Tomato Seeds

Since most plants available for purchase are hybrids, buying heirloom tomato seeds may be the only option for growing heirlooms.

When growing tomatoes from seeds, timing is everything. By starting the seeds and transplanting the seedlings at the correct time, you can have a bumper crop of tomatoes.

The steps to success are fairly simple, and the results will be worth the effort.

When to Start

Regardless of where you live, starting tomato seeds indoors at the right time is essential.

Most seed packs will tell you to start your seeds indoors six to eight weeks before last frost. That means your seedlings will be ready to transplant outdoors six to eight weeks after you start them.

What this means for anyone is, when overnight temperatures typically don't go below fifty-five degrees and daytime temperatures are approaching eighty degrees, the plants can go in the ground.

When you do the math you'll know when to start seeds in your area. Start too early and your plants will be leggy and unhealthy when you transplant them. Start too late and they may not have enough time during the growing season to produce fruit.

How to Start

Start with fresh, store-bought tomato seeds. Although you might want to save seeds from a favorite tomato you've grown or bought at the grocery store, it's important to understand that these are probably hybrid tomatoes. Don't save their seeds to grow new plants, because you won't get the same tomato.

Hybrids are created by crossing two varieties of tomatoes. Hybrids do not produce seeds that produce the same tomato; instead, the two varieties are crossed every year to produce the hybrid.

Whether hybrid or heirloom, it's best to buy fresh seeds from a reputable seller to get the best results. And select plant varieties that grow to maturity within the growing season in your area.

Use a good seed starting mix or a potting soil mixed with peat moss for drainage. These mixes are light, allowing tender young roots to spread.

Seed starting flats are handy as they can be moved to accommodate sun requirements; plus they have a tray to catch water drainage.

Some also include a clear, plastic lid to retain moisture. Whatever you choose as a container, be sure there are drainage holes and a tray to catch water runoff.

Planting the Seeds

Fill your containers with potting mix and moisten the soil. Follow seed package directions for depth of planting, usually between one-quarter and one-half inch deep depending on variety.

It's important at this stage to keep the soil moist. Seeds will not germinate in dry soil, and once the seeds start germinating, they will die if allowed to dry out.

If you plant more than one seed in each container, you'll need to transplant extras when they sprout. Continue watering to keep soil moist, and cover with a plastic lid or plastic wrap.

Keep your containers in a warm environment, between 70 and 80 degrees to promote germination. Sunlight is not required at this time. Within about a week to ten days, you'll see green leaves poking through the soil.

Caring for Seedlings

Provide sunlight or strong fluorescent light for sixteen hours per day and keep the cover from touching the plants.

Maintain temperatures of about 65 to 70 degrees and provide air circulation. When the first set of leaves appears, transplant individual seedlings into larger containers.

If your potting soil does not contain fertilizer, use a diluted strength each time you repot during growth.

Transplanting to the Garden

Harden off the plants slowly to acclimate them to their outdoor environment. Place them in cold frames that can be closed at night when temperatures drop.

Alternately, take the young plants outside for a few hours during the day, out of direct sunlight, and bring back indoors at night. You want to protect them from extremes of temperature, wind and hard rainfalls.

Once they have hardened off, after about a week, you can transplant them to the garden bed or into their permanent outdoor containers.

Whether you choose hybrid or heirloom tomato seeds, starting tomatoes from seed is a fun and rewarding way to grow a large number of tomato plants in your home garden.

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