2024 Monster Mater Madness

[TomatoNut95]

I planted (just today) Domingo, Big Zac and Westerlund from Tormato in a trade I did with him.

[MissS]

AND THEY'RE OFF!!!

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

AND THEY'RE OFF!!!

The Gotch

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

I planted (just today) Domingo, Big Zac and Westerlund from Tormato in a trade I did with him.

Whaaaa...no Orange Accordion...?

The Gotch

[TomatoNut95]

Just to help me figure out this contest can anyone answer my questions: I can enter as many varieties as I want as long as the pic of it features the fruit on a scale with it's name, right?

[MissS]

Just to help me figure out this contest can anyone answer my questions: I can enter as many varieties as I want as long as the pic of it features the fruit on a scale with it's name, right?

Yep, fill up that stable. We all will be a watch'n.

[MissS]

Some new seeds are on the Giant seed offer from grower, Dan Sutherland. Even if you have your seeds, there are enough of these to share with everyone in the competition. Just let me know if you would like to have some.

[TomatoNut95]

I would but I'm going to do good having room for the ones I already picked. Plus I'm still having mouse trouble.

[AKgardener]

Westerlund and polish giant are the first ones up today..
Big Lou has made an appearance 3-9
Update big zac and Domingo up and running
Good luck my fellow gardeners

[TomatoNut95]

My seeds haven't germinated and already I'm having problems. The seed aren't germinating and seemingly disappeared. I know a mouse didn't get them because the dirt wasn't disturbed but there are fungus gnat larvae crawling around. From experience I know they kill seeds and watering with Mosquito bit tea doesn't work. So I'm out of Big Zac and Westerlund. But, still waiting on my competition seed from MissS so I hope to have better success.

[AKgardener]

Oh man I’m so sorry .. I hate gnats I boiled my water and used coca coir this time .. finally no bugs

[TomatoNut95]

I used Jiffy seed starting mix. I loathe that stuff because only the very top of it absorbs any water but it was some I already had on hand. My others managed to germinate in it somehow.

[karstopography]

I put the Jiffy mix in a bucket and slow add warm water while kneading it with my hands to incorporate the water with the mix. Eventually, it gets to a wet dough like consistency. Dry Jiffy mix is very hydrophobic. The mix, once very moist all the way through, is like working with mortar. Now that the mix is moist through and through, it accepts water readily. I can then lightly mist it as needed to ensure the material doesn’t dry out and it doesn’t really dry out very fast at all even if placed outside in the sun on a sunny warm and breezy day.

I generally start my tomato, pepper, and eggplant seeds to coincide with a stretch of post-frontal warm up days where I can place they seed starting trays out in the sun in the warmest place I can find. Even if the air temperature is in the 60°s, those trays and the moist starter mix will get to 80° in short order. Two or three days with the soil getting to 80° or 85° and there will be lots of germination going on and it doesn’t matter if the trays are brought back inside the cooler house at night.

[MissS]

My seeds haven't germinated and already I'm having problems. The seed aren't germinating and seemingly disappeared. I know a mouse didn't get them because the dirt wasn't disturbed but there are fungus gnat larvae crawling around. From experience I know they kill seeds and watering with Mosquito bit tea doesn't work. So I'm out of Big Zac and Westerlund. But, still waiting on my competition seed from MissS so I hope to have better success.

I do have both Big Zac and Westerlund. Would you like me to send you some? Your other seeds should be there soon.

[TomatoNut95]

My seeds haven't germinated and already I'm having problems. The seed aren't germinating and seemingly disappeared. I know a mouse didn't get them because the dirt wasn't disturbed but there are fungus gnat larvae crawling around. From experience I know they kill seeds and watering with Mosquito bit tea doesn't work. So I'm out of Big Zac and Westerlund. But, still waiting on my competition seed from MissS so I hope to have better success.

I do have both Big Zac and Westerlund. Would you like me to send you some? Your other seeds should be there soon.

That would mean the world to me ma'am! Thank you!!! ❤ Perhaps if I water with Mosquito bit tea EVERY time I water it would help. Or can tomato seed be germinated on a wet paper towel in a zip-loc bag greenhouse?
@karstopography That's a great idea! Thank you! I'll give that a try!

[MissS]

My seeds haven't germinated and already I'm having problems. The seed aren't germinating and seemingly disappeared. I know a mouse didn't get them because the dirt wasn't disturbed but there are fungus gnat larvae crawling around. From experience I know they kill seeds and watering with Mosquito bit tea doesn't work. So I'm out of Big Zac and Westerlund. But, still waiting on my competition seed from MissS so I hope to have better success.

I do have both Big Zac and Westerlund. Would you like me to send you some? Your other seeds should be there soon.

That would mean the world to me ma'am! Thank you!!! ❤ Perhaps if I water with Mosquito bit tea EVERY time I water it would help. Or can tomato seed be germinated on a wet paper towel in a zip-loc bag greenhouse?
@karstopography That's a great idea! Thank you! I'll give that a try!

May I suggest that you go to AutoZone and get a bag of optisorb or other diatomaceous product there for cleaning up oil spills. Then use 1/2 of this to 1/2 of your growing medium. Or you can just use this on the top layer of your medium. It is sharp and will kill the larvae of your fungus gnats. I do put a small piece of a coffee filter on the bottom of the seed cell so that the DE does not wash out the bottom. The DE dries out quickly too, so if it's on the top, it helps to prevent damping off too.

[TomatoNut95]

My Domingo has germinated!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤ @MissS I re-dug through my pots and actually found the seed still ungerminated but maybe they just need a bit more time. There probably isn't any need for you to send me anymore Zac and Westerlund right now, especially if you're still working on sending out competition seeds.

[MissS]

My Domingo has germinated!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤ @MissS I re-dug through my pots and actually found the seed still ungerminated but maybe they just need a bit more time. There probably isn't any need for you to send me anymore Zac and Westerlund right now, especially if you're still working on sending out competition seeds.

That's great news! I'm sick in bed with my tea and soup today, so no packing seeds and sending things out. Just let me know what you need.

[AKgardener]

@MissS I hope you get better soon ..

[TomatoNut95]

My Domingo has germinated!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤ @MissS I re-dug through my pots and actually found the seed still ungerminated but maybe they just need a bit more time. There probably isn't any need for you to send me anymore Zac and Westerlund right now, especially if you're still working on sending out competition seeds.

That's great news! I'm sick in bed with my tea and soup today, so no packing seeds and sending things out. Just let me know what you need.

Aww, I'm sorry! Feel better soon!