Finally! Sowing Tomato Seeds!

I usually start my tomato seedlings earlier, but with the winter and early spring being so cold and snowy, I figured a two-week delay may be necessary.  I sowed the seeds into four-inch pots and 16 ounce cups with the hope I won't have to up-pot them. But, if so, I have six-inch pots waiting in the shed.

I did not use Miracle Grow products for the tomato seedlings.  Instead, I picked up another bag of Metromix, a far superior product.

I like to plant the "tried and true", like Italian Romas, Brandywines, Mortgage Lifter, Marglobes, Sungolds, etc., but also experiment with new varieties using what I call the Noah's Ark method (planting two each). In addition to this initial planting, I will snip off the suckers of my favorite varieties and root them in containers to be used in the hoophouse center aisle.  This method allowed me to have fresh tomatoes through early November 2014.

Here is a list of the varieties sowed for 2015:

• 1  Abe Lincoln
• 3  Amana Orange
• 4  Amish Paste
• 3  Beefsteak
• 3  Best Boy
• 1 Big Boy
• 3 Black Krim harvested
• 2 Blue Beauty
• 3  Box Car Willie
• 5 Brandywine Pink
• 5 Brandywine Red
• 3 Brandywine Yellow
• 3 Celebrity
• 5 Cherokee Purple
• 1 Chocolate Cherry
• 1 Crimson Cushion
• 1 Dad's Mug
• 3 Eva Purple Ball
• 3 Gardener's delight
• 1 Green Zebra
• 1  Independence Day
• 2 Italian Grape, harvested 2014
• 2 Italian Roma, Burpee 
• 2 Italian Roma, harvested, originally from Botanical Interests 
• 13 Italian Roma, Botanical Interests
• 3  Jet Star
• 3 Japanese Trifle
• 1 Kellogg's Yellow Breakfast
• 5 Marglobe
• 4 Mortgage Lifter
• 3 Pineapple
• 2 Pink Oxheart
• 3 Principie Borghese
• 1  Roman Candle
• 4 Rutgers
• 3 Sungold
• 1 Super Beefsteak
• 4 Thessaloniki, harvested 2014
• 3 Tigerella
• 2 Tiny Tim
• 2 White Wonder

Postscript #1 - Germination from Red Romaine lettuce (sowed April 1, 3 days), Buttercrunch lettuce (sowed April 1, 3 days) and Hollyhocks Peaches 'n Dreams (sowed April 1, 3 days).