It bugs me every year that retailers
(especially supermarkets and the like)
put out tomato seedlings early...
long before the soil is warm enough for them.
I always feel sorry for those people who I see at the check-out,
buying these early seedlings,
because I feel sure they are doomed to fail.
Where I live,
the traditional time for planting out tomatoes
is on the first Tuesday of November.
This is 'Melbourne Cup Day',
a public holiday in these parts - for a horse race.
The race has been dubbed,
'The Race that Stops a Nation'.
Well it may stop the nation but it spurs the gardeners into action!
But I am flouting that tradition!
Last week saw me at the checkout in a certain supermarket with, you guessed it, some tomato seedlings. If you had seen me, you may have noticed I was looking a little embarrassed in case other people thought I was barking mad. I fought the urge to explain myself to the check-out girl. I paid quickly and slunk out of the shop, breathing a huge sigh of relief once I had my purchases safely stowed, in the car, out of sight.
I planted them yesterday...76 days early.
I planted them in pots...and of course, they are in the Fat Fruit Greenhouse.
I have also begun planting some seeds...
but that is blog news for another day!
Have you got spring fever already?
Are you having trouble holding yourself back from planting already?
What are you planting?
hi your post made me laugh as i know exactly what you mean. i bought tomato seedlings a few weeks ago (not even a variety i wont) because i couldnt help myself. i decided if anyone said anything i would say i was experimenting-lol.
ReplyDeleteWell, great minds think alike! I planted some Black Russian, Deuter Fleiss and Tigerella tomato seeds last week in the grow house and lo and behold I have the tiny little heads peeking through! So today it's going to be eggplants and capsicum seeds going in. Even one of my rock melon seeds has sprouted. The little bit of sun that we have had has made such a difference. Come on Spring.
ReplyDeleteJan
We'll start hunting out seedlings over the coming weeks. We already have some in the ground that were supposed to be for a winter crop but the severe cold meant that there was little growing going on. It's almost like they went into hibernation with the rest of us. We're still waiting for the days to start warming up, but mid-September should be a good time to start planting. Except for tomatoes - we'll plant those in October.
ReplyDelete~S.
Hazel I sowed some Don Burke "Winter Tomato" seeds and planted them out in a protected sunny spot in my garden. Some have died off, a couple have survived and I am hoping that they have been putting all their effort into growing strong roots during our cold and damp winter.
ReplyDeleteHopefully these little plants will flourish as it gets warmer and will bear early fruit.
Good luck with your early planting. HDW
Im yet to brave the cold and get stuck into it...I have pulled a little bit of old veg out but thats it...I have two self sown tomato plants that are sheltered in a big bed of broad beans and carrots and beetroot (and weeds)...I am thinking that because they have been protected through the winter they may survive..I certainly hope so, because they have flowers on them, imagine EATING a tomato by Melbourne cup day , let alone planting them.....!!!!! Anyway, its a gardening experiment....we shall wait , like gardeners do so well...and see.
ReplyDeleteWe have done the same. Even with heaps of seeds from the diggers club we still bought some seedlings and have also put them in the greenhouse. We all live in hope of slicing open that perfect tomato!
ReplyDeleteI've got tomato, capsicum & eggplant seeds sprouting in the mini greenhouse & in the laundry. Everyone seems to be blogging about spring these last couple of days. All we needed was to see a teeny bit of sun in the mornings. :)
ReplyDeleteIn Queensland we don't get a holiday for Melbourne Cup Day, but we have been growing tomatoes right through Winter to make up for it.
ReplyDeleteToo smug? - Yeah I thought so too, but then we have trouble growing them over Summer when yours are doing well.
With the right kit you can grow tomatoes 365 days a year here in England, so it must be a doddle for you lot in Oz.
ReplyDelete