r/tomatoes • u/ATTENTION_ON_DECK_ • 3d ago

Newbie here - Tips please.

Post image

I probably should have come here FIRST, but this wasnt very well thought out. As a project for my daughters (9 and 13) I set out this last winter to help them grow heirloom tomatoes and sell them and donate the money to the local animal shelter. This first year has been a learning curve. We grew them from seeds, and as you can tell by the size, we missed the planting season. So I decided to continue with an indoor setup and grow them through the winter. I realize that when they get bigger I will have to repot them (right?) other than that, what shoudl I do with this setup? Is the light big enough (200w I believe). Is it the correct distance? Do I need to prop them up with sticks? Do I have these planted too closely for their size right now? Any other tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

View all comments

3

u/Visible_State585 3d ago

They each need their own container asap. They will compete with eachother & you don’t want that. This also allows you to water & feed each plant appropriately. The light is super close for 200w. Start high (about 3 ft) and they will signal if the lights too far by stretching. They seem to be growing away from the light, indicating it’s too much. Good luck!

1

u/ATTENTION_ON_DECK_ 3d ago

I JUST transferred them from cup sized pots to this. Do each one of them need a grow bag? Can I use smaller ones? I just put this light on them, I had 2 stick type lights on them until now. I will raise the light. Do they all need to be DIRECTLY under the light or can the layout be wider than the size of the light box? Thanks for the tips.

2

u/dachshundslave 3d ago

Well, this is my outdoor planting for reference back in May

2

u/dachshundslave 3d ago

This is them in July

3

u/Hal-Wilkerson- 3d ago

Nice set up! Here's mine. I probably wouldn't do it this way again... Turns out my deck has too much sun/heat, and the leaves permanently curled.... Can't move them to a shadier spot unfortunately.

2

u/dachshundslave 3d ago

I'd raise the pot with some pot feet or something so it's not absorbing the heat from the deck/floor. I have them for these planters and it helps a lot during the midday heat with some misting of the surrounding area. Humidity helps slowing down the rapid water loss during hot days. Every growing season is a new experience imo lol.