Depending on where you live in the country, it's time to start your tomatoes seeds indoors for growing outdoors this summer. Generally tomatoes need about 6 weeks of indoor growing before they can be transplanted outdoors. That means if your last frost date is around early April, then go ahead and start the seeds. For those with last frost dates later in spring, wait until March to start your tomatoes.
Why Start Seeds?
While you can go to the garden center in spring and buy tomato transplants ready to plant in the garden, there are many reasons for starting your own indoors from seed. You'll have a larger selection of varieties to choose from if you start from seed. Most garden centers grow only a select number of varieties. If you're looking for the odd, unusual, and unique, grow from seed. Also, if you're growing lots of tomatoes to feed the neighborhood, sell at the farmer's market, or just can and preserve, growing your own seedlings is a lot cheaper. Tomato transplants can cost $3 each, while, for the same price you can buy a packet of seeds with 20 to 30 seeds in it. Plus, this time of year, most gardeners are itching to grow something. Here's a way to satisfy that craving by playing with pots, potting soil, and seeds indoors.
Starting From Seed
First, select a variety that will grow well in your area. For the South, look for heat resistant varieties such as 'Solar Fire'. For the North, look for short season varieties, such as 'Stupice'. Always grow a few different varieties to have a nice selection. Try some heirloom varieties, such a 'Brandywine', for their unique fruit color, shape, and taste.
Fill your flats or pots with seed starting potting soil. This soil is light weight, disease-free, and perfect for starting seedlings. Sow seeds in a flat with individual cells, plastic, peat or coir pots. Sow two seeds per cell or pot. Moisten the soil and cover with plastic. Place in a warm room out of direct sunlight. Consider using a heating mat to help with germination. After about 5 days check under the plastic for germination. As soon as you see seedlings growing, remove the plastic and place the seedlings under artificial lights. Remove one of the seedlings so there is one per pot/cell. Grow lights are better to use than a sunny south-facing window because they provide all the light intensity and wavelengths the seedlings need to grow short and stocky. Stroke the young seedlings gently each day to keep them short. You can also use a small fan to blow a gentle breeze on them. Keep the soil moist, but not over watered.
When the seedling height is 3 times the diameter of the pot, transplant into a pot one size larger. If you're growing with peat or coir pots, don't transplant. These pots are meant to be planted in the ground with the seedling. Keep the transplants under lights with the tops of the seedlings only a few inches away from the light bulbs. When the danger of frost has passed, move your plants outdoors and into the garden.
It is nice to plant tomatoes in summer. The plants are not prone to root rotting. The application of fertilizer and enough water helps in the fast healthy growing of tomatoes and other plants. Now, I am planning again to buy fertilizers at Wolf Mountain.
http://www.wolfmountainproducts.com/
Posted by: playground mulch | May 05, 2011 at 01:33 AM
Good info and advise. Tomatoes are very easy to grow. They are prone to mosaic disease but if you avoid touching the plant after handling tobacco they are safe. Also, do not spray the foliage with water.
Posted by: Bosch PMF 180 e | July 28, 2011 at 02:44 AM