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Germination of Chilli and Tomato Seeds.

Jack 3Jack 3 Posts: 360
in Plants

Hello all.

I've been starting off some chilli and tomato seeds. This is the first time I've grown anything from seed. I didn't have a heated propagator, so I put them in various trays wrapped in plastic bags.

Tiny little shoots are starting.

I have a couple of questions. 

At what point should I take the plastic bags off them and put them on sunny window sills?

Also I've just bought one of those cheapy plastic 4 tier greenhouses online. Once the little plants are ready to prick out and put in small pots, will they be OK to put straight out in the little greenhouse?

Hope that makes sense.

Posts

  • TonksTonks Posts: 54

    Hi Jack,

    I tend to remove the lid to my propagator when I can see the majority of seeds have germinated.  It provides more light and (in my mind at least) reduces the chances of any fungal diseases.  Get them on a bright window sill as soon as possible and rotate the trays each day so they grow nice and straight.

    I've had my tomatoes in the greenhouse (unheated) for about 3 weeks now.  I brought them in overnight for the first week to gently acclimatise them.  Now they are strong little plants.

    I think provided you avoid any extremes of temperature for the first week or two when you put them out they will be fine.  Oh, and remember to water them in the morning if there is a hot day forecast, I only just got to mine in time last weekend as they were starting to keel over!

  • TonksTonks Posts: 54

    Oh, remember that chilli plants are slow growers.  Mine are 5 weeks old and only just starting to show their true leaves.  I'm picking them out tonight but they will stay on my window sill for a while yet until the night-time temperatures rise a bit.

     

  • Malcolm HarrisonMalcolm Harrison Posts: 36
    When potting them on its a good idea to

    plant tomato seedlings quite deep into

    the compost to take advantage of the

    roots which form on each stem. These add

    to the quicker establishment of a strong

    root system. This is also the basis of the

    Ring Culture method when planting out

    strong tomato plants later into grow bags.
  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    ...and if they have got leggy, you can plant them even deeper, or at an angle to help them get back to normal.

    I didn't know that about chillies.  I'm trying them in the g/h for the first time this year; I sowed them at the same time as the toms - about two weeks ago - and although most of the toms are showing there's no sign of the chillies - or sweet peppers - yet.

  • Jack 3Jack 3 Posts: 360

    Hi All.

    Thank you for the good advice. Tonks, thank you, you covered everything that I was wondering about, that was reassuring.

    Thanks Malcom and Steve for the tips. I haven't heard about Ring Culture method. And was going to pot on plants into larger pots not grow bags.

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