Micro Blue - revisited

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  • jayb
    Enjoying the scenery.
    New Sprout
    • Jun 2014
    • 2946

    Micro Blue - revisited

    First time in an age I've felt like sowing and growing anything and not the best time of year for growing! Anyhow, I set some Micro Blue seed (saved 2015, I think F5 or 6) on damp paper, in a bag and then into the airing cupboard 4 days ago and wonderfully I can see little roots already. I'll try to get them potted up tomorrow before the roots get too long. I seem to have misplaced a couple of generations somewhere, just glad I still have these to grow. No idea how these will pan out but I hope I'll have window space for a few plants.
  • Galina
    Isolating and Pollinating
    New Sprout
    • Jun 2014
    • 1952

    #2
    Glad you are better and sowing and growing again. We missed you! Good luck with unseasonal Micro Blues. If anybody can get them to flourish, you can!

    Comment


    • jayb
      jayb commented
      Editing a comment
      Thank you, it's like coming home, been in a real no grow wilderness, huge cyber hug.
  • clumsy
    Turning compost.
    • Mar 2016
    • 541

    #3
    Same here glad your better. I think it's a nice challenge to start growing anytime of the year. I was thinking of sowing some chilli's this month. I've been looking at seed website's looking for something unique but haven't found one yet to grow.

    Comment


    • jayb
      jayb commented
      Editing a comment
      Thank you so much Clumsy and I think you are right, gives me heart and inspiration. Good luck with your search, I can't wait to read about what you decide to grow, Funny, I was thinking today it would be good to grow a couple of Caldero plants, they are early and compact and for me hot enough!
  • jayb
    Enjoying the scenery.
    New Sprout
    • Jun 2014
    • 2946

    #4
    I've been struggling to work out how to post pictures, since doing a windows upgrade... I couldn't get the files small enough to upload.
    Progress pictures seeds germinating after 4 days​​​​​​​

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    Last edited by jayb; 08-10-2019, 13:05.

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    • jayb
      Enjoying the scenery.
      New Sprout
      • Jun 2014
      • 2946

      #5
      Now 5 days later and potted up, 100% germination, although I was heavy-handed with one seedling whose root had grown through the paper, I'm doubtful it will grow.
      Last edited by jayb; 08-10-2019, 13:13.

      Comment


      • Galina
        Galina commented
        Editing a comment
        Intrigued by this photo. Did you place the on a paper disk on top of a pot and when they started germinating you put a bit more compost on top? They are looking like they want to do something. You did have small toms as houseplants once before If I remember right. Good luck little seedlings.

      • triffid
        triffid commented
        Editing a comment
        Cute! love their little purple stems.

      • jayb
        jayb commented
        Editing a comment
        Yes, it seems quite colourful on some, particularly as there isn't much sunshine at the moment.
    • jayb
      Enjoying the scenery.
      New Sprout
      • Jun 2014
      • 2946

      #6
      Ah, I can see where you are coming from, the plant pot is white, which makes the photo a little deceptive. Individually picked each seedling from the damp paper and potted them up in compost in a shared pot. Though I have sometimes, as you surmised, planted a whole piece with germinated seeds and covered with soil, usually when I've let them get too big! Either way seems to work well.

      Yes, I did, they were fun.

      Comment


      • Galina
        Galina commented
        Editing a comment
        Lovely, I found a self seeded tomato in the garden late last year and took it in. Got some fruit of it too, but despite being in the warmth (well frostfree) of the conservatory the plant died during the dark days of January. Shame. So I very much hope you will be much more successful.
        But I will try to dig up and overwinter my Mexican Sour Gherkins this year and also my runne rbeans. Runne rbean roots work well, not tried the MSGh yet. So there will be some things living through winter for an earlier start next year, hopefully.

      • jayb
        jayb commented
        Editing a comment
        Oooh, they sound like fun projects, Runner beans often overwinter here of their own accord if grown in a polytunnel, which is quite fun. Good luck with both.
    • jayb
      Enjoying the scenery.
      New Sprout
      • Jun 2014
      • 2946

      #7
      One Week on, the little shuck head has lost it's seed head and the little one I didn't have a hope for is small but growing well.

      Comment

      • jayb
        Enjoying the scenery.
        New Sprout
        • Jun 2014
        • 2946

        #8
        My little toms are growing on steadily, first true leaf stage. I was going to see how they faired on the windowsill with natural light, but I think now, as I have a grow light, I might pop a few under it. They will have to wait a week or two as some work being done on the house and everything feels it's upside down and under a huge pile of stuff!

        Comment

        • Galina
          Isolating and Pollinating
          New Sprout
          • Jun 2014
          • 1952

          #9
          They should love it with the additional lights. And they are just the right size for a growlamp in that they will always fit underneath it too. Sorry for the upheaval, but if there is something to look forward to at the end of the works, it is only temporary.

          Comment

          • jayb
            Enjoying the scenery.
            New Sprout
            • Jun 2014
            • 2946

            #10
            Yes, I'm hoping so, they are growing well so far, but they are in the house and light levels are falling rapidly!
            Thank you, yes, temporary. Rotten windows have been replaced which is awesome, it's been like living in a barn! I'm trying to do some painting as it's long overdue and we also have an old, very worn and embarrassingly dirty carpet to be replaced. So love the dogs but they do add to mess and wear and tear.

            Comment


            • Galina
              Galina commented
              Editing a comment
              Enjoy your new draught proof home now that winter is on the way. And nice fresh new paint on the wall must be good for the soul as well.

            • jayb
              jayb commented
              Editing a comment
              Yes, to be draught free will be major and I'm hoping we will get to enjoy being warm in the cold weather rather not being able to ever get the house warm and the worry of large bills. Indeed, I do think it helps with well being and the soul, easier to wipe clean too!
          • jayb
            Enjoying the scenery.
            New Sprout
            • Jun 2014
            • 2946

            #11
            Approx. a month from starting, starting to look a little more like tomato plants. they are still really small.

            Comment


            • triffid
              triffid commented
              Editing a comment
              Sweet little things, look healthy though.

            • jayb
              jayb commented
              Editing a comment
              Thanks.
              Although not so obvious in the photo, they are a little pale, the compost was old, a weak feed is in order.
          • jayb
            Enjoying the scenery.
            New Sprout
            • Jun 2014
            • 2946

            #12
            Micro Blue toms now potted up in their own 9cm pots, I haven't given them a feed as I thought the new compost would have sufficient. I put them under lights a couple of days ago and anthocyanin colour is showing a little more, though it has never been very intense with these.

            ​​​​​​​ Click image for larger version

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            • jayb
              jayb commented
              Editing a comment
              Thanks, triffid, I'm using a 4 tube t5 light. I've had them a few years now and they have been brilliant, somewhat pricey though. I'm pretty sure I bought them from Greenhouse Sensations https://www.greenhousesensation.co.u...ntpage-nosto-3. I bought them to go with their propagator. But you can go down a DIY route and buy the lights etc, which I would think might be cheaper. I've also got a single t5 with reflector, that gives a fair bit of light, but you can only have a single row of plants underneath.

            • clumsy
              clumsy commented
              Editing a comment
              I'm looking at something like this Garland GAL61GW Grow Light Garden Propagator from amazon. The height might not be enough.

            • jayb
              jayb commented
              Editing a comment
              I think the maximum height from the bottom of the pot, to plant top would be 38 cm so about 15 inches, that's without the raised shelf. I bought one of these in black for mum (for her Streptocarpus) There are only two lamps, I'm not sure it would provide enough light for fruiting chilies? I don't know though as I haven't looked at the lights output.
          • jayb
            Enjoying the scenery.
            New Sprout
            • Jun 2014
            • 2946

            #13
            I thought I'd add in the days from starting to help keep track of progress and perhaps compare to spring/summer grown ones later on. They are now 41 days from sowing (well putting on damp paper) and they either have 4 or 5 true leaves and until a few days ago no extra heat or lighting. The lighting system they are under gives off some heat during the day.

            It's not that clear but as a guide I think Micro Tom matures to first ripe fruit in around 100-120 days, a bit of a wide margin!

            Comment


            • Galina
              Galina commented
              Editing a comment
              Is that summer DTMs or winter Days to maturity? I would have thought it takes longer in winter.

            • clumsy
              clumsy commented
              Editing a comment
              That's a long time to ripen don't you think for small tomato? Still looking at a lighting system before I try to grow tomato in winter.

            • jayb
              jayb commented
              Editing a comment
              I don't know Galina, it's not really clear on the internet even if you can narrow some sites down, as often they quote days from transplant, not initial sowing.
              Lol, I have notes somewhere that would tell me, if only I can find them!!!!!!
          • jayb
            Enjoying the scenery.
            New Sprout
            • Jun 2014
            • 2946

            #14
            Clumsy,
            That's a long time to ripen don't you think for small tomato?
            Good point and yes and no. There may be other tomatoes that have fewer days to maturity, I'd have to check which ones though.

            From memory, (which can be a bit dodgy at times), I think generally the Micros have been quicker, but even if they are not I think for their incredibly compact size, they are real heroes to my mind. It is something that could be perhaps bred for. At the moment I have 7 plants from this particular batch (they would have been saved from several plants) and already some are ahead in growth. If only the first fruit to ripen from the first plant to ripen were selected and then repeated for several years, time to maturity time would likely be reduced - by how much I don't know. But then what other traits might have been influenced in the process?

            (Sungold F1 indeterminate cherry tomato is pretty quick to my mind, without exact dates I've sown in January and harvested the first toms in May, so yes you would think a small little plant should be able to do it very much faster!)

            Comment


            • clumsy
              clumsy commented
              Editing a comment
              I think the word micro makes me think they should be able to fruit earlier and ripen quicker for some reason, or the plant is small so it will produce a lot quicker. It's interesting their seems to be few projects on the internet people breeding micro varieties. I seem to be learning more from you and galina everyday. Whilst it's raining I seem to be researching more.

            • jayb
              jayb commented
              Editing a comment
              I'm with you Clumsy, you would definitely think they could be quicker. Micro Toms do seem to have their followers, and rightly so they are undemanding and rewarding, plus at the moment not much variation is widely available. There are certainly other small growing varieties which are bigger than the true Micros, but to my mind, they can get a bit too tall for indoor winter growing, though the balance is often a bit better flavour and larger production. Thank you for saying but it's not onesided, I keep learning new ideas, tips and ways of growing that you share here too. Amongst other things I love the way you set out your beds and crops.

              It's partly why I like it here, everyone who has posted is so supportive and helpful, plus the ideas and ways of doing things are inspiring.
          • jayb
            Enjoying the scenery.
            New Sprout
            • Jun 2014
            • 2946

            #15
            I took these this morning, day 44, they are really starting to grow on now, what a difference a week has made. There are 7 of this F generation but they don't all fit in the shot!

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            My phone is not so good with closeups but here's one of the little Blues

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