Tomatoes are heat-loving plants with a long season that do not tolerate frost. Therefore, it is recommended to put them as grafts (young plants) in the garden after the weather has warmed up in the spring. You can buy tomato grafts, but it's especially worthwhile when you start your own plants in the house. If you grow your own grafts, you can choose from hundreds of tomato varieties that are available as seeds but are rarely sold as grafts.
Germinate quickly and grow. Tomato seeds are best sown indoors about six weeks before your average last frosty day. (To find out your last frost date, ask a neighbor in the garden or contact your Master Gardener program.)
The seedlings on the left were bred in our Organic Seed Starting Mix. The seeds on the right were grown in normal potting soil.
Here's what you need to start with tomato seeds in the house:
tomato seeds
Sterile potting soil for the start of seed
Sterile seed pots for seeds
A warm place with enough daylight or growth light
fertilizer
seed
There are hundreds of tomato varieties available as seeds, and choosing a few for your home garden can be a daunting task. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Decide on the type of tomatoes you want. As cherry tomatoes, slicers or tomatoes for the preparation of sauce or paste.
Note the size of the mature plants. Certain tomatoes are about 3 feet high and are the best choice for containers. Indefinite tomatoes become very large, up to 6 feet tall. All tomatoes benefit from supports such as tomato cages or tomato ladders.
Look for disease resistance. Tomatoes are prone to a number of diseases that may be a problem in your area. To be on the safe side, I always breed at least one strain that is resistant to Verticillium and Fusarium (labeled with a V or F for the variety name).
Related: Which tomato should I grow?
ground
Although it is known as "potting soil", the best medium for starting the seeds has no soil at all. Use a sterile, non-ripened mixture that is labeled for starting the seed. Never use garden soil, which often runs badly and can harbor disease organisms.
Tomatoes are heat-loving plants with a long season that do not tolerate frost. Therefore, it is recommended to put them as grafts (young plants) in the garden after the weather has warmed up in the spring. You can buy tomato grafts, but it's especially worthwhile when you start your own plants in the house. If you grow your own grafts, you can choose from hundreds of tomato varieties that are available as seeds but are rarely sold as grafts.
Germinate quickly and grow. Tomato seeds are best sown indoors about six weeks before your average last frosty day. (To find out your last frost date, ask a neighbor in the garden or contact your Master Gardener program.)
The seedlings on the left were bred in our Organic Seed Starting Mix. The seeds on the right were grown in normal potting soil.
Here's what you need to start with tomato seeds in the house:
tomato seeds
Sterile potting soil for the start of seed
Sterile seed pots for seeds
A warm place with enough daylight or growth light
fertilizer
seed
There are hundreds of tomato varieties available as seeds, and choosing a few for your home garden can be a daunting task. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Decide on the type of tomatoes you want. As cherry tomatoes, slicers or tomatoes for the preparation of sauce or paste.
Note the size of the mature plants. Certain tomatoes are about 3 feet high and are the best choice for containers. Indefinite tomatoes become very large, up to 6 feet tall. All tomatoes benefit from supports such as tomato cages or tomato ladders.
Look for disease resistance. Tomatoes are prone to a number of diseases that may be a problem in your area. To be on the safe side, I always breed at least one strain that is resistant to Verticillium and Fusarium (labeled with a V or F for the variety name).
Related: Which tomato should I grow?
ground
Although it is known as "potting soil", the best medium for starting the seeds has no soil at all. Use a sterile, non-ripened mixture that is labeled for starting the seed. Never use garden soil, which often runs badly and can harbor disease organisms.
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