I am planning to sow my tomato seeds next week end - I am probably
horribly late in doing so. I have no greenhouse, so can do either of
two things - use a few windowsills in my unheated porch to germinate
and grow on the seedlings till ready to plant, or sow straight into the
ground. Is the latter totally daft?

Lastly, regardless of how I get the seedlings, how will toms perform in
an open garden in the midland of Ireland? I have no greenhouse, but I
have good well drained soil in full sun in my garden, and things such
as courgettes do wonderfullly well in it.

Any comments and/or advice?

TIA

Cat(h)

In message . com,
"Cat(h)" writes
I am planning to sow my tomato seeds next week end - I am probably
horribly late in doing so. I have no greenhouse, so can do either of
two things - use a few windowsills in my unheated porch to germinate
and grow on the seedlings till ready to plant, or sow straight into the
ground. Is the latter totally daft?

I think you are best doing it pots in the porch, much more likley to
have success, and get them off to a good start.

Lastly, regardless of how I get the seedlings, how will toms perform in
an open garden in the midland of Ireland? I have no greenhouse, but I
have good well drained soil in full sun in my garden, and things such
as courgettes do wonderfullly well in it.

Should be ok.
--
Chris French

chris French wrote:
In message . com,
"Cat(h)" writes
I am planning to sow my tomato seeds next week end - I am probably
horribly late in doing so. I have no greenhouse, so can do either of
two things - use a few windowsills in my unheated porch to germinate
and grow on the seedlings till ready to plant, or sow straight into the
ground. Is the latter totally daft?

I think you are best doing it pots in the porch, much more likley to
have success, and get them off to a good start.

Ok - the porch it is then.


Lastly, regardless of how I get the seedlings, how will toms perform in
an open garden in the midland of Ireland? I have no greenhouse, but I
have good well drained soil in full sun in my garden, and things such
as courgettes do wonderfullly well in it.

Should be ok.

Thanks for these words of comfort :-) I have visions of starting to
crop around the end of September... just perfect for a marvelous recipe
I have for green tomato relish :-)) Seriously, I have been discouraged
by cold weather and lack of time, but how soon should I have started to
germinate those seeds on window sills to be able to have a decent
summer crop? Am I as late as I think I am?


Cat(h)

On 3 May 2006 08:36:50 -0700, "Cat(h)" wrote this
(or the missive included this):

Thanks for these words of comfort :-) I have visions of starting to
crop around the end of September... just perfect for a marvelous recipe
I have for green tomato relish :-)) Seriously, I have been discouraged
by cold weather and lack of time, but how soon should I have started to
germinate those seeds on window sills to be able to have a decent
summer crop? Am I as late as I think I am?

Probably. Save 3-5 weeks, buy some plants from a garden shed.


--
®óñ© © ² * ¹°°³

Ron Clark wrote:
On 3 May 2006 08:36:50 -0700, "Cat(h)" wrote this
(or the missive included this):

Thanks for these words of comfort :-) I have visions of starting to
crop around the end of September... just perfect for a marvelous recipe
I have for green tomato relish :-)) Seriously, I have been discouraged
by cold weather and lack of time, but how soon should I have started to
germinate those seeds on window sills to be able to have a decent
summer crop? Am I as late as I think I am?

Probably. Save 3-5 weeks, buy some plants from a garden shed.

Good suggestion. I'll probably do a bit of both, and keep the rest of
the seeds for earlier planting next year.

Cat(h)

Tomatoes germinate around 65deg.F and they won't grow until your soil
reaches that temperature. They need the start to suceed in these isalnds and
a few plants can be sown in a small pot-it only takes a few days on the
window sill.
Regards
David T.
"Cat(h)" wrote in message
oups.com...

Ron Clark wrote:
On 3 May 2006 08:36:50 -0700, "Cat(h)" wrote this
(or the missive included this):

Thanks for these words of comfort :-) I have visions of starting to
crop around the end of September... just perfect for a marvelous recipe
I have for green tomato relish :-)) Seriously, I have been discouraged
by cold weather and lack of time, but how soon should I have started to
germinate those seeds on window sills to be able to have a decent
summer crop? Am I as late as I think I am?

Probably. Save 3-5 weeks, buy some plants from a garden shed.

Good suggestion. I'll probably do a bit of both, and keep the rest of
the seeds for earlier planting next year.

Cat(h)

Last year I didn't start to plant my seeds until, I think, July (yes,
I'm a novice). I was advised to give up in October but in fact got
some red tomatoes through October and then made green tomato chutney,
and composted the plants, in November. We live in Lancashire, near the
sea, so hardly ever get early or late frosts, rather like Ireland I'd
imagine?

I was thinking of trying some of the Siberian varieties, which need
very few weeks to cropping, some time. Has anyone tried them?

(and yes, I learned my lesson and have started earlier this year).

Cat(h) wrote:

Ron Clark wrote:
On 3 May 2006 08:36:50 -0700, "Cat(h)" wrote this
(or the missive included this):

Thanks for these words of comfort :-) I have visions of starting to
crop around the end of September... just perfect for a marvelous recipe
I have for green tomato relish :-)) Seriously, I have been discouraged
by cold weather and lack of time, but how soon should I have started to
germinate those seeds on window sills to be able to have a decent
summer crop? Am I as late as I think I am?

Probably. Save 3-5 weeks, buy some plants from a garden shed.

Good suggestion. I'll probably do a bit of both, and keep the rest of
the seeds for earlier planting next year.

I saw some Alicante tomtoes in Johnstown Garden Centre a few days after
Easter. I have 5 Sungold seedlings spare (I got 15 seeds in a packet
and needed 10 plants and managed to grow all 15) so I have 5 to spare
but do not know how to get them to you. I guess I would wait though
until June. The weather is dire just now and tomatoes need heat. To
be honest, I thijnk you need luck with teh weather to do them outdoors
here. Pick the sunniest and most sheltered corner you can find and
wait a bit. If you do it from seeds, start them indoors in a sunny
window.

Des in windy rainy Dublin



Cat(h)

wrote:
Cat(h) wrote:

Ron Clark wrote:
On 3 May 2006 08:36:50 -0700, "Cat(h)" wrote this
(or the missive included this):

Thanks for these words of comfort :-) I have visions of starting to
crop around the end of September... just perfect for a marvelous recipe
I have for green tomato relish :-)) Seriously, I have been discouraged
by cold weather and lack of time, but how soon should I have started to
germinate those seeds on window sills to be able to have a decent
summer crop? Am I as late as I think I am?

Probably. Save 3-5 weeks, buy some plants from a garden shed.

Good suggestion. I'll probably do a bit of both, and keep the rest of
the seeds for earlier planting next year.

I saw some Alicante tomtoes in Johnstown Garden Centre a few days after
Easter. I have 5 Sungold seedlings spare (I got 15 seeds in a packet
and needed 10 plants and managed to grow all 15) so I have 5 to spare
but do not know how to get them to you. I guess I would wait though
until June. The weather is dire just now and tomatoes need heat. To
be honest, I thijnk you need luck with teh weather to do them outdoors
here. Pick the sunniest and most sheltered corner you can find and
wait a bit. If you do it from seeds, start them indoors in a sunny
window.

Des in windy rainy Dublin


thanks Des, that's very kind of you.
I was in the Johnstown Garden Centre on Friday evening, and bought a
few plants - incidentally, I also hit a kerb rather hard trying to
negotiate my way back towards Kildare through the roadworks, and ended
up waiting for over an hour for the kindly AA man to come and get the
wheel off my car (why do they insist on welding them on???)
Anyhoo, I got a few different varieties, with emphasis on cherry size
tomatoes - which I love and eat like sweets. I got Gardener's delight,
Shirley, Pixie Orange, and Totem. I hope at least some of those will
give me good results. I planted them in grow bags and up against my
shed wall which will give them shelter and maximise heat reverberated
from the sun. I lovingly fed them tomato feed. When they're big
enough, I will tie them up with strings to the shed's rafters After
that, inch Allah!
As of this morning, they looked happy enough, after a very sunny week
end.
I haven't sown any of my seeds, because I dont have enough well
sheltered space to grow them on outside.
But I did sow salsify ( a fab veg to eat, and dead easy to grow, does
well in our climate), lambs lettude, radishes and planted some brussels
sprout plants!
Here's hoping I'll get edible and red tomatoes before November :-)!

Cat(h)

Cat(h) wrote:
wrote:
Cat(h) wrote:

Ron Clark wrote:
On 3 May 2006 08:36:50 -0700, "Cat(h)" wrote this
(or the missive included this):

Thanks for these words of comfort :-) I have visions of starting to
crop around the end of September... just perfect for a marvelous recipe
I have for green tomato relish :-)) Seriously, I have been discouraged
by cold weather and lack of time, but how soon should I have started to
germinate those seeds on window sills to be able to have a decent
summer crop? Am I as late as I think I am?

Probably. Save 3-5 weeks, buy some plants from a garden shed.

Good suggestion. I'll probably do a bit of both, and keep the rest of
the seeds for earlier planting next year.

I saw some Alicante tomtoes in Johnstown Garden Centre a few days after
Easter. I have 5 Sungold seedlings spare (I got 15 seeds in a packet
and needed 10 plants and managed to grow all 15) so I have 5 to spare
but do not know how to get them to you. I guess I would wait though
until June. The weather is dire just now and tomatoes need heat. To
be honest, I thijnk you need luck with teh weather to do them outdoors
here. Pick the sunniest and most sheltered corner you can find and
wait a bit. If you do it from seeds, start them indoors in a sunny
window.

Des in windy rainy Dublin


thanks Des, that's very kind of you.
I was in the Johnstown Garden Centre on Friday evening, and bought a
few plants - incidentally, I also hit a kerb rather hard trying to
negotiate my way back towards Kildare through the roadworks, and ended
up waiting for over an hour for the kindly AA man to come and get the
wheel off my car (why do they insist on welding them on???)
Anyhoo, I got a few different varieties, with emphasis on cherry size
tomatoes - which I love and eat like sweets. I got Gardener's delight,
Shirley, Pixie Orange, and Totem. I hope at least some of those will
give me good results. I planted them in grow bags and up against my
shed wall which will give them shelter and maximise heat reverberated
from the sun. I lovingly fed them tomato feed. When they're big
enough, I will tie them up with strings to the shed's rafters After
that, inch Allah!
As of this morning, they looked happy enough, after a very sunny week
end.
I haven't sown any of my seeds, because I dont have enough well
sheltered space to grow them on outside.
But I did sow salsify ( a fab veg to eat, and dead easy to grow, does

Salsify? Which kind? Tragopogon? I have bought what was described as
Salsify from vegetable markets here but I think it was Scorzonera
(black salsify).
The latter produce long (up to 1 metre long) thin black roots with
black skin.
I used to get it as "Schwarzwurzel" (= black root) in Germany. I deep
fry it in breadcrumbs.

Tragopogon has roots like Parsnips I think and nice blue or mauve
flowers?
How do you cook it? I have never tasted it.



well in our climate), lambs lettude, radishes and planted some brussels
sprout plants!
Here's hoping I'll get edible and red tomatoes before November :-)!

Cat(h)

wrote:
Salsify? Which kind? Tragopogon? I have bought what was described as
Salsify from vegetable markets here but I think it was Scorzonera
(black salsify).

I suspect from your description that it is scorzonera we are talking
about. I steam it, then saute it in butter, and serve with just salt
and lots of black pepper. I adore the subtle flavour - and of course,
I get it all to myself, seen as I am surrounded by very conservative
eaters :-(

The latter produce long (up to 1 metre long) thin black roots with
black skin.
I used to get it as "Schwarzwurzel" (= black root) in Germany. I deep
fry it in breadcrumbs.

I suspect that's mine. It is known as salsifi in French, hence that's
the translation I adopted.


Tragopogon has roots like Parsnips I think and nice blue or mauve
flowers?
How do you cook it? I have never tasted it.

I haven't seen or tasted those either.

Cat(h)

Cat(h) wrote:
wrote:
Salsify? Which kind? Tragopogon? I have bought what was described as
Salsify from vegetable markets here but I think it was Scorzonera
(black salsify).

I suspect from your description that it is scorzonera we are talking
about. I steam it, then saute it in butter, and serve with just salt
and lots of black pepper. I adore the subtle flavour - and of course,
I get it all to myself, seen as I am surrounded by very conservative
eaters :-(

The latter produce long (up to 1 metre long) thin black roots with
black skin.
I used to get it as "Schwarzwurzel" (= black root) in Germany. I deep
fry it in breadcrumbs.

I suspect that's mine. It is known as salsifi in French, hence that's
the translation I adopted.

Where did you get the seeds?



Tragopogon has roots like Parsnips I think and nice blue or mauve
flowers?
How do you cook it? I have never tasted it.

I haven't seen or tasted those either.

Cat(h)

wrote:
I suspect that's mine. It is known as salsifi in French, hence that's
the translation I adopted.

Where did you get the seeds?

Good old german discounters... Lidl. As of this week end, they still
have seed packets available. I also got some kohlrabi there, though I
planted fewer this year as I could not keep up with the crop last year.

Cat(h)