Growing Tomato Plants from Seeds

This method of growing tomato plants from seeds will produce big and robust tomato plants when it is time for transplanting into the garden.

The optimal time of the year for growing tomato plants from seeds is about 7-10 weeks before your local date of last frost. A common mistake made by new tomato growers is sowing seeds too early. This results in big, troublesome plants that cannot be transplanted because it’s too cold outside, but is too big to get sunlight indoors either. If you’re not sure when correct date of last frost is in your local area, you can check it out here.

You may ask, well, just how hard is it to grow tomato plants from seeds? After all, don’t you just need a container with some soil in it and pluck the seeds in?

If you think that, then you’ve got it at least half right. Firstly, it is true that any container with holes poked in the bottom (for water drainage) will do the job. However, I recommend AGAINST using “plastic cells” when first sowing. It is very, very annoying to fill each little cell with the fluffy growing mixture, wet it, and then watering and rewatering it. You do not need cells. It is much easier to use bigger, “wholesome” containers like, say tofu boxes, and sow all your seeds in that.

Secondly, if you could believe it, the “soil” used to grow tomatoes should NOT actually be real soil! Instead, a soiless “seed starting mix” should be used, like those sold in your nearby Home Depots and Walmarts. Some popular brand names for seed starting mixtures are Jiffy Mix and Pro Mix. The reason for going soiless is because regular potting soil contains bacteria that could harm seedlings. Soiless brands guarantee that their mixture is void of harmful bacteria while being able to provide water and nutrients to nurture the seedlings.

Why such safety measures? Because quality tomato seeds are somewhat pricy (the average is about $2.50 for 25 seeds) and takes time to order and get (tomato seeds are most conveniently ordered from the internet). Now if your highly anticipated SunGold seeds have finally arrived through mail after you shelled out big bucks for them, the last thing you want to do risking them in an unsafe growing medium. Thus from that perspective, soiless mixtures are the way to go.

*Note that wetting a soiless mixture could be tricky… The easiest way to do it is to water the mixture first, causing it to float. Then, press down (with your palm or a flat object) on the surface of the mixture to “drown” it in the water. Doing so will thoroughly and evenly wet the mixture, which makes it perfect to sow your seeds in. On a side note, you could also create your own soiless mixture using the basic ingredients of dry peat moss, vermiculite, and/or perlite. Buying these ingredients in bulk is a lot cheaper than purchasing brand name bags of mixtures. Also, if you do plan going all out growing tomatoes and other vegetables next summer, stock up on gardening ingredients (especiall peat moss and compost) at the end-of-the-year clean out sales at your local Walmart or Home Depot. By doing so you can save rediculous amounts of money. 40lbs of quality compost usually go by at $1.00 per bag, while 2.2 cubic feet of peat moss cost only $1.50.

To sow tomato seeds, poke ¼” deep holes into the growing medium and sow two seeds in each. Once the seeds have been sown, cover the container with plastic foil (to prevent evaporation) and put it in a warm place.

Young tomato plants will germinate anywhere from 3-30 days, depending on how favorable the environment is and the quality of the seeds. Seeds obtained from quality online sources are usually fresher as compared to those sold packaged ones sold in super markets, and will germinate faster. Once the seedlings have germinated, sunlight (or artificial lighting) must be supplied at once. Else the tomato plants will grow weak and spindly trying to seek sunlight. Place the container anywhere indoors where the seedlings will receive maximum exposure to sunlight, like near a sunny window. Fertilization is not required since tomato seedlings could get by with the nutrients stored in their seed coats.

*Note if you’re interested in using artificial grow lights to grow tomato plants from seeds, fluorescent shop lights are effective and could be bought cheaply. To use them, the seedlings must be placed close enough so that the leaves almost touch the fluorescent bulbs. For optimal growth, the lights should be on for about 14-16 hours a day, followed by 6-8 hours of darkness. The dark time is necessary for the plants to do the actual growing.

Once the tomato seedlings have grown their first true leaves (leaves that looks polygonal, not oval), it is time to transplant them into individual containers. This allows the tomato plants to grow very big (like store-bought plants). An 8oz plastic cup with a slit on the bottom for drainage makes a perfect container. Plastic cells could also be used, but they must be deep. To transplant follow these steps:

1. Fill the container with the growing medium of your choice. (Compost or regular potting soil is fine at this stage).
2. Wet the soil thoroughly and poke a deep hole into it.
3. With a spoon, carefully scoop out a seedling from its root and gently place it into that hole you made.
4. Gently bury the soil around the stem.

After 5 days, fertilize the transplants with a very, very dilute fertilizer. If you use MiracleGro, use something like 2tsp/Gallon.

Now wait… Water regularly and never let your growing medium dry out. After 10 weeks, you will have big, sturdy tomato plants that are 8-12inches tall and are ready to go into the garden.