Winter vegetable gardening in central Texas

Interesting. I know on chives it is recommended to only cut from the outer edges but never thought about doing those. Maybe cause I never have grown onion from seed.

well,I meant I was going to only prune the onions

Never mind me... I'm up but not sure I'm awake...

LOL sounds like me....I've only had my first gallon of coffee. Need to get up go shower so I can get to VERY early CPR class. Not looking forward to it then I have to cap it with a trip to the grocery store.I'd leave that job to do next week but my dogs are out of food and there might be an uprising.

Don't know how socialable I'll be in public today....LOL

I am sure this question has been asked before and answered but I can't find it. Is it worth the bother to wintersow tomatoes and if so when should they be planted in my zone and what kind would you recommend?

When you sat "winter sow" tomatoes what exactly do you mean? Indoor or outdoor? I have tomato plants that are ready to go in the ground but they would freeze here. I usually start mine in the next week or so to be sold in March. I also grow them in containers. These are my indoor/outdoor plants depending on the weather.
Lisa

I mean planting the seeds in a milk carton and setting it out and leaving it to germinate and grow. Then transplate into the ground at the appropriate time.

Happy New Year!

Hiya Bobyrd - I first looked into Winter Sowing (the milk carton outside method) specifically to try to find a better way to start tomatoes since I don't have the space for grow lights. This will be my first time trying it, so I don't have any real live experience yet, but I have gathered a little information that might help get you started.

Folks from the Winter Sowing forum have put together a database of what seeds they have sown, when they put them out, when and how well they germinated, and when and if they bloomed. Here is a link to the portion of the list that includes tomatoes:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/ws/index.php?offset=280

While one of the "Original" Winter Sowers (and again, I mean the milkjug outside method) Trudi started all her seeds outside at Winter Solstice, I have heard frequentl that people have had better luck starting their tomatoes a little later. On the database, CapeCodGardener in Zone 7a starts his in April, and likewise grampapa in Zone 6a started her tomatoes outside in March. Both are great, seasoned Winter Sowers and I trust their advice. Both also note that their WSed tomatoes start of smaller than their traditional grow light tomatoes, but that the WS ones catch up just fine at harvest.

Trudi's website is http://www.wintersown.org/ and they will send you some seeds that are proven good Winter Sowers if you are starting out. My package included Lycopersicon lycopersicum "Sugar Baby" which they listed as a bush tomato. I'm going to give those a go this year and am hoping to find a couple more cultivars to try before I put mine out in their milk jugs in mid-April. Keep us updated on what you decide to try and I'll try to do the same.

Hope that helps!
-GB

bobyrd-does it ever freeze down there? Texas has all these microclimates so it seems like the zones don't mean as much here as other areas. I start my tomato plants indoors about 2 months befre I put them out. I don't use grow lights, just a sunny window. I have read and my experience has been that tomato plants started indoors may be a little leggy but once they are planted outside they do great. I start them in peat pellets and then transplant them to peat pots when they get bigger. Then to the garden and customers. One thing about starting plants inside is that they can't just be put outside they need to be acclimated a few hours each day and not in direct sun light. I love tomatoes so I would love to hear other peoples experiences. The tomato forum has some great information too.
Lisa