We had started a bunch of tomatoes from seed this year (as well as the previous years) and, each year we grow them, they get tall and leggy. I just found a book at a local book store called "American Tomato". In this book, it tells you "When the tomatoes get their first true set of leaves, store them where the temperature is 50-55*F for two weeks. After two weeks, return them to 75*F+ temperatures." I am currious to know where you guys place them where the temps stay around 50=55*F.
I've never stored my tomatoe plants at any particular temperature but legginess is usually caused by insufficient light.
Anyone else want to put their two cent worth in? I would like to hear what you have to say about this topic.
Regular room temp is fine for starting the seeds. And legginess is the result of insufficent light. I've never heard about playing with the temps like that, and even if there was something to it would effect the rate they grow, not the shape (ie beeing tall and spindley). For tomatoes, the warmer the better the brighter the better. I think that is the concensus.
So you don't think that it would be a good idea to store them at a colder tempture to keep them from getting leggy?
Nope, if you don't have a light (and aren't willing to get one) then put them out in the daytime and bring them in if there is threat of frost. I don't know the weather where you are, but they can like just get planted now. Stake them up and they should thicken up. Legginess is a function of the plant reaching for light--that is all. I've lot a lot of plants to that, so I know all to well ;) good luck Michael
without reading the book, it could possibly mean after germination reduce the temperature..........i nearly cooked 200+ plants by having them in a tunnel that went over 100°F, ooops :D
What are you using for a light source ? You don't need anything fancy - just your regular fluorescent tubes work very well for seedlings, held 1" or maximum 2" above them.
We have moved them out and are starting to plant them now. However, each year our local garden society (VA Greenhouse Society) joins up for, what I think is called, a Plant Extravaganza. What it is is where a bunch of different societies go to it and take a bunch of different plants to sell (not as a business thing of course). Every year, we start a bunch of tomatoes and things and the tomatoes always end up leggy by time for the sale. The sell just fine but they would probably do better if we could keep them short and get them to grow fat.
I don't think we've ever done that but that's got to be a bummer. I'll pots what I found in the book so you all can see what I'm talking about.
Yes, that's exactly what we are using. We have several shelves that we use to grow the tomatoes and other types of plants on and each shelf has a florescent lamp over them.
I was going to post a link to an Amazon.com search but they don't have what I wanted to link you to so I'll just type it. This is from a book Called American Tomato. And I quote: Chilling the Seedlings Here we have an important exception to the traditional 70* day and 65* night temperature requirements for growing tomato seedlings. The latest research reveals that tomato seedlings should be chilled as soon as the first true leaves appear- when the plants are 1 1/2 inches tall. The seedlings are best chilled at 50*-55*F for two weeks. Various studies made at Michigan State University show that chilled plants, which are chilled at the time flower number is being determined in the plants, bear earlier and heavier yields of fruit. Not only is flowering stimulated, but the plants become stockier and thicker stemmed, enabling them to survive transplanting better. The plants must, of course, have light while they are being chilled. After the plants have been chilled two weeks, go back to growing them at temperatures of 70* during the day and 65* at night. I'd like to hear your take on this.
Just to put "regular fluorescent lights" in perspective: there are regular fluor lights (warm white, cool white, and specialty lights like gro-lux) that are about 40 watts in a 4 foot tube. Then there are HO (high output) at about 55 watts, and VHO (very ...). The lights in our Conviron growing chambers are VHO 6 foot tubes at 130 watts, and they are spaced so close together as to be quite difficult to remove and replace, 10 tubes in 22 inches. There are also 6 @ 100 watt incandescent bulbs in a row down the middle (which we don't use for starting plants). For 12 square feet of growing area that's a total of 1900 watts or 158 watts per square foot or 108 w/ft of fluorescent. The inside walls of the chamber are highly reflective white laminate. Bottom line of all this:use lots of light for full bushy starts. Ralph PS: no, I've not tried tomatoes yet, but I will.
Actually, only one of those tubes is 130 watts. The rest are 160 watts, so that gives a watt density of 133 watts per square foot. Back to the chilling referrence: azeleafan's quote is certainly interesting. I wonder if that would be continuous chilling for the 2 weeks or just down to that temp at night? Is this for the determinate types (a whole bunch of fruit then they die) or the indeterminate types that keep on fruiting for a longer period? Ralph
I would guess that it is for either determinate types. From what it sounds, the author means during the day and night the the high being a max of 55* and the lo being a max of 50*.
This is the first I have heard of needing to expose plants to the low 50's to cause flower set. Many years ago I heard that tomatoes would not set flower until the night time temp stayed above the low 50's and that they would not set any more when the night time temp stayed above the low 80's. As azeleafan said, your source may be talking about determinate varities, I don't see how it could apply to indeterminate varities.
Tomotoes can have their stems buried. Whenever I have leggy seedlings, I just remove the bottom leaves and bury them deep. They are fine. The chilling thing sounds a little bizarre and is probably reserved for commercial growers with the ability to so finely control the enviroment. I start my tomatoes under lights and near the end of April I transplant them into 4 inch pots and move them to my cold greenhouse. About this time of year, I transplant them to their permanent summer home. WCG
It isn't complicated to get tomatoes to grow, I have classes of six year olds who manage just fine every year. I've never heard of dropping the temperature. At the end of the day, I guess whatever works for you.
Well, I guess next year I'll have to try it two different ways, with the chilling and without the chilling.
Mine receive the chill treatment every year by default. I start my seeds on top of hot water tank, and the minute I see the seedlings emerge they are put out in the "breezeway" adjacent the kitchen. This room has a south view with full windows and is unheated. Seedings stay nice and stocky, and if started on first day of spring, are perfect size for setting out in early May. Unfortunately this year I started mine somewhat earlier (some seeds were older and I thought they would take longer to germinate) and planted them out later due to the cold weather in early May so they were somewhat spindly, but are coming along nicely after the hot speall we just had. I grow all my plants in 5 gallons containers. The cold temps do not cause blossoms to set, but rather increase the number of blossoms per plant. D.
Thanks for that info. I'll experiment with both growing methods, starting them later with tons of light and chilling them, to see which works best.
