Despite the forecast of an upcoming January arctic blast, have anticipated an early summer in south Austin, Texas. Here's a staggered planting of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes in the foreground (with cover removed for the photo) and a January 11 sowing of 18 Maxifort rootstock in the background. Smattering of Celebrity, Sioux, J.D.'s Super C-Tex, BetterBoy, Jaune Flamee, Porter and Tycoon. Am not counting these chickens before they show some true leaves. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and successful 2024.

Looking good. Exciting times. Hope you have a tremendous season!

Best wishes for a great year!

Yah for starting!!good luck

Good Luck! Keep us updated. That is awesome you are growing Sioux, I havent heard anyone growing them in forever. I grew them back in 2012 but never kept seeds. I remember they tasted great and even when it was really hot they set fruit

Thanks for the comments. Sioux is most favored variety here. Seedlings are about 80-degrees in the house. Difficult time but finally have good germination on a few variety Porter. Rootstock has germinated. Below freezing in the garden on Sunday afternoon.

February 23 mater starting day!!

Congrats on your start. You're off and running! I'll still be puttering with brassicas for a while with peas sown in a few weeks and potatoes at the end of the month.

Seed-starts of heirlooms and hybrids doing well here. Maxifort rootstock sown in Espoma have contracted a stem disease, probably Alternia.

Harry Cabluck wrote: ↑Thu Feb 08, 2024 1:16 pm Diseased Maxifort_1.jpgSeed-starts of heirlooms and hybrids doing well here. Maxifort rootstock sown in Espoma have contracted a stem disease, probably Alternia.

Oh no. I don't know much about grafting but isn't Maxifort used as rootstock because of it's disease resistance?

Upon looking closer at your pic, it looks like your plant has edema which is not a big concern. It may be a bit too wet. Most of these plants recover nicely when they are placed outdoors.

MissS !! Thanks! Will attempt to save the remaining Maxifort plants. Heirlooms and Hybrids...sown in DE are looking strong.[attachment=0]seedlings 1292.jpg[/attachment

You're photos made me sit up and take notice! Are you growing the regular tomatoes in 100% vermiculite? I've read here people do that but I've been trying to imagine what it looks like. I love the cups in the cut outs too!

Yo! FatBeeFarm! Yes, heirlooms and hybrid seeds have been sown this year in diatomaceous earth...NOT the clay-like kitty litter. DE came from automobile parts store. It seems to be a decent starting medium, dusty when being poured and potted. It drains and dries quickly. Once the plantlets produce true leaves, they often require two-a-day waterings. Best part of using DE is no dampoff or edema, so far. Bought cutting-board material to fit trays, and machinist used his mill cut holes. Holes are sized to fit three-and-a-half ounce Dixie cups. Will up-pot into six-inch plastic pots filled with Happy Frog medium in a few weeks.

Asside to MissS: Thanks for the idea of mixing DE with the Espoma potting soil.

@FatBeeFarm Many of us use diatomaceous earth (DE) as a seed starting medium and also for cuttings. It absorbs water well and dries out easily. I myself use Optisorb from AutoZone. The powdered DE for gardening will not work. That used in the auto industry is used to absorb oil that has spilt on the floor or driveway and you want to purchase the granular product not the powdered.

A major benefit to using this is no fungus gnats or damping off disease.

Foiled! Failed! Total loss of the rootstock here! Doggone edema wiped out 18 grafted plants. Next year will sow rootstock seeds in diatomaceous earth. The heirlooms and hybrids that were sown in DE are doing very well.

Oh drat! I had it bad one year, first time I used LED lights, and I've seen the worst damage can take a seedling out.
So glad you had the others in DE already.

Here's how this year's seedlings look on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2024. Remembered that the city water is pH8.5 ish. Tomato plants prefer 6-6.5 pH. Found that 25-30 drops of vinegar in 64 ounces of water corrects. Have learned that perhaps more ultraviolet in the lighting spectrum might thwart edema.

Fabulous looking plants!

Karstop! Thanks. The best looking specimens are from Sioux that was saved last year.

looking great..