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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] direct seeding

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  • From: Pat Meadows <pat@containerseeds.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] direct seeding
  • Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2005 07:47:02 -0500

On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 15:49:29 -0800, you 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. Back in my
>zone 7 (ahs heat zone 3-7, Sunset 7) garden I found this to be clearly true
>when I planted identical varieties side by side. My greenhouse started
>plants were very healthy, but never came close to the eventual size,
>quality, and productivity of plants from direct seeding that took place the
>same day the indoor starts were transplanted into the garden. I now direct
>seed anything that will germinate fairly quickly. My first pickings are
>later, but the yield and quality is higher. What I wonder is whether there
>is a zone limitation to the effect? Some of you may want to try the same
>side-by-side experiment.
>

There's certainly a zone limitation: our frost-free season
here (at about 2000 feet in altitude in northern
Pennsylvania) is not long enough for many tomatoes to grow,
and produce and ripen fruit. Our frost-free season is
theoretically about 120 days, but in actuality is usually
from 90 to 105 days. First frost in 2004: September 19.

I know this from volunteer tomatoes that seed themselves
each year: we *never* get ripe tomatoes from them here. In
other places with a longer frost-free season, I often had
ripe tomatoes from volunteer plants.

I'm not sure if the more severe limiting factor is actually
the frost-free season or the cool nights even in summer - we
can have temperatures in the very low 40s (F) or even high
30s (F) even in July and August. (In fact, we can have
frosts even in July and August although thankfully that is
very rare.)

The heat-loving plants don't do a whole lot of growing when
the temperatures are that low and they do considerably
better here if grown in a plastic hoophouse. This is how I
hope to grow mine this coming season. Now watch: we'll
probably a scorcher this summer unlike the last two very
cool, wet summers...

Pat
--
ContainerSeeds.com - vegetable, herb, fruit, and
edible flower seeds for successful container growing.
http://www.containerseeds.com




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