[NAFEX] direct seeding

Doreen Howard gardendiva at charter.net
Sun Feb 20 20:21:24 EST 2005


Stephen Sadler wrote:
> Have some of you tried direct seeding of tomatoes, impatiens, etc.?  I 
> read
> years ago that direct seeded plants would catch up with, and overtake,
> indoor-started plants in terms of size, vigor, and production.

Direct seeding does produce tomato and pepper plants that mature faster.  I 
used to direct seed some at the same time I transplanted seedlings grown 
under lights when I lived on the Texas Gulf Coast in Zone 9b. The 
direct-seeded ones set fruit first.

That said, direct seeding is an option only for those with long growing 
seasons.  Mine is 95-105 days.  It's all I can do to get the entire tomato 
crop size up properly before the first freeze, which was Sept. 23 in 2004. 
About a quarter of the crop ends up being picked green just before the 
freeze and ripens in the sunroom over the next three months or so.
Doreen Howard 





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