmings egg shells coffee grounds grass clippings leaves and dirt and sand that I till all together I like all your info I take 5 gallon buckets cut bottom off 2” up from bottom push cut end into ground I put3 screws around the top just below the top about 2”” drill a hole in the bottom so u can get a finnger in it so u can pick it up u can plant early and purtec from frost and early hail I put grass clippings round plant keeps moist
What I typically do is open the vents when the outside temperatures are above sixty F, and remove lids when the outside temp is forecasted to get to 68F or more.
That will make this process very challenging Leah. Sunlight is the key ingredient, well that plus heat. You may need to investigate grow lights. The window I use is pretty much the only one that will work for my location, if faces South East and gets me by. Facing true south would be ideal.
Hi Frank - I do not. I just use potting soil - although I'm not certain which kind I used for these this year. It could have been ProMix, Miracle Grow, or Vigoro. I usually just buy what I can get cheap. I was kicking myself when making the video though. You see, when I repotted the leggy seedlings, I ended up with another 12 plants or so that I continued to grow, but I did not have a greenhouse for them. So they went outside with the greenhouse plants, but were in the cold mornings. I don't even have any real good shots of them, but you'll have to take my word that they were about 5-6" tall at the end, when the greenhouse plants were about 10". The only difference would have been the extra heat the 'greenhouse' plants received for those several weeks. This process really makes a difference in the speed at which I can get my plants to a large size.
For what it is worth - I think I found a couple spots where you can just see the 'other' seedlings. 06:22 - look at the top left corner, and you can see one of the tomatoes in a 'cage-tray'. Compare that with what is on screen. Another, better shot is at 19:20. This is on may 19th, and you will need to pause the video here, but you can see the non-greenhouse plants in the back. They are tiny, but are the same age as the plants in the foreground.
I don't know if you would get the same results as what I showed in the video for tomatoes and peppers. But lots of people grow their food using poly tunnels, and it is because the extra heat they trap essentially mean they are growing in one zone higher. As in the poly tunnel creates conditions for the next zone south of their location
Hi! TY for the very detailed info. I practice it too, but without monitoring temp much. I have a question, have you tried to grow toms under a later winter sowing method? Like, start them outside in milk jags maybe in Feb.?
Hi Olga - I have not done that. My issue would be I would need to bring them in / take them out - possibly quite frequently. We can get to single digit F into March. So, for now, I just do this over the course of six weeks.
thanks for your prompt response. A follow-up question: My window sill (rental house) are too narrow for the run-of-the-mill seed starting tray. At my last house in zone 8b, I used Jiffy trays (21 inch length x 4.25 inch wide x approx. 6 inch height with clear top). Any suggestions?
Hi Ann - I know I said window sill, but I actually rest mine on a large cabinet that is right next to a window. If you don't have one, perhaps you can find a cheap one on Facebook marketplace or craigslist. You just need a tall enough platform that can safely hold a couple of flats. But the narrow Jiffy trays would work too, at least until they start contacting the top. By then hopefully the outdoor temperatures will be warm enough where they won't need the greenhouse.
I have been doing mine like this in Manitoba, Zone 3 for 3 years now. No grow light. Only window sill and a plastic tier shelf that is flushed to the window. Everything grew well. No leggy plants.
That is strange. Do you use nitrogen fertilizer? Too much nitrogen and not enough phosphorus can be the cause of that...I don't use anything anymore - just compost and leaf mulch
@@growitbuildit I think that’s what I’d read too. I couldn’t find any phosphorus fertilizer I don’t think. I did fertilize with an organic fertilizer I’d bought from Amazon that was high in nitrogen
Alright, I onlyuse my compost and leaf mulch. But 20+ years ago I worked at a mom n pop garden center. We sold this exact product for your problem. www.amazon.com/Fertilome-Blooming-Rooting-Soluble-9-58-8/dp/B00FGINCS8/ref=asc_df_B00FGINCS8?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814222317428&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413751751211&psc=1 There are three numbers on fertilizer. The 1st is for Nitrogen. 2nd for bl99ms and fruits. 3rd for roots. This fertilizer could (and should) help you. I don't use it or any other synthetic, but if you don't have good compost and leaves, well, it will probably help a lot.
I've had them sprout in the paper towels just sitting in a Tupperware tray that I left on a heat register. It may take a bit longer, and you may have to spray water on the towel a couple times to keep it from drying out, but it should work.
Thanks to everyone for suggestions about warm place. My fridge and microwave are built in, so no way to use them for heat. Heat register possible; otherwise window sill is it.
Hi Anna - I'm in zone 6b, Southern Pennsylvania. I just used a regular potting soil. It could have been either ProMix, Miracle Grow or Vigoro. I end up mixing them all up as I go through so much.
Hi Mary - it depends on how long you want to store them. If you are just going to save some to sow next year, then you just need to clean the pulp off. They will keep for 1-2 years that way. I've been doing this with Yellow Pear tomatoes for 5-6 years. Just saving the seeds from one tomato each year. If you want to store the seeds for a long time, as in 5-7 years, then they need to be fermented.
Greetings from Swaziland Africa. If I could buy a growing greenhouse anywhere here I would have given this a try as I have tried all other methods with no reward. Here you have to grow everything inside - there are troops of up to 50 marauding monkeys that eat everything in sight. We have 5 beautiful big mango trees that produces hundreds of mangoes. If we have 30 of them for ourselves every season it is a lot. And who can afford to build an outside greenhouse? Great video though this should work very well for everybody.
Hi Hendrik - that is awful! I wouldn't want to deal with monkeys - I can see how they would be much, much worse than raccoons. You've got to fence/cage everything and then hope the monkey doesn't learn how to pick a lock!
Hi Maisoon - see this for germinating Zucchini seeds. Soak them for 12 hours, then germinate them in a paper towel. They usually germinate in a few days that way - growitbuildit.com/how-to-germinate-seeds-on-paper-towels-a-total-guide/
That was actually the first time I had to deal with tomatoes being leggy, and that was because I was out of town for a week, and they sat on my neighbor's window sill the whole time. If you get them outside into the sun, they don't get leggy.
Two reasons. First, it helps insulate the bottom of the tray from the cool ground. Second, it helps keep the cabinet where I keep the plants at night clean/dry.
I'm sorry if I went too fast. Just email me any specific questions if need be. Or have a look at the article on this topic - growitbuildit.com/how-to-grow-big-tomato-seedlings-fast/
@@growitbuildit what an amazing response! Thank you. You didn’t go too fast. It takes a bit of effort for me to process (what I perceive to be) lots of steps. The article will help A LOT. I’ll read it today…and probably for 3 more days. U rock!
Delicious looking tomatoes. Got this link from a comment on your winter sow video.
Nothing tastes better than home grown. Store bought organic veggies don't compare. Besides saving seeds, steam canning tomato sauce, I hung basil to dry inside. It's said that air dry like that keeps the beni in tact. Put them into a used jar and crush what I need for recipes. Love that you save seeds and starting them for viability before planting. No waste. We all appreciate how much went into the whole process start to finish including editing. Great job. My hubby has the green thumb. I find the tutorials. Thank you again.
Thank you - there are faster methods for getting really big tomato plants. But mine is the least effort (5 min a day) and you get large plants ready to transplant...at the appropriate time. And I hate wasting anything!
I appreciate the kind words too - I do put a lot of effort into editing videos. I want you (the viewer) to get maximum value from them and not waste anyone's time.
I’m thankful for the C shut down. It gave you time to help all of us learn more.
God works in mysterious ways.
I’m in zone 9b and start in a greenhouse, but still learned so much.
Blessings!
Thank you Tammy! Good luck this season!
Where are you located? I'm impressed that you could grow these tomatoes without grow lights! Also impressed with your wife's canning abilities, I'm hoping to learn for this season!
Hi Lindsey - I'm in southern Pennsylvania, zone 6b. It was the first time she canned (I still never have) and she was using her Mom's equipment. It was pretty cool, and we get to eat something we grew all Winter until next summer.
Excellent video, now I know exactly why my tomato and pepper seeds aren't coming up! Thank you for taking us from start to planting in the ground!!
You are very welcome Donna - good luck this Season!
I enjoy this video and your calm voice a lot.
😊Thank you for sharing all of the details.
You are very welcome, and thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate it, and am happy that you found the info helpful!
Last year I grown all my tomatoes plants in a unheated greenhouse and I made great success
Great video
Re: canning
It may be a good idea to store your jars without the bands.
If you get a bad seal the lid can then lift off ,rather than having the band make it seem like you have a seal..
Thank you for the video
Thanks for the tip Barney - will make sure we do that next season.
@@growitbuildit he meant while storing..store them without the rings, they are needed to do the canning part. 🙏
That's great! I germinate my seedlings also ontop of my hot water holding tank. But their in peat pellets when I do it. Then when they do germinate I put them in potting soil. I also germinate them right outside . I take a whole bag of potting soil and lay it on my concrete in the sun. Cut out the middle of the bag on one side after sticking a screwdriver in the other side for drainage holes. Plant my seeds then cover with a plastic clear tote until they germinate. My last frost date is may 15th about. I'm in zone 6a N.Y. Tomatoes are a must in my garden. There's nothing like a fresh garden tomatoe.
Sounds like you've got a good set up there Nora. That is a great idea putting a large plastic tote over the top of them.
I never ate more tomatoes in my life than last year. We used to just have 4-6 plants in total, but decided we wanted to try canning, and next thing you know I've got 11 and gave away another 12 plants to neighbors!
When do you start putting them outside? I'm also in NY in zone 6 Dutchess county
That's a good guestion Kimberly for every year it's different depending on the weather. And this year so far has been the craziest with such a mild winter so far we might get a very early spring. You could try in the beginning of April. If you plant the seeds in the bag and we get warm days in the 60s that soil inside underneath the tote will be warm enough to germinate them tomatoe seeds.
I am in 5b Near Canton Ohio. For mini greenhouses I am going to use recycled refrigerator crisper drawers with clear glass former shelves ontop. I do have some sun bulbs and a heater with a thermostat. I use a plastic shelf unit wrapped with clear visqueen, lights hung over the greenhouses and the heater inside too. I have done this for 25 years. I do like your method, I will give it a try too. Thanks for a great video!
That is a great idea with the drawers Mike. And a great way to truly 'recycle' something. I'm certain your method works great, as you are creating all the right conditions. I just never wanted to set one up and just tried this on somewhat of a whim, and got great results.
@@growitbuildit I am definitely going to try your method to see if I can make it work so that I can eliminate using electricity. Thanks!!!
Thank you I may have a drawer. I'm going to do this with that and a plastic tote. I'm going to have to experiment with the best spot because we have trees. Going to be interesting. Probably have to go to back of house as the sun moves but there is some more sun back there. ❤️🙏
@@kimberlyboenig6643 I also am going to use the clear "clam shell" that cream cakes and cookies come in from grocery stores like Aldi.
@@growitbuildit I'm also going to use the "clam shells" that cream cakes and cookies come in from the grocery store like Aldi
Thank you for all of the information you share. However, seeing your harvest has made me very hungry for a fresh tomato.
You are very welcome! Fresh tomatoes are awesome. I ate one in an omelet each day from the end of July until October. And ate them with so many other foods. It was awesome.
Wish I could plant them outside. Unfortunately we have too much rain and too low temperatures for that. In the west of Ireland we only have the polytunnel solution. Thanks for a really good video, I hope to use a lot of your pointers this year.
I’ll bet it’s beautiful there though. I’d love to see Ireland especially before it goes to 💩 like the USA is
I'm glad I could help you out somewhat nonetheless. I suppose if you don't really get sun it is quite impossible to use this solution.
@joon Go and see the west of Ireland if you can. The Wild Atlantic Way is beautiful to explore.
Hi I’m in Edinburgh, Scotland I knew peppers need a longer growing season and tried to over winter them unsuccessfully last year so this year I decided to “over winter” them at the start of the grow and they are looking great! I started them and my tomatoes early November in my south Facing window. It’s now 15february and I have had flowers on 2 plants with 2 of the flowers translating into baby tomatoes. I just want to see what will happen but it’s kept me happy over the winter time as I almost experience gardening withdrawal grief over the winter ❤
That is cool Jennifree - I would love to be able to garden through the Winter.
Thank you. The leggy plants tip. Never thought of transplanting deeper to another pot.
Quite the experiment. You are brave. Thanks again.
The more you handle plants, the more you learn which ones are 'sensitive' and which are not. Tomatoes are pretty tough for separation seedlings.
Made it to the end! Im excited to get started. :-) by this time next year ill hopefully be eating from my own harvest!
Excellent - good luck starting your garden Nickie!
Thanks for making this very helpful video!
You are very welcome Mary - good luck this Winter!
New Subscriber! I’m in Zone6a and our expected last frost is on April 30th. Very much enjoy all the detail information ❤
Thank you! I'm very happy to hear you are finding it useful
Very interesting. I will try it. I failed so many times before, if its not one thing (plants dry out) its another (too much water and damping off) or sun burn or frost - as I forget them outside. Takes REAL commitment to stay on it every day. But I WILL try again.
It does take some work, but the results are worth it, You can grow your own varieties you choose, and get them essentially for free.
Great science experiment!. I've seen questions and your answers about winter sowing them instead, so I thought I would share my experience. It does indeed work wonderfully. I'm in Zone 5A, so cooler than you, and my winter sown tomatoes planted in March did fantastic (as did everything else including warm and cold season vegetables, fruits, and herbs, all my annual flowers, and perennials/natives). You also don't need to do the inside/outside thing. Just like your native flowers, they're fine in the cold in their milk jugs before they sprout. Once it gets warm enough and they germinate, cover the jugs with a blanket if frost/freezing temps are expected overnight.. We had a freak warm up in April this year (80s and 90s), causing a lot of things to germinate that wouldn't usually germinate yet, so I had to cover my sprouted jugs with blankets for 18 nights straight, but everything made it through and thrived. Anyway, it works well for anyone asking.
By the way, I've been canning for decades. Eating meals with home canned goodness from my garden in January always makes me smile. You shouldn't store the canning rings on the jars. Check the seal after 12 hours (or the next day). If sealed, remove the ring, wash the jar, dry, label, and store on your shelves. Rings left on in storage can rust in place, making them very difficult to remove. Having the rings on can also disguise a failed seal. Happy canning!
Thank you for sharing that info, as I've never tried winter sowing tomatoes. And thank you for the tips regarding no rings on the cans! We actually made some pickles this year - and they are ringless!
@@growitbuildit That's awesome! My family aren't pickle eaters but like Dill Relish (not sweet), so I stick with that. I'm thinking of trying zucchini relish yet this year. Once you start canning, it's addictive. Kind of like gardening. It's a lot of work but tastes so good!
It's February 8th here in Yucaipa, CA 2900 feet. Last year I purchased a heat mat and a small greenhouse like yours. Everything you said could go wrong, DID. This year I did order a small grow light, but it's not gonna be here until March 3rd. Until then, I'm going to try your method as much as I can. It's 51 during the day and 31 at night. We'll see how it goes. ThankQ for the very well done video.
Wow - that is bad luck Richard. I hope you have better luck until your light arrives.
Hi from Northern Pennsylvania .love watching videos
Your videos thank you 😊
Thank you Paula - I'm glad you enjoy them! And hello from Southern PA
Thank you for sharing! Your videos are very detailed and descriptive.
You are very welcome!
First time I've seen one of your videos. I loved your experimenting, and I'm going to try your method. A year and a half ago, I gathered seeds from a volunteer tomato that I thought was especially tasty. I left them in a jar of water to ferment, and then forgot about them. Oops! They started sprouting in the water. I wasn't sure what to do, but I potted them up and grew them in my garden window. I was able to plant them in my garden super early, though I had to protect them at night. We had an early crop of tomatoes in late spring/early summer.
Hi Susan - I hope you have the same results as me. That is cool you were able to keep it alive over winter. And even better that you got early tomatoes!
2 years ago, I grew 6 tomato plants in container bags, the kind you can water through. I set them on my lawn, I also had some cucumbers in similar bags, and potatoes, etc. I got a LOT of tomatoes off just those 6 plants, I put up three dozen pints of salsa along with the tomatoes I ate fresh. Last year I put in raised beds, but the weather wasn't as good. I got a few tomatoes, not enough to can. I do a lot of canning so I plan to figure it out!
Leaf mulch has been the secret to my success. That and lots of compost. Good luck this summer Sirena!
You have such creative experiments!! Got to try this. Thanks for the great info. NY Zone 5
Thank you Annie - this has worked really well for me for a few years now. I am kicking myself though, as when I repotted up the 'leggy' seedlings I saved a lot of extra plants. I continued to grow those, but they never got under a greenhouse again. At the end they were about 4-6" tall, much smaller than the large ones I showed. The only difference was the extra heat from the 'greenhouse' effect. It really makes a difference.
That's amazing! By the time you were repotting leggy seedlings, I'd have thought the extra heat from the dome would not have mattered so much. Thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to continue to use the greenhouse cover to the very end!@@growitbuildit
You can actually see the repotted, non-greenhouse seedlings at 19:20 in the background. You will likely have to pause the video, but you can compare them to the greenhouse plants in the foreground. It was quite the difference. Those plants all went to neighbors who were happy to receive them.
Thank you!!!! I have seedlings already coming up for tomatoes and they appear to have just shut down attempting to get true leaves. I knew it was a long shot considering they are in the garage and it is certainly cold in there I'm not sure if the heat mat can actually keep up the temps due to no humidity comes currently. I have other colder crops started as well, but I'm going to assume I did fine with germination, but the plants shut down basically or at least it appears that they have.
It was my test run because it is my first time even trying to grow tomato seeds, but if it isn't a nutrient deficiency, I'm afraid it is the temperature that they are at.
Good to have all of this information in one place great video and great details.
Hi, I would bet the temperature is what is slowing it down. Too cold will do that.
Great video, very interesting and informative.
Thank you Karen - I'm glad you found it interesting. Good luck this Spring!
Thank you for another excellent video! 👏🏻❤️
Thank you Gin! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is great if you’re in a house with easy access to your yard or farm. I’m in NYC in a 7th floor apartment with no immediate outside space for seedlings. My plants’ final grow space is in a community garden 3 blocks away so I cannot move seedlings back and forth daily between my apartment and the garden.
Nevertheless, I may try this with a handful of tomatoes & peppers, moving them between a tiny unheated greenhouse and the open air. Another set will be winter-sown without pre-germination. They just won’t be as big on transplant day.
Yea - this probably wouldn't work so well for you. I'd be interested to hear how it goes though.
I see we use the same plant tags. 😁 Those plastic containers make excellent tags when you cut them up.
They are the best. I got some store-bought ones cheap last year, and I am disappointed. I haven't been able to erase any of them! The yogurt containers work great as I can just get a bit of water and rub them clean.
Another great video, thank you for all of the info/tips! I don't have those nice domes that you are using, but do you think I could achieve similar results with milk jugs? Similar to how you used them in the winter sowing milkweed video?
You probably could Gary - you would just want to be a bit cautious with the outside temperature, same as I am. If you would be able to open/close the jugs easily, that would help too. You would probably plant on one plant per jug.
@@growitbuildit I'll give it a shot and see how it goes. Thanks again!
I’m going to try a test on tomatoes and peppers in winter sow this year to see if it matters in growth rate. They say once the tomatoes hit warm weather they all grow about the same from some videos I’ve watched. I won’t start them until 6 weeks before last frost date or a bit later though. It would be nice to keep all the mess outside.
This method of pre germinating tomato and pepper seeds is exactly what I planned on doing. I was surprised to see you had done this.
Every year I always started then too soon and had a jungle. Not this year. Earlier I was trying to scarify hibiscus seeds and 1 of the 5 flipped and flew over to the sink. I said that’s it and threw them in a baggie with damp paper towel inside a domed tray on a heat mat. In 2 days they germinated! Yes! I figured a hard seed like that took only 2 days that peppers and tomatoes should be similar or shorter. This will prevent planting too many per cell and guarantee no empty cells. It will also keep the growth on time.
I’m adding 2 weeks to my frost date and counting back from there for start date and pre germinating will really keep things on schedule as some pepper seeds especially hot ones take awhile.
I just did trial and error for non stop begonias. Couldn’t find anything on aftercare and I thought maybe they needed more heat. Bingo! Put them on top shelf with loose dome and seen growth improvement in one day. The oscillating fan for rest of seedlings was creating to much cold.
Great job!
Hi Dusty - glad you enjoyed this method. It's amazing how easy it is to get some seeds to germinate by just keeping them in a moist environment. Good luck this season!
when they get tall, do you still used the dome? What if they "hit" the dome?
Hi Ann - The dome is about 7" tall, so by the time they are hitting the dome the plant it is nearly transplant time, and the outside temperatures are usually getting pretty warm. So you don't even need to use it much at the end (last 7 days or so).
Thanks for sharing- very useful information. What resource did you use for the avg hi/lo calendar?
Hi - I got some calendars from weather underground, then modified it in paint.
Just wow, thank you so much for the information. I am from Central Jersey and always are late with starting my tomatoes. Where can I find the temp info? Thanks again.
Hi - I'm sorry, what temperature info?
Thank you for the video. Question: when you move from sprouting on the paper towel, how deep do you plant the barely sprouted seeds?
Not very deep at all Stacy. 3-6 mm (1/3"-1/8"). Keep them moist and warm, and they should push through in a few days.
Thanks
You are welcome Steve!
You’ve sure planted the seeds of curiosity here! Now I’m wondering if I can create a microclimate in SW Okla on the south side of my brick house with multiple layers like small cheap greenhouse over cold frame over Rubbermaid clear tub. Maybe a ring of connected 2L water bottles inside the cold frame. Going to look for the thermometer. Thanks!
Excellent - good luck to you. I hope you are able to get plants going in the dead of winter!
Thank you
You are welcome Teri
Very helpful video! Thank you!!
You are very welcome Peggy - glad you enjoyed it.
Good info.
Only thing I think I would do different is in the actual garden. I think tomato cages have a decent use case for determinate tomatoes but for indeterminate not so much and using tall poles on either side of a row of tomatoes with a strong line going between them and drop lines go down to each plant and guiding the tomato up the line allows those to get very tall.
But I didn't check what kind of tomatoes you were growing to see if you would get any benefit.
I use indeterminate, but usually just end up having them drape over the cage. It has worked pretty well so far. But with the number of Black Locust seedlings I have around me making a couple sturdy poles that lasted wouldn't be too hard.
Great video. What other seeds would this work well with? Annual flowers ? Thanks
Hi Frani - I'm really not sure. I have only done this with tomatoes and peppers. If the annual was originally from a very hot region of the world, it would probably work well. But I don't know for sure and am just speculating
@@growitbuildit thanks for your thoughts
it's capillary action to be more precise.
I bought 10 seeds for $20 from norfolk. They gave me 13 and 8 have not germinated. I decided to soak the 5 seeds I had left in warm water and they began sprouting already. I just want to know your opinion on this purple GMO tomatoes
I have grown several hybrids in the past, and they generally work well. But I have no experience with the purple GMO seeds you are talking about. But I would just treat them like any other tomato plant.
thank you for the video.
You are very welcome!
I really like your channel brother. Subscribed
Thank you Robert - I'm very happy you are enjoying my videos. Good luck this season!
I assume the in and out and being exposed to elements no harding off is required ?
Correct. In general - I try to germinate the seeds on the paper towel six weeks before my transplant date. I haven't run into a situation where I had to go cover plants at night due to a late hard freeze, as the transplant date for my zone has been safe for the years I've been doing this method.
I’m in Omaha Ne I have raised gardens I make my own compost from vegetable trimmings egg shells coffee grounds grass clippings leaves and dirt and sand that I till all together I like all your info I take 5 gallon buckets cut bottom off 2” up from bottom push cut end into ground I put3 screws around the top just below the top about 2”” drill a hole in the bottom so u can get a finnger in it so u can pick it up u can plant early and purtec from frost and early hail I put grass clippings round plant keeps moist
Sounds like you've got a good system Erick
Very informative!
Thank you Biru!
New seed sowing gardener here my question is on the greenhouse, when should the vent be open or closed?
What I typically do is open the vents when the outside temperatures are above sixty F, and remove lids when the outside temp is forecasted to get to 68F or more.
Wow, I started my seedling 30 days ago and they are still 3” tall. What do you use for fertilizer also the npk?
I don't use fertilizer. I'm just using potting soil. It was either ProMix or Miracle grow potting soil.
My Dad planted some sideways and the plant will grow straight up and very healthy.
I've done that too - it works great.
Thank you for sharing!
You are very welcome - glad you found it helpful!
I like to use the winter sow method. I put the containers at the sunny east end of my home, up against the bricks.
If that's working for you - keep it up. I just try to maximize the sunlight, which in afternoons sometimes requires the lids to come off
I'm in zone 5b I believe in Pennsylvania. I have problems with not having the correct windows area for sun light.
That will make this process very challenging Leah. Sunlight is the key ingredient, well that plus heat. You may need to investigate grow lights. The window I use is pretty much the only one that will work for my location, if faces South East and gets me by. Facing true south would be ideal.
Do you fertilize during the growing process?
Hi Frank - I do not. I just use potting soil - although I'm not certain which kind I used for these this year. It could have been ProMix, Miracle Grow, or Vigoro. I usually just buy what I can get cheap.
I was kicking myself when making the video though. You see, when I repotted the leggy seedlings, I ended up with another 12 plants or so that I continued to grow, but I did not have a greenhouse for them. So they went outside with the greenhouse plants, but were in the cold mornings. I don't even have any real good shots of them, but you'll have to take my word that they were about 5-6" tall at the end, when the greenhouse plants were about 10". The only difference would have been the extra heat the 'greenhouse' plants received for those several weeks. This process really makes a difference in the speed at which I can get my plants to a large size.
For what it is worth - I think I found a couple spots where you can just see the 'other' seedlings.
06:22 - look at the top left corner, and you can see one of the tomatoes in a 'cage-tray'. Compare that with what is on screen.
Another, better shot is at 19:20. This is on may 19th, and you will need to pause the video here, but you can see the non-greenhouse plants in the back. They are tiny, but are the same age as the plants in the foreground.
@@growitbuilditThanks for getting back so quickly Joe.
Can you winter sow /early start direct sow seeds into beds with a poly row tunnel or maybe a double row cover?
I don't know if you would get the same results as what I showed in the video for tomatoes and peppers. But lots of people grow their food using poly tunnels, and it is because the extra heat they trap essentially mean they are growing in one zone higher. As in the poly tunnel creates conditions for the next zone south of their location
@@growitbuildit I wouldn't do it with the hot babies... I have 5 beds... I'll try with 1 and see what happens.n
Hi! TY for the very detailed info. I practice it too, but without monitoring temp much. I have a question, have you tried to grow toms under a later winter sowing method? Like, start them outside in milk jags maybe in Feb.?
Hi Olga - I have not done that. My issue would be I would need to bring them in / take them out - possibly quite frequently. We can get to single digit F into March. So, for now, I just do this over the course of six weeks.
I add well diluted Humic and very little kelp per gallon of water and wow the stems were thicker and healthy.
Mine had no fertilizer. I wonder how they would respond to a little bit.
growit where can i buy the mini greenhouse and trays?
Hi Joyce - see here for tall humidity domes. You can get trays here too. ( affiliate link) - amzn.to/3D3t5UI
thanks for your prompt response. A follow-up question: My window sill (rental house) are too narrow for the run-of-the-mill seed starting tray. At my last house in zone 8b, I used Jiffy trays (21 inch length x 4.25 inch wide x approx. 6 inch height with clear top). Any suggestions?
Hi Ann - I know I said window sill, but I actually rest mine on a large cabinet that is right next to a window. If you don't have one, perhaps you can find a cheap one on Facebook marketplace or craigslist. You just need a tall enough platform that can safely hold a couple of flats.
But the narrow Jiffy trays would work too, at least until they start contacting the top. By then hopefully the outdoor temperatures will be warm enough where they won't need the greenhouse.
I have been doing mine like this in Manitoba, Zone 3 for 3 years now. No grow light. Only window sill and a plastic tier shelf that is flushed to the window. Everything grew well. No leggy plants.
How do you dry your seeds to get them to grow I don't understand how you get your tomato seeds to grow I try not failed do I go to the dry them
Hi George - They aren't dried. I place the seeds in a moist paper towel. The seeds absorb some of that water/moisture, and then grow.
My mater plants grew viney last year with almost no fruit. Not sure what I did wrong
That is strange. Do you use nitrogen fertilizer? Too much nitrogen and not enough phosphorus can be the cause of that...I don't use anything anymore - just compost and leaf mulch
@@growitbuildit I think that’s what I’d read too. I couldn’t find any phosphorus fertilizer I don’t think. I did fertilize with an organic fertilizer I’d bought from Amazon that was high in nitrogen
Alright, I onlyuse my compost and leaf mulch. But 20+ years ago I worked at a mom n pop garden center. We sold this exact product for your problem. www.amazon.com/Fertilome-Blooming-Rooting-Soluble-9-58-8/dp/B00FGINCS8/ref=asc_df_B00FGINCS8?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814222317428&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413751751211&psc=1
There are three numbers on fertilizer. The 1st is for Nitrogen. 2nd for bl99ms and fruits. 3rd for roots.
This fertilizer could (and should) help you.
I don't use it or any other synthetic, but if you don't have good compost and leaves, well, it will probably help a lot.
My water heater is quite inaccessible, too many stairs. Do you have another recommendation for a warm place to store trays in first part of process?
I've had them sprout in the paper towels just sitting in a Tupperware tray that I left on a heat register. It may take a bit longer, and you may have to spray water on the towel a couple times to keep it from drying out, but it should work.
ATOP REFRIGERATOR OR MICROWAVE MAY WORK OR STOVETOP WHEN IT'S NOT IN USE
Thanks to everyone for suggestions about warm place. My fridge and microwave are built in, so no way to use them for heat. Heat register possible; otherwise window sill is it.
They just take a bit longer to sprout if they aren't on heat, but they will sprout nonetheless
What growing medium did you use ? It would help to know your Zone, and where you're located.
Hi Anna - I'm in zone 6b, Southern Pennsylvania. I just used a regular potting soil. It could have been either ProMix, Miracle Grow or Vigoro. I end up mixing them all up as I go through so much.
@@growitbuildit Thank you for your straightforward videos so to the point ,no annoying loud music . Thanks so much from Canada 🇨🇦
At what point did you feed them?
I don't fertilize them
Do you fertilize the m?? If so how much?
Hi Dutch - I don't fertilize them.
@@growitbuildit thanks. They do good for sure.
What grow zone are you in ?
Hi, I'm in zone 6b
When saving tomato seeds, in order to germinate correctly, do they have to be "fermented" or the pulp just cleaned off?
Hi Mary - it depends on how long you want to store them. If you are just going to save some to sow next year, then you just need to clean the pulp off. They will keep for 1-2 years that way. I've been doing this with Yellow Pear tomatoes for 5-6 years. Just saving the seeds from one tomato each year.
If you want to store the seeds for a long time, as in 5-7 years, then they need to be fermented.
Forgot your grow zone. Thanks again.
Zone 6B
Greetings from Swaziland Africa. If I could buy a growing greenhouse anywhere here I would have given this a try as I have tried all other methods with no reward. Here you have to grow everything inside - there are troops of up to 50 marauding monkeys that eat everything in sight. We have 5 beautiful big mango trees that produces hundreds of mangoes. If we have 30 of them for ourselves every season it is a lot. And who can afford to build an outside greenhouse? Great video though this should work very well for everybody.
Hi Hendrik - that is awful! I wouldn't want to deal with monkeys - I can see how they would be much, much worse than raccoons. You've got to fence/cage everything and then hope the monkey doesn't learn how to pick a lock!
Hi dear I put zucchini seeds in pot this is one week nothing came out can you tall me please what I did wrong thank you and God bless you
Hi Maisoon - see this for germinating Zucchini seeds. Soak them for 12 hours, then germinate them in a paper towel. They usually germinate in a few days that way - growitbuildit.com/how-to-germinate-seeds-on-paper-towels-a-total-guide/
16:25 some leggy ass seedlings and exactly why you need lights to start seeds
That was actually the first time I had to deal with tomatoes being leggy, and that was because I was out of town for a week, and they sat on my neighbor's window sill the whole time. If you get them outside into the sun, they don't get leggy.
Hi dear I don't have much space in the garden HOW I grew money tomatoes thank you
Hi Maisoon - I'm not sure I understand your question. But you can grow large tomato plants in big containers/pots.
i went to lowes yesterday . 4 inch better boy tomato plant was selling for $6.50 each.
Woah! It appears Inflation has effected the garden industry
Try Walls Of Water, much less time involved.
Thx for the tip
Waw..
👍
Thank you CG!
Why do you have a towel under your greenhouse
Two reasons. First, it helps insulate the bottom of the tray from the cool ground. Second, it helps keep the cabinet where I keep the plants at night clean/dry.
Heirloom tomato seeds you can grow them next year they will come up
Exactly - that is why I grow them.
I’m gonna have to watch this 12 more times to understand it. I’m so slow🤦🏽♀️
I'm sorry if I went too fast. Just email me any specific questions if need be. Or have a look at the article on this topic - growitbuildit.com/how-to-grow-big-tomato-seedlings-fast/
@@growitbuildit what an amazing response! Thank you. You didn’t go too fast. It takes a bit of effort for me to process (what I perceive to be) lots of steps. The article will help A LOT. I’ll read it today…and probably for 3 more days. U rock!
Tall is not good.