Tomatoes are more than just a hearty Fruit and vegetable. Growing them is practically a rite of passage for serious and recreational gardeners alike. You get to show them off as well as eat them, and learning how to grow them successfully will really bolster your gardening skills.
When to Plant Tomato Seeds Indoors: Tomato seed germinates fairly quickly, within 15-25 days. The plants also develop fast, so seeds can be started 6-8 weeks before you intend to transplant outdoors. Your transplant date will depend on your last frost date (determined by your USDA hardiness zone) and that year's actual weather. So if you plan to transplant outdoors in early May, start your seedlings indoors in mid- to late March.
Planting Tomato Seeds:Use your label to make a 1/4 inch furrow in the planting mix. Sprinkle 8–12 seeds into the furrow and cover them with a sprinkling of potting mix. Gently firm the mix down, so the seeds make good contact with the soil. You can spray the surface with water if it doesn’t feel moist enough.
Be Patient: At this point, you should place your containers somewhere warm and check them daily to make sure the soil is moist - not wet - and watch for germination. I like to place my containers inside a plastic bag to create a mini greenhouse. Remove the bag when the seedlings emerge.
Transplanting Tomato Seedlings Outdoors: When you are finally ready to plant your tomatoes in the garden, try and choose a cool or overcast day. Once again, plant your tomatoes deeper than they are in their pots so that new roots will form all along the buried stem. You can plant them all the way up to the top couple of sets of leaves, if possible. This is especially good if your plants have gotten too tall indoors and you want them to become stockier and stronger. If you can’t dig deep enough, you can always plant them sideways, in a furrow. The top of the plant will find the sun and grow upright in a few days.
Caring for Your Tomato Plants: Stake the plant right after you plant it so that you don’t disturb its roots later. Give them a good drench of water and be patient, they should start flowering when the days heat up. Tomatoes can be prone to diseases of both the leaves and the fruits. The best defense is to keep your plants healthy and strong. Give them regular water, leave room between plants for good air circulation and check them daily, so that you will catch problems early.