Me, the same as Dove, about 5 different varieties of tomatoes started off in half trays kitchen window,in JI seed compost. Then they normally go into frost free green house,this year, unusual late frost, conservatory nearly drove me mad,they are then in a peat free MP, expect it's a darn slight warmer in Texas! We have to allow for different weather conditions, temperatures,and space here as well. As Fairy says,she can't grow tomatoes outside,and I know some folk much further south,in Devon are unable to. I am in the mildest SE corner,but the plants need acclimatising before planting outside,and need to be a certain size
It's as @Dovefromabove describes. Once a seedling is big enough to move on, you need to have room for the pot. I only grow around four or five tomato plants [I only have a small greenhouse] but I certainly wouldn't have room for five large pots on windowsills for months. They can't even go into a greenhouse here until late May. The amount of times they're moved on depends on timing and conditions - and room. The amount of food available to them is the next factor - for the reasons Dove gives. The climate is the third factor. With the best will in the world, I can't put tomatoes out in the greenhouse in their permanent pot [or in the ground] in April. They'd be permanently cold and damp, which is what they don't like. I suppose if you want to heat a greenhouse, you could, but I think that's a terrible waste of resources - especially nowadays
It's why I don't sow most types of seeds until early/mid April or later. It means they can be done in the greenhouse with little help from me. They'll germinate more slowly, which is also better. They get pricked out, or planted in a clump, and by the time they're ready for that, they can be in the ground with less chance of being eaten, because the conditions are better for them to grow on. Climate and conditions are the most important factors with any plant
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Gardening, either growing from seed or later in the life of the plant, isn't an exact science is it and as I said in my earlier post, there are many variables? Dove mentions something similar. There's one thing that I'm sure we all agree on though and that is that we live and learn. It's what makes our hobby interesting.
I've always wanted to learn about the science of growing but somehow I've never found the time.
Indeed @Uff - if only science could take into account all the other factors though, we wouldn't get the amount of queries we get on the forum about why two identical plants, with identical soil and conditions, don't always perform in the same way
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I'm personally much more interested in exploration. Without it, we would be stuck in thinking from 1259.
I agree, but I think one of the issues with seed sowing is ( even given enough space ) the very different levels of experience of gardeners - as with many things , a very competent person can manage to keep the moisture level etc optimal for a large pot. Many others ( me included) have a tendency to overwater. A small pot dries out much quicker ( as @thrxvs says ), but while i agree with them that the surface area of root contact with over-damp soil is the same in each case , the issue is that due to capillary action the surface area of roots in the large pot of soil has contact with over damp conditions for a much longer period of time. This can often be detrimental.
That said , I don't grow tomatoes , but several years ago my experience of growing cayennes - i observed a too large pot caused a lot of leafy growth at the expense of flowers/chillies , and this impact is ( or was in my case ) heightened the earlier the large pot was used. So I now grow most chillies in smaller final pots than the usual guides recommend , going from seed cells to maybe 4 inch pots and then to final pot ( assuming not a tabletop size chilli variety).
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The answer is, because science is about what is possible … whereas gardening is about what is practical.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The amount of food available to them is the next factor - for the reasons Dove gives.
The climate is the third factor. With the best will in the world, I can't put tomatoes out in the greenhouse in their permanent pot [or in the ground] in April. They'd be permanently cold and damp, which is what they don't like.
I suppose if you want to heat a greenhouse, you could, but I think that's a terrible waste of resources - especially nowadays
It's why I don't sow most types of seeds until early/mid April or later. It means they can be done in the greenhouse with little help from me. They'll germinate more slowly, which is also better. They get pricked out, or planted in a clump, and by the time they're ready for that, they can be in the ground with less chance of being eaten, because the conditions are better for them to grow on.
Climate and conditions are the most important factors with any plant
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I've always wanted to learn about the science of growing but somehow I've never found the time.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I'm personally much more interested in exploration. Without it, we would be stuck in thinking from 1259.
That said , I don't grow tomatoes , but several years ago my experience of growing cayennes - i observed a too large pot caused a lot of leafy growth at the expense of flowers/chillies , and this impact is ( or was in my case ) heightened the earlier the large pot was used. So I now grow most chillies in smaller final pots than the usual guides recommend , going from seed cells to maybe 4 inch pots and then to final pot ( assuming not a tabletop size chilli variety).