When it comes to growing tomatoes, you’ve got three choices:
Longer season. Start seeds sooner, seedlings germinate sooner, voila – plants produce tomatoes sooner and longer. That’s especially helpful if your growing season is short say, in the north. Cool spring temperatures slow germination or can kill young seedlings. An early fall frost can zap mature tomato plants. When you get a head start indoors, you max out production and get an extended tomato harvest.
Cheaper plants. You can save money by starting your tomatoes from seed if you like to grow lots of tomatoes or if you like to try different varieties. You can also save money by making your own planting mix. You won’t save money if you buy designer starter mix or use top-of-the-line seed starter trays. Bonus money saver: when you start tomatoes from seed, you get stronger tomato plants for less.
More variety. There are more than thousands of varieties of tomatoes. It’s fun to try to new kinds!
A cure for winter. A few weeks after the new year, my fingers are itching to dig in the dirt. Starting tomato seeds indoors takes the edge off.
Plan ahead for successful seed starting
The first step you need to take to successfully grow a tomato plant from start to finish is to choose your tomato seeds. Take time to find out about different tomato varieties. Experienced gardeners order seeds from garden catalogs as early as December for the following spring. You can also find seeds online at seed exchange sites or from other avid gardeners. Nurseries and home improvement centers sell seeds, too.
Start tomato seeds 6-8 weeks before planting time
Check your local frost dates. Start tomato seeds about 6 weeks before it’s safe to set out plants in the garden.
Plant tomato seeds: easy steps to take
Get the scoop and simple step-by-step instructions that explain how to --
Your tomato seedlings will emerge in 5-10 days. You’re now in the “stick-to-it-ive-ness” period of seed starting. For the next month, you’ll need to check your new seedlings daily. Mist or water them regularly. Once they have 2 sets of leaves, re-pot them in 4-6" transplant pots
to help them build strong root systems. Monitor them carefully to check for the biggest seed-starting problems, like tomato fungus, legginess, slow growth, and seed rot.
Prepare for next year
As you harvest your tomato crop, save some seeds for next year. Have extras on hand to share with gardening friends. You might even inspire someone you know to give seed starting a try!
- grow tomatoes from seeds indoors while it’s still cold outside
- grow tomato plants in a greenhouse or cold frame
- buy tomato plants from a nursery or garden center once the weather is warm enough
Best reasons to grow tomatoes from seeds
Longer season. Start seeds sooner, seedlings germinate sooner, voila – plants produce tomatoes sooner and longer. That’s especially helpful if your growing season is short say, in the north. Cool spring temperatures slow germination or can kill young seedlings. An early fall frost can zap mature tomato plants. When you get a head start indoors, you max out production and get an extended tomato harvest.
Cheaper plants. You can save money by starting your tomatoes from seed if you like to grow lots of tomatoes or if you like to try different varieties. You can also save money by making your own planting mix. You won’t save money if you buy designer starter mix or use top-of-the-line seed starter trays. Bonus money saver: when you start tomatoes from seed, you get stronger tomato plants for less.
More variety. There are more than thousands of varieties of tomatoes. It’s fun to try to new kinds!
A cure for winter. A few weeks after the new year, my fingers are itching to dig in the dirt. Starting tomato seeds indoors takes the edge off.
Seed starting step-by-step
Plan ahead for successful seed starting
The first step you need to take to successfully grow a tomato plant from start to finish is to choose your tomato seeds. Take time to find out about different tomato varieties. Experienced gardeners order seeds from garden catalogs as early as December for the following spring. You can also find seeds online at seed exchange sites or from other avid gardeners. Nurseries and home improvement centers sell seeds, too.
Start tomato seeds 6-8 weeks before planting time
Check your local frost dates. Start tomato seeds about 6 weeks before it’s safe to set out plants in the garden.
Plant tomato seeds: easy steps to take
Get the scoop and simple step-by-step instructions that explain how to --
- choose containers for seed starting
- what potting mix to use
- how to plant your seeds
- label your newly-planted seeds (especially if you’re growing different varieties)
Your tomato seedlings will emerge in 5-10 days. You’re now in the “stick-to-it-ive-ness” period of seed starting. For the next month, you’ll need to check your new seedlings daily. Mist or water them regularly. Once they have 2 sets of leaves, re-pot them in 4-6" transplant pots
to help them build strong root systems. Monitor them carefully to check for the biggest seed-starting problems, like tomato fungus, legginess, slow growth, and seed rot.Prepare for next year
As you harvest your tomato crop, save some seeds for next year. Have extras on hand to share with gardening friends. You might even inspire someone you know to give seed starting a try!
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