I think I have a new favorite tomato

[JScott]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Ground cherry, husk cherry, husk tomato, cape gooseberry, poha berry in Hawaiian, Physalis peruviana: Very easy from seed, but needs to be a little warmer to sprout than tomatoes. When I was a kid in Milwaukee family members always bought them at the farmer's market, so I know they can be grown almost everywhere in the US.

And those of you shopping for tomato plants... What are you thinking? They're easy to grow from seed, you can find many more varieties as seed than as plantlets, you can have many more varieties for the same money, and plants from seed you start will have far better root systems than ones you buy and transplant when they're sold to you in outgrown containers.

Well, as I said before, I simply do not have enough room to start plants from seed. I have several windows that are great for orchids, but if I was going go start tomato seeds, I'd' have to do it under my light setup for them to get enough light to form strong, sturdy plants, and there's just not room, so I buy plants already started. I've never had trouble with tomatoes, they always grow and produce like mad, so i think the plants I'm getting are just fine. I'd start my own from seed if it was a feasible option for me, but it simply isn't. But don't worry. My tomatoes do just fine. And I have no trouble finding the varieties I want, even the weird heirloom varieties.

[hypostatic]

Originally Posted by estación seca

And those of you shopping for tomato plants... What are you thinking?

In defense, if you're in the cold/icy/dark north like me, starting with plants is really helpful. You need a whole OPERATION for starting indoors, before the danger of frost is gone...

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by hypostatic

You need a whole OPERATION for starting indoors, before the danger of frost is gone...

An orchid grower wrote this? Lol

[JScott]

I would totally start my own plants if I had space. I think I'm going to have to put together another light rack this fall when the plants come in (I bought too many this summer hahahaha) so maybe once I do that, I'll have enough space to start my own plants from seed. I hope that I do. I'll let you know if I do have space, and if I do, I'll let you know how it goes. But as far as buying already started plants, sometimes that's the only viable option. It doesn't make one deficient or less of a gardener. Sometimes it's just a matter of logistics. I'm no less of a gardener for buying tomato plants than somebody else is for starting their own plants from seed. You do what you have to do with the material and space you have to work with.

[kvet]

Originally Posted by JScott

But as far as buying already started plants, sometimes that's the only viable option. It doesn't make one deficient or less of a gardener. Sometimes it's just a matter of logistics. I'm no less of a gardener for buying tomato plants than somebody else is for starting their own plants from seed. You do what you have to do with the material and space you have to work with.

Dude (or dudette or dude-it) we're totally judging you.

But seriously, I'm at least one person who will say it ultimately doesn't matter whether you start from seed or not. My parental units have plenty of space, mom starts from seeds, then dad goes to the nursery and shows up with a couple dozen tomato and cucumber seedlings. My neighbor doesn't like starting things from seed, she just buys one or two plants at the nursery. A work associate only starts things from seeds he can't get locally, which are some peppers and beans from his father - the rest, he's totally happy with the bonnie grape tomato and better boy I think it's awesome you can find all the varieties you like in seedling form.

It's all worth it as long as it is fun!

[JScott]

Originally Posted by kvet

Dude (or dudette or dude-it) we're totally judging you.

But seriously, I'm at least one person who will say it ultimately doesn't matter whether you start from seed or not. My parental units have plenty of space, mom starts from seeds, then dad goes to the nursery and shows up with a couple dozen tomato and cucumber seedlings. My neighbor doesn't like starting things from seed, she just buys one or two plants at the nursery. A work associate only starts things from seeds he can't get locally, which are some peppers and beans from his father - the rest, he's totally happy with the bonnie grape tomato and better boy I think it's awesome you can find all the varieties you like in seedling form.

It's all worth it as long as it is fun!

Oh don't worry, I'm astute enough to know when I'm being judged lol, even when the judgement is all in good fas as I believe it is here.

Tomatoes are typically the only things I don't sow directly into the garden as seeds. We have early springs and a long growing season, with a long, warm autumn, so I can plant my cucumbers, squash, zucchini, watermelon, and whatever else I want directly into the ground in mid march. The other exceptions are that I plant onion starts and garlic cloves in October. I buy started tomato plants, everything else goes directly into the ground as a seed. It works in my climate, but it wouldn't work everywhere. That's why people have to do things differently. What works for me might not work for you. There's nothing wrong with doing things your own way as long as you get the results you want.

And just FYI for future reference, I'm a dude, and you may feel free to address me as such if it thrills you.

[estación seca]

I think you get much better plants and much earlier tomatoes if you start your own from seed indoors. They grow faster and bigger if the roots have never been potbound. We need to plant our tomato seeds January 1!

[JScott]

Originally Posted by estación seca

I think you get much better plants and much earlier tomatoes if you start your own from seed indoors. They grow faster and bigger if the roots have never been potbound. We need to plant our tomato seeds January 1!

Okay, ES, fffffffine. This winter, I will make some space and I will start my tomatoes from seed. Not because you told me to, but just for the sake of science, so I can see if what you are saying is true

---------- Post added at 06:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:28 AM ----------

And maybe also so that you'll stop judging me for buying my tomatoes already started lol

[kvet]

I just got back from my mom and dad's house. Most of their from-seed tomato plants look terrible but are full of tomatoes. The ones purchased as seedlings from the nursery look much healthier but have fewer fruits. They are all planted in the same area, so, ymmv. The point of this is to provide a real-life situation where there's no guarantee that from seed is the end-all be all solution, and you gotta find what works best for your area, climate, lifestyle, etc

[hypostatic]

Originally Posted by estación seca

An orchid grower wrote this? Lol

=P