Northerners. When do you start your winter micros?

[wykvlvr]

[mention]Labradors[/mention]
There is a thread about them under Tomato Breeding. There is also a forum that is mostly micro tomatoes called Tomato Talk. https://www.tomato-talk.com/ It has information on the crosses, how they are performing, a place to join the project, etc. Plus there is a place we can write up our experiences with commercially available micros.

[SeanInVa]

I will be interested to hear how that light from Amazon works out. I picked this one up from my local Home Depot last season and used it in the garage. I built a stand to hang it from. The only caveat is that you also have to buy a power cord for it, as it was intended to be wired directly into your electrical circuit as it is meant for warehouses It's not hard to do, and I've also linked a power cord.

Additionally, I grew out several dozen micros over the winter, and finished them outside. While you can certainly grow them through maturity in the 4" pots, I found that they did much better once up-potted to 1 gallon nursery pots (or thereabouts).

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial- ... /302456569

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Smart-Choic ... /206740199

[Labradors]

The Root Farm light arrived yesterday and looks good and well-made. I was aware that the legs are a tad wobbly, but I plan to put it in a safe place where it cannot easily be knocked over.

I do plan to pot up the micro's into one-gallon containers .

Linda

[bower]

[mention]Labradors[/mention] just a tip, you may find your basement lights really well suited to growing the spinach or arugula (or any greens!). All of the leafy stuff is so easy to grow under lights, but they suffer from low relative humidity at the typical winter living room temperature. Lower temp means higher relative humidity, and that means luscious greens instead of crispy ones.

[rdback]

I will be interested to hear how that light from Amazon works out. I picked this one up from my local Home Depot last season and used it in the garage. I built a stand to hang it from. The only caveat is that you also have to buy a power cord for it, as it was intended to be wired directly into your electrical circuit as it is meant for warehouses It's not hard to do, and I've also linked a power cord.

Additionally, I grew out several dozen micros over the winter, and finished them outside. While you can certainly grow them through maturity in the 4" pots, I found that they did much better once up-potted to 1 gallon nursery pots (or thereabouts).

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial- ... /302456569

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Smart-Choic ... /206740199

[mention]SeanInVa[/mention] Hey Sean,

How did this light work out for you? What distance did you use between plants and light?

I'm looking to add some lighting this year and this looks promising.

TIA

[rossomendblot]

First time growing micro tomatoes here. Started these earlier this month and just potted them on into 0.5 L yoghurt pots. They'll eventually go into 3 L pots (which I believe are equivalent in volume to 4 gallon US nursery pots). Right now I'm taking putting them in the greenhouse during sunlight hours and under small propagation T5s for the remainder of the day. I will have to get some better lighting for when they get into their bigger pots.

The varieties are: Jochalos, Red Robin, Rosy Finch, Pinocchio Orange, Halms Gelbe Topftomate, Mohamed and Vilma.

Micro Toms 22.09.2020.jpg

[Labradors]

Good luck with your project rossomendblot. I've grown Red Robin before and it doesn't need more than a one gallon sized container. Some of the others you are growing could well be fine in smaller pots too. I know the Litre to Gallon thing is a bit weird when transferred to pots, but If you think of the size of a hanging basket for annuals, that volume would be more than enough, and smaller would work too. My pots sat comfortably on an 8" windowsill. You do need a stake or two to hold them up though.

Here is an excellent link which you can use to look up all the varieties you are growing: http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Red_Robin

[rossomendblot]

Yes I was confusing gallons for quarts, can you tell I've never used them as units of measurement before? The 1 gallon US nursery 'trade' pots are 3 dry quarts which is about 3 Litres.

[Labradors]

Well you taught me something! I wondered why the pots I have, marked 1 gallon on the bottom, would not hold a gallon (even a US gallon, which is smaller than an imperial gallon) of water. They don't! (We are supposed to have gone metric in Canada, but some of us refuse!)

[AKgardener]

I started all my micros on July 27th this year.it’s now October 18th and all my micros have tomatoes I even have some outside in a heated greenhouse that are thriving and grew taller than I expected. I’m looking forward to eating them soon.

[rossomendblot]

Here's an update on my micro toms. Red Robin is the most vigorous and first to flower, though they are all starting to put out buds. They're all in 3 L pots except for the two in 2 L pots which I wouldn't have been able to fit in otherwise.

Micro Toms 18.10.2020.jpg

[Labradors]

Looking great rossomendrot!

I started some seeds and have potted up 3 little seedlings. I have House, Ocharovaniye Komnatniy (OK) and Linda (from Ukraine). I'm thinking that I should sow some Red Robin too.

Linda

[GoDawgs]

Now, are y'all doing the electric toothbrush thing for pollination for these indoor grown micros? I was going to start one each of Red Robin, Jochelos and LIlle Lise for something to play with over the winter and just haven't gotten to it yet. Then after reading this thread I got to wondering about the pollination.

[Labradors]

Tomatoes are self-pollinating, but if you want to make sure that every single flower is pollinated, you can certainly buzz them with an electric toothbrush. If it's your only one I suggest covering it with plastic first because the pollen turns the bristles an ugly black!

Linda

[wykvlvr]

It depends on how much effort you want to put into them. My tomatoes have their own cheap electric toothbrush because I was collecting pollen for crosses earlier this year... My Micro Tom didn't have the toothbrush used on them, but I did brush them with my hand occasionally when I remembered to. Others have simply tended their plants no special care and still gotten decent harvests.
I am using the toothbrush on the experimentals I planted at the beginning of Sept for this batch of flowers... may or may not use it for the next set of flowers... We were discussing whether or not the use of a toothbrush in the grow outs was a form of selection. Not using one and still getting a good harvest could be favoring those plants that release pollen easier and produce well for normal joe blow never raised a tomato before conditions.

[AKgardener]

892F2D81-B7FE-4741-A7B9-74924E63D3E6.jpeg

I do have an electric toothbrush just for my indoor tomatoes I use just to ensure I get my tomatoes. [mention]rossomendblot[/mention] they look great I have one plant that grew through the rack I’ll give an updated photo

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[wykvlvr]

I have baby baby tomatoes on 3 of my experimentals Unless they taste horrid they will stay for the next generation...

[farmersteve]

I have four varieties this year. Little Lise, Pinocchio, Chibikko, and Orange Hat. Chibikko is by far the fastest growing and setting fruit of the bunch. I've not grown it before. I have grown the other three and like them all. I am going to start a few more when I get some seeds soon.

[wykvlvr]

Since I am sending in Micro seed for the MMMM I figured I better see how well they germinate before packing them up so I have 2 pellets each of Monteka, Bonsai, Baby, Aztek and Pygmy. . I also have Micro Tom and Yellow Canary on my list to send in but no room to start them...

Of course when they germinate I am going to be swamped with baby Micros... I have 36 new seedlings from the 175 X plus the 18 I need to cull and pot on, AND 5 seeds of a new to me micro Snegirjok from Curtis...

[farmersteve]

Since I am sending in Micro seed for the MMMM I figured I better see how well they germinate before packing them up so I have 2 pellets each of Monteka, Bonsai, Baby, Aztek and Pygmy. . I also have Micro Tom and Yellow Canary on my list to send in but no room to start them...

Of course when they germinate I am going to be swamped with baby Micros... I have 36 new seedlings from the 175 X plus the 18 I need to cull and pot on, AND 5 seeds of a new to me micro Snegirjok from Curtis...

If you need to unload some seeds, let me know!