If you look around online right now, you’ll see people building fancy indoor laboratories to start their spring seeds. I see photos of shelves stacked with purple grow lights, heat mats, and humidity domes that look more like a science experiment than a garden.
That’s impressive, and I'm certainly not saying I wouldn't if I could, but that’s just not how I do it.
With January knocking on the door, I’m getting my "station" ready, and honestly, it’s pretty low-tech. Since I’m here in Texas, I take advantage of the fact that even in winter, we get those bright, sunny days. My "grow light" is just a south-facing window.
My strategy is pretty simple. We'll call it the "in and out" method. I keep the trays (I prefer the 24-cell trays because they give the roots a bit more room than those tiny 72-cell plugs) right by the window. But whenever the temperature climbs and the sun is shining, I march them right out the back door and set them up on a stand in the back yard.
I actually think this gives me an advantage over the fancy indoor setups. By getting them outside on nice days, they also get exposed to the wind early on. I’ve found that the breeze acts like a natural workout for the seedlings, thickening up the stems so they aren’t "leggy" and weak when it’s time to put them in the ground.
Here's what I've got going into the dirt soon:
Is this a soil issue? Am I loving them too much with nitrogen? Or is the Texas heat killing the blooms before they can set fruit?
If you guys have any tips for turning big green bushes into actual tomatoes, let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear what fertilizer or pruning tricks y'all use.
That’s impressive, and I'm certainly not saying I wouldn't if I could, but that’s just not how I do it.
With January knocking on the door, I’m getting my "station" ready, and honestly, it’s pretty low-tech. Since I’m here in Texas, I take advantage of the fact that even in winter, we get those bright, sunny days. My "grow light" is just a south-facing window.
My strategy is pretty simple. We'll call it the "in and out" method. I keep the trays (I prefer the 24-cell trays because they give the roots a bit more room than those tiny 72-cell plugs) right by the window. But whenever the temperature climbs and the sun is shining, I march them right out the back door and set them up on a stand in the back yard.
I actually think this gives me an advantage over the fancy indoor setups. By getting them outside on nice days, they also get exposed to the wind early on. I’ve found that the breeze acts like a natural workout for the seedlings, thickening up the stems so they aren’t "leggy" and weak when it’s time to put them in the ground.
Here's what I've got going into the dirt soon:
- Tomatoes: I’m doing a mix of big beefy slicers, a heavy rotation of romas (for salsa/sauce and canning), and several cherry tomatoes for snacking.
- Peppers: Just jalapenos for now, but we may add some bell peppers too.
Is this a soil issue? Am I loving them too much with nitrogen? Or is the Texas heat killing the blooms before they can set fruit?
If you guys have any tips for turning big green bushes into actual tomatoes, let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear what fertilizer or pruning tricks y'all use.
