I think they’d work better when sowing just one variety, where germination rates should be fairly uniform – pellets are good in that you can take them out of the propagator as soon as each seedling shows through. With a module tray (these were 24 cells) they will either all be in or all be out. So I cut them in to strips of four. I could have cut them down into even smaller units – but then stopped – as it began to beg the question why module trays!

So here they are – the neat thing about them is one tray (although now segmented!) is another two of each of the 12 varieties. So there is some sense of them being right – even if just numerically.

And here are the other seedlings again – now the weather dial has reverted to ‘a bit cold and gloomy’, I bet they’re wishing they’d lurked for longer under the compost cover in the warmth of the propagator. Emergence must be a bit like arriving at a sunshine holiday destination, only to step off the plane, walk down the steps and find that the sky you’ve just descended from is as cold and grey as the one you’d left behind at Gatwick.

This year mine find themselves in Peat Pellets – a lazy but easily controlled way to start things off. I like the just add water and the magic will happen concept – it might be the association with rehydrated expedition food – all that ruggedness and survival spirit is what I’m hoping for the seedlings.

I’ve started off with two of each variety – so 24 in total. And will probably sow more this weekend. But for now – in the fuggy warmth that is the Sankey propagator – all my hopes and tomato bounty for 2011 begins!

These all came out the propagator to claim their spot in the sun today.  I was waiting for the 3rd seed to germinate in Lemon Tree, Floridity and Snowberry which were all put in on the 14th. But no show. Next time around I wouldn’t wait – it’s probably best to take out the ones that have come through and get them into the fuller light.

They’re joined by the Apero which were sown on the 15th.

Small observations (which need a bit more scrutiny) but the ones in pots seem to be leggier than those sown in the seed trays. Could this be caused by the higher sides of the pots? I didn’t fill the pots as high as I could have done (thinking they won’t need that depth of compost – but without thinking through the consequences of that leaving them emerging lower down, further from the light). Whereas with the trays, the compost mark was higher and the trays low sided so providing better all round light access.

However the compost in the trays dries out and needs watering after 5 days in the propagator whereas the pots are still moist. The drying effect of the bottom heat of the propagator on the greater base area and lesser depth of the compost of the trays versus the lesser base area and greater depth of the compost in the pots must account for this difference.

Oh I love a bit of a pro-ing and con-ing…..

Still lurking half in and half out – with no awareness that the skies they’ll be reaching for – will never be as clear again if they don’t get a move on are the others – still in the propagator. 

And now joined, in a ‘mould-breaking/transformative/gamechanging’ move ( if the ash doesn’t get you debate debris will), by other types of seeds . Tomato Lover is no longer a 1 plant race . Monocropping has been toppled. I have added 2 types of Basil – Italian Large Leaf and Lemon and some Marigold seeds which will be used for companion planting. I’ve no idea what their requirements might be so am treating as tomato seeds – into some compost and into the propagator.

As Mother Nature can bring both chaos and calm to our skies at the same time I’ll leave her to work germination genius on the newbies .

Forgotten seeds…. In putting the left overs from this years’ packets back into an airtight lock n lock container and into a cool cupboard (it used to be the fridge but then read that’s not so good but now can’t remember what reason given) I came across some seeds I’d forgotten about.

4 varieties which at 3 to a 10cm pot just squeezed into the propagator, making it a full and hopefully productive house. So as of today I’ve added 3 heavyweights – gifts from the US – Beefmaster, Big Boy and Brandywine and 1 smaller cherry renowned for good flavour - Apero.

Also in the Beefmaster and Big Boy the first pelleted seeds I’ve come across. The tomato seeds are encased in a white shell like substance – they look like teeny tiny gobstobbers. I guess the idea is to make them easier to handle. Which it does. However too much vigour in tapping the packet to get the seeds out and it also makes it easier to do the scattering bit of ’ we sow the seeds and scatter’ as they escape and roll around the floor.

So, first catch your tomato seed….

The difference this time -orange plant labels, the last lot had purple. I thought when I was buying several different shades of plant label I was just indulging in a bit of garden whimsy – but the different colours work as a quick identifier for different sowing dates.  I’ve also added the number of seeds sown to the label.  Which maybe overkill on the data front but better that than last year when seeds with no labels led to bush varieties being planted with stakes and other cordons of confusion.

I’m experiencing returning home confusion. The kind where I can’t remember what it was that so fully occupied my time and attention just such a short time ago. I am sure it will all seep back eventually ! In the meantime I’ve done a little bit of GroundHog reseeding.

Cherokee Purple, Yellow Balconi and Sungold looked more like the short and sad end of a roll of dental floss than healthy seedlings pumping themselves up ready to take the weight of Kgs of delicious fruit so they’ve been discarded and fresh seeds asown.

Seed trays filled with seed compost, tomato seeds popped onto the surface of the compost, sprinkled with a little pinch of compost and the trays put into a shallow bowl of water and then on into the heated propagator.

Seed Magic, a 2nd showing is what I’m hoping for !

The final three are in – Ferline, Sungold and Yellow Balconi. I’ve also moved the colours, Cherokee Purple and Green Zebra, out from the unheated propagator lid into the Sankey. Their compost was cold to the touch whereas in the heated propagator, a toasty tog factor was at work. There just hasn’t been enough window streaming, solar power to heat things up.

I’ve also a nagging feeling the compost’s too wet. When sowing, I’d popped the seed trays into a shallow tray of water, the phone rang and then one long call later – well I guess we’re talking prune rather than tomato. I’m hoping they still germinate and don’t just rot.

I enjoyed this article by Sarah Wain from West Dean Gardens, the walled kitchen garden paradise nestling in beautiful West Sussex and home each September to Christmas come early; aka the Totally Tomato Show.

There’s plenty of helpful know-how in the article but given where we are in the tomato growing year, I wanted to highlight the sowing related advice:

• Each seed is sown in an individual 7.6cm pot ( so not doubling up was the right call ?!)
• Then on into a 15cm pot (exact timings not given)
• Cropping position – outdoor plants get planted and staked into wide soil borders, sheltered by a handsome wall. And glasshouse plants are potted into individual terracotta pots, ranging in diameter from 15cm – 40cm, depending on variety.

The advice on timings, given the southerly location, was interesting – later than I’d expected. Plants destined for:

• Heated glasshouse – sown early March
• Unheated glasshouse – sown late March
• Outdoors – sown early April for planting out in late May/early June after frosts

So plenty of time left to add more to the 2010 mix!  Which, as the article kicks off, with the astonishing fact of there being 8,000 tomato varieties, is much needed !

So in case you want a little help whittling them down, varieties recommended by West Dean include:

Glasshouse raised cherry tomatoes:

• Rosada F1
• Cherrola F1
• Chocolate Cherry
• Piccolo F1
• Nectar F1
• Sungold

Heritage Beefsteak:

• Aunt Ruby’s German Green
• Hillbilly Potato Leaf
• Black from Tula
• Brandywine
• Marizol Gold
• Rose de Berne

Not carrots at a £1 a piece – but the big ol’ Sankey propagator . With no on- switch to flick, I just jammed the plug into a socket and a few minutes later, laid a hand on the utilitarian black plastic to feel the gentle warmth coming off the bottom tray.

Into its marquee capaciousness went 10cm pots containing 3 seeds a piece and 7.6cm pots with a seed each. I guess if 10cm can take 3 then 7.6cm could take 2 but something to do with the pull of symmetry and placement wouldn’t allow that arrangement.

In the propagator are Ferline, Floridity, Lemon Tree, Rosada and Snowberry.

And…..in each pot a jaunty tag , recording variety and sowing date. After last year’s cavalier and confusion causing approach to labelling , this time around I’ve approached the task as if scribing not a sliver of plastic but the precious vellum of an illuminated manuscript.