How To Grow Tomatoes from Seeds
Seedlings
The tomato is a warm-season plant which can require a fairly long growing season, depending on the variety selected. Plants may be bought from a greenhouse, or grown from seeds started indoors approx. 4 - 6 weeks before you plan to set them out into the garden. Tomatoes are very sensitive to frost, however, so they must not be put outside until the weather is reliably warm, or they are protected from sudden chills.
Growing Tomatoes from Seeds:
Tomato plants can be started in almost any type of container which has holes in the bottom of it for drainage. Fill the container with a mixture of two parts sterilized garden soil with one part pasteurized compost and one part vermiculite or perlite. Tomato seeds germinate best when soil temperatures are 24 - 32C (75 - 90F).
Space the seed evenly in holes 2 - 3 inches apart with three to four tomato seeds to each hole, planted 1/2 inch deep. Keep warm and dark until the seedlings appear. The top of the refridgerator is a handy place to start your tomato plants, as light isn't crucial until the seedlings have popped out of the soil. Expect to see sprouts in 6 - 14 days.
As soon as the tomato sprouts appear, move the plants to a bright, but cooler location, and grow your tomato seedlings at about 15C (60F) during the day, and no lower than 4C (40F) at night. This prevents the tomatoes from growing tall and straggley, and promotes strong root development. Watering your new tomato plants from the bottom by placing the seed flat in a pan containing shallow water and allowing the flat to absorb the moisture it requires while at the same time keeping the surface of the soil on the dry side helps to prevent damping-off.
Growing Tomatoes from Seeds:
Tomato plants can be started in almost any type of container which has holes in the bottom of it for drainage. Fill the container with a mixture of two parts sterilized garden soil with one part pasteurized compost and one part vermiculite or perlite. Tomato seeds germinate best when soil temperatures are 24 - 32C (75 - 90F).
Space the seed evenly in holes 2 - 3 inches apart with three to four tomato seeds to each hole, planted 1/2 inch deep. Keep warm and dark until the seedlings appear. The top of the refridgerator is a handy place to start your tomato plants, as light isn't crucial until the seedlings have popped out of the soil. Expect to see sprouts in 6 - 14 days.
As soon as the tomato sprouts appear, move the plants to a bright, but cooler location, and grow your tomato seedlings at about 15C (60F) during the day, and no lower than 4C (40F) at night. This prevents the tomatoes from growing tall and straggley, and promotes strong root development. Watering your new tomato plants from the bottom by placing the seed flat in a pan containing shallow water and allowing the flat to absorb the moisture it requires while at the same time keeping the surface of the soil on the dry side helps to prevent damping-off.
There are also over 100 different varieties of tomato seeds available in THE TOMATO SHOP - everything from favourites like Beefsteak, to
rare Soldaki tomatoes from Poland, chocolate cherry tomatoes, Heirloom Mennonite tomato seeds and even a new yellow lollipop tomato with a
lemony flavour.
Go to the TOMATO SHOP >>
rare Soldaki tomatoes from Poland, chocolate cherry tomatoes, Heirloom Mennonite tomato seeds and even a new yellow lollipop tomato with a
lemony flavour.
Go to the TOMATO SHOP >>
Recommended Products:
Please click on image or product name for more details
 Tomato Starter Kit |
APS Starter Kit Here's everything you need to get started growing your own tomato plants from seed. With our Accelerated Propagation System Kit, you're guaranteed a garden to be proud of. Starter Kit includes: 2 self-watering APS-24 seedstarters, 9 qts of Professional Germination Mix, 24 wooden seedling markers, 2 water-level indicators, 2.5 oz of Plant Health Care for Seedlings fertilizer. |
 Organic Tomato Success Kit |
Organic Tomato Success Kit, Green Grow a summer's worth of tomatoes in just 3 square feet. Our Research and Development team has combined the best-selling Self-Watering Patio Garden, the Tomato Booster Mulch and the steel Tomato Cage to create a foolproof tomato success kit, all at a savings of over 15%! Best of all, there's no tilling! Also available in terra cotta and stone. |
 Tomato Success Kit Refill |
Organic Tomato Success Kit Replenishment Pack If you already own one of our Tomato Success Kits, you will find this Tomato Replenishment Pack both convenient and economical. You get 40 quarts of exclusive Self-Watering Container Mix, 1 lb. of our Organic 5-5-5 Fertilizer, and fresh Tomato Booster Mulch — everything you need for another year of bountiful tomatoes, at 23% less than individual prices. |
 Beginner Seed Starter Kit |
Beginner Seedstarter Kit Here's everything a first-time gardener needs to get started growing his or her own tomato plants from seed. Includes two APS-12 growing trays, which come complete with a clear greenhouse cover, water reservoir and capillary matting. This unique, self-watering system ensures seedlings receive the right amount of moisture for healthy growth. We also include a 6-quart bag of our Organic Seedstarting Mix and 24 wooden plant markers. Everything a beginner tomato gardener needs. |
 Deep Root Seed Starter |
Deep-Root Seedstarting System Developed in Europe for use in horticultural laboratories, this unique propagation system is proven to grow healthier, more shock-resistant tomato seedlings. The 3-1/2" tapered cells are 50% deeper than similar seedstarters. Capillary mat and a 1 qt reservoir ensure your seedlings get the right amount of moisture. Deep cells mean more root mass; the secret to growing stocky, vigorous tomato plants that thrive when transplanted outdoors. Growing dome has adjustable vents. |
 Aero Garden |
AeroGarden® 6-Pod Elite Plus This is the easiest garden you'll ever tend — no weeding, no watering, no worries! With twice the light output of earlier models — and twice the height, for plenty of growing room — you can be harvesting tomatoes, herbs, and salad greens in as little as four weeks. Simply plug in the fully contained system; select your plant type; and add water, nutrient tablets, and the 6 growing pods. NASA-tested technology grows plants without soil, bathing roots in an "aeroponic" mist of water and nutrients. Full-spectrum grow light adjusts automatically to simulate natural-light cycles. |
 Compost + Germinating Mix |
Compost Plus Germinating Mix, 20 Qts. This Professional Germinating Mix is a finely textured sterile blend of sphagnum peat and vermiculite that is pH adjusted. It also contains trace minerals to stimulate root growth. Ideal for starting your tomato plants. |
 Grow Garden |
My Greens Light Garden Here is a compact, all-in- one growing system that will produce fresh greens and herbs week after week, all year long. It includes an adjustable-height light fixture, two T-5 bulbs, four growing trays, and our proprietary self-watering system inside a sturdy, waterproof reservoir base. The slim-profile high-efficiency fluorescent lamps use 20% less energy than conventional fluorescents, yet have a higher light output that encourages healthy growth. The electronic ballast eliminates that annoying buzzing and runs cool, so it can be placed safely anywhere, and prevents your tender seedlings from overheating. |
 SunLite Grow Garden |
SunLite 3-Tier Garden with Jump-Start Kit It’s always springtime when you have an indoor light garden.The SunLite Garden employs the latest in lighting technology — super-efficient T-8 fluorescent bulbs — to bathe your plants in bright, energy-efficient, full-spectrum light. These bulbs use 20% less energy and last 4,000 hours longer than standard fluorescent lights. The Jump-Start Kit includes all the items you need to start your tomato seedlings successfully. |
Transplanting Tomato Seedlings into Larger Pots >>
