Growing Tomatoes From Seed

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Growing tomatoes from seed may be the most popular skill any gardener, new or seasoned, wants to develop.

Although learning how to grow tomatoes from seed is not difficult, there are a few considerations to be conscious of.

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Anyone that enjoys a fresh, ripe, juicy tomato warm from the garden will tell you, it’s the one summer crop that is most looked forward to. We dream about it. Store-bought has nothing on the flavor of fresh.

There may be no better pleasure than picking a fresh tomato off the vine & enjoying it with a thick slab of freshly made mozzarella (keep an eye out for upcoming post on how easy it is to make your own fresh), sprinkle it with your fresh from the garden basil, & drizzle with a little EVOO and balsamic vinegar. YUM!! Anyone hungry yet?

If this sounds wonderful to you, now is the time to plant your tomato seeds & give them a good start. Never planted tomatoes from seed, or looking for options to start yours? You are in the right place my friend. Read on.

WHY GROW TOMATOES FROM SEED

You may be saying to yourself at this point, why go to the trouble of starting tomatoes from seed when I can purchase plants from my local nursery? In a nutshell, variety and cost.

Very rarely will you come across varieties with names like “Prudens Purple” {wonderful heirloom variety with amazing flavor}, or “Indigo Cherry Drops” {a deep black cherry tomato}, or even “Tasmanian Chocolate” {a wonderful slicer} that are ready and available to purchase as plants.

Growing your own tomatoes from seed gives you the opportunity to explore the wide, wide world of tomato varieties & flavors. It allows you to be as adventurous in your selections as their exotic names imply.

And did we mention the cost? Our feeling here on the hill is if your going to grow tomatoes, then GROW tomatoes. And a lot of them. We typically plant about 150 tomato plants every year. Why? So we can savor & harness their flavor all year by creating wonderful tomato products like whole tomatoes, salsa, & tomato sauce to name just a few! Not to mention munching on all summer 🙂

If we were to purchase 150 plants, let’s just say it would break the bank here. By purchasing our seed packets, approximately a $20 investment, and this is a high estimate, {we typically have left over seeds from the previous year to use as well} we enjoy literally hundreds of pounds of fresh tomatoes. No comparison in cost, just sayin’.

Growing your tomatoes from seed are typically the first vegetable, or should I say fruit, new gardeners try to grow. And why not? They are fairly fast growing {given the right environments}, fairly easy to grow {with the right tips & you got it, environment}, and amazingly productive {yup, you got it again, with the right tips & environment}.

The pleasure of growing tomatoes from seed is rewarding in of itself. Add to that the tasty benefits of your bounty come harvest time, and you have a WIN, WIN in our humble opinion 🙂 So what’s holding you back? Let’s get our grow on….

TYPES OF TOMATO SEED

Any successful garden takes planning. This planning typically begins with a seed. Consideration should be given PRIOR to purchasing your tomato seed. Familiarizing yourself with “tomato terms” & learning how to read seed packets, seed differences, and even what type of gardener you are, will set yourself up for success.

Not all tomato seeds are sourced the same way. There are a few types of tomato seeds you will want to familiarize yourself with.

HEIRLOOM – Heirloom tomato seeds according to our article, “Vegetable & Herb Seeds – Know The Differences” are…

Heirloom seeds are old varieties of seed that are open-pollinated and have not been altered from it’s parent plant.  Seeds that have been passed down through the generations from family to family. 

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OPEN-POLLINATED – Open-pollinated seed is seed from the flower of the plant is pollinated naturally by bee’s, insects, and even the wind.  The resulting seed will reproduce a plant with the same characteristics as its parent.

HYBRID – Seed that has been cross-pollinated with another variety in a controlled environment with the aim of merging the best traits from both parent plants into the “child” or hybrid plant.

ORGANIC – “Organic seeds are seeds that are harvested from plants grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, fungicides, & pesticides.” according to our article.

CONVENTIONAL – Conventional seed is grown and saved from plants that may have been exposed to harmful chemicals, pesticides, fungicides, & herbicides.

GMO – GMO, aka genetically modified organizations, are seeds that have been created in a lab setting using “various genetic engineering techniques” where foreign genetic material {animal, plant, or micro-organism (e.g. bacteria) whose genetic makeup is altered} is artificially inserted into the DNA. Truly a “frankenfood” in our opinion.

TOMATO TERMS

Tomato terms? There is such a thing? Yup! By educating yourself as to what these terms mean right from the get-go, will make your new life as a tomato grower grow smoothly 🙂 Here are a few that come to mind.

• DETERMINATE – Determinate tomatoes, often referred to as “bush tomatoes” grows in a compact type shape. Determinates make wonderful options for growing in containers & small spaces. These plants can often be grown without a support system, & grow to a fixed size. Their fruit is set on the terminal end {end of plant stem}. The fruit matures evenly and ripens within a two week period of one another.
• INDETERMINATE – Indeterminate plants typically don’t stop growing throughout the growing season. This type of tomato plant can reach heights of 5-8 feet, need a support system, & produce fruit all along the stems. This fruit ripens & matures at different rates throughout the growing season, but will produce right up until frost takes them.
• SEMI-DETERMINATE – Semi-determinate plants fall somewhere between determinate & semi-determinate. They most likely will need staking, and produce throughout the growing season.
• COTYLEDON – Cotyledon is the term used for the first 2 leaves that appear on an emerging seedling.
• TRUE LEAVES – True leaves are the second set of leaves that emerge after the cotyledon.
• GLOBE TOMATO – A type of tomato, often referred to as a slicing tomato, that is evenly, round shape.
• CHERRY TOMATO – A small tomato, ranging in size from a grape to a golfball size.
• OXHEART – Oxhearts are just that. Shaped like a heart. Where the “ox” came from, who knows?
• REGULAR LEAF – Regular leaf tomato plants have leaves that have indentations along the leaf itself.
• POTATO LEAF – Potato leaf tomato plants have smooth leaves, like, well, potatoes.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS PRIOR TO PURCHASING TOMATO SEED

A few additional considerations should be looked at prior to purchasing your seed. Nothing would be worse than growing your tomatoes from seed, planting them in your garden only to find out you purchased the wrong type of seed!

GARDEN SPACE

A major consideration would be how much garden space do you have available for your tomato plants. As shown above in tomato terms, size matters when it comes to tomato plants.

If space is not an issue, you are blessed. You could go for either the determinate {grow only 2-3 feet tall} & often mature & fruit at a faster rate than indeterminate varieties as well as the big boys..indeterminate. Remember, indeterminate varieties can grow upwards of 6-8 feet.

If planting in pots, we would recommend choosing determinate varieties. These can be grown in small spaces & typically do not have to be staked or trellised, but can easily be grown using a simple tomato cage.

GROWING SEASON

Know your growing season. Tomatoes are long season plants (normally about a 3 month grow period prior to fruiting), & need warmth to optimally grow, getting an headstart on your plants is the goal for most gardeners.

Ideal temperatures to grow your tomatoes from seed are between 68 F & 75 F. Should your space be a bit cooler, using a heat mat to increase the temperature is always an option & may help with germination rates.

Familiarize yourself with projected date of last frost. To determine yours you can check out what yours is HERE by simply inputting your zip code.

Note the varieties maturity dates, which will be listed on your seed packet. Typical instructions on seed packets will state something akin to “six to eight weeks before the average date of last frost”, but some simply put a number. To determine when to start your tomatoes from seed, simply find your last frost date & count back 6-8 weeks & plant your seeds!

DETERMINE HOW YOU WILL USE YOUR TOMATO HARVEST

Determining how you will be using your harvest will set the tone for what type of tomatoes you will be growing & how many plants you need.

Looking for fresh eating only? You probably will only want a few plants. You may want to look toward some unique heirloom varities known for their flavor & size, think “Brandywine” or “Cherokee Purple”, both large heirlooms with deep, rich tomato flavor that’s great for slicing and that caprese salad we spoke of. And don’t forget a cherry tomato plant or two, “Sungold” and “Black Cherry” are both great options for salad additions & munching on when your in the garden 🙂

If you are looking to preserve, can, & cook with your harvest in addition to fresh eating, think lots of plants & a variety of plants at that. We like to grow pastes, cherry, and heirlooms in order to create our sauces, salsa’s, & soups that we like to put up each year.

It may take you a year or two to determine exactly how many plants will meet your needs. We highly recommend keeping a gardening journal for both the number of plants grown, harvest amounts, & pantry totals.

We have created an easy, fillable, worksheek for your convenience in our gardening management binder printables now available in our Etsy Shop! These planner pages will help to track what seed variety, last frost dates, dates of seeds sown, numbers planted, transplant dates, & notes. Visit our Etsy Shop to grab your planner!

And did I mention how beautiful they are?

ESSENTIALS FOR GROWING TOMATOES FROM SEED

Tomatoes really only need basic essentials to grow from seed. The right container, the right soil, the right light, the right water, and the right temperature.

• CONTAINERS – You can use a just about anything that will hold soil and allow for drainage. For some inspiration be sure to take a look at our article “Alternatives For DIY Seed Planting Pots On The Cheap”. Our favorites are seed starting trays that we re-use yearly
• SOIL – We recommend using an organic, sterile, seed starting mix. Our article on “Seed Starting 101” goes into detail about soil. We don’t recommend garden soil as it may harbor disease and does not drain well
• LABELS – Label the tomato variety planted. We like to use popsicle sticks cut in half
• WARM AREA – Find a warm space as we discussed above. If you don’t have an area that maintains an average temperature of between 68 F & 75 F, consider using heat mats for germination. Once they’ve sprouted their green little heads through and are growing nicely, be sure to remove the heat mats as tomato seedlings grow best in cooler temps averaging 65°F
• LIGHT – A sunny, south facing window or grow lights will need to be used for proper germination & growth. I’ve definitely had better success for growing under grow lights here in the N.E. Winter and early spring light is just not sufficiently intense for growing strong, healthy seedlings
• WATER – Access to fresh water (not chlorinated) is recommended keeping the seeds moist but not soggy. Once sprouted, allow the soil to completely dry out and then water well from the bottom up as top watering may promote disease

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO GROW TOMATOES FROM SEED

So you have your seed, chosen a hardy variety good for your area, and are ready to plant. Gather the materials you need.

Once you have gathered your materials gathered, simply follow the brief guideline below to start your seeds. For a more in-depth article on seed starting be sure to visit our “Seed Starting 101”.

• FILL SEED STARTING CELLS – Begin with sterile tools. We like to pre-moisten our soil (not dripping wet but able to hold together if squeezed) & then fill your container of choice
• PLANT SEED – Always plant according to the seed packets instructions. Tomatoes are typically plante 1/4 inch deep. Using a pencil eraser, make a small indent in the center of the cell. Place 1 seed into the indent and cover over with soil, gently pressing down to ensure the seed has good connection to the soil
• LABEL – We use wooden popsicle sticks that we cut in half, mark the variety on the stick with a permanent, waterproof marker, and place in the appropriate cell
• HEAT & LIGHT – Provide sufficient heat (68 F to 75 F) for fast germination and at least 4-8 hours of direct sunlight or grow light exposure
• AIR FLOW – If using a greenhouse dome, remove immediately after germination (green has sprouted through) to reduce the possibility of “damping off” a fungal disease encouraged by damp conditions & still air. To reduce the risk of this desease developing, you may want to consider using a fan to create air-flow. Air flow will also help to strengthen the tomato seedling stems as it mimics wind in natural conditions
• WATER – Keep the soil moist during germination, but not overly so. Soggy water means rotted seed or mold developing
• THINNING – No matter how careful you are at planting time, you will invariably have multiple seedlings growing in the same grow cell. In order for your seedlings to grow strong & without issue, it’s imperative to thin them. To thin you have a couple of options. If like myself you have a hard time letting go of the under-dog, you can try to very gently separate the roots and transplant them. There is a risk, however, that all can be damaged and lost. Should you not want to take the chance, simply snip off the weaker looking seedlings using a pair of small gardening snips or scissors
• REPOTTING – Plan on repotting the seedling into a larger pot (we use recycled yogurt containers we sourced from our local waste management) once the seedlings “first true leaves appear”

The first leaves that emerge from a new seedling are called “cotyledon”. The next leaves that appear directly after the cotyledon appear are considered “first true leaves”. Once you have your first true leaves, you can then transplant into individual, larger pots.

TRANSPLANTING TOMATO SEEDLINGS

Once your tomato seedlings have reached 2-3 inches tall, it’s time to consider transplanting them into larger pots. A 3-4 inch pot should be sufficient. We like to use large, deep, recycled yogurt containers for this. Be sure to place a small nail hole in the bottom of the container for drainage if using these.

We transplant our seedlings into larger pots right in our kitchen by setting up a “potting station” on either side of the sink. Fill your pots of choice with the same soil mixture used for germinating your seedlings. Dampen each pot so the soil is moist but not dripping.

You can fertilize at this time if you like. We like to use a liquid kelp (as shown below in the gallon jug) for this purpose. It’s gentle, doesn’t damage the seedling (you can actually create a “brown water” using this fertilizer & soak the seedling prior to transplanting) and works wonders for feeding the little guys.

No matter what fertilizer you choose, use according to the manufacturers recommendations listed on the label.

Using the label marker or even a fork, gently loosen the seedling from the germination cell, being careful of the fragile seedling.

Using a dibble, your fingers, or even a butter knife, create a deep hole in your container’s soil. Gently place the root system of the seedling into the hole deep enough that only the leafing system is on the surface.

Many recommend handling only the leaf(s) & not the fragile stem of the seedling itself as they can easily be bruised, allowing for disease. We have found these tiny seedlings to be much more resilient than that. Although we are not rough with them, we have not found any issue with handling by the stem.

Once the seedling is placed into the hole, up to it’s leave, gently reach down with our fingers and “pinch” the soil around the root system.

Voila! You have just successfully transplanted your seedlings! In some cases, you may need to transplant several times. Being the lazy gardeners that we are 🙂 we typically only transplant once & deal with a bit “leggy” plant come direct planting time (into the garden).

HARDENING OFF TOMATO PLANTS

If there is one thing you don’t want to rush…it’s hardening off your tomato plants prior to planting in your garden space. “Hardening off” simply means to acclimate your tender plants to the harsher growing environment of the outdoors.

Wind, strong direct sunlight, and even fluctuating temperatures can often times be the demise of your tomato plants. Gradually acclimating them to these elements will result in garden ready transplants.

To harden off, once night time temps are consistently around 50 F, simply place your tomatoes outside in a protected shaded area for a few hours. Bring them in. Gradually increase the time and sun exposure daily, bringing them in at night. Continue this process for at least 7-10 days, after which, they can be considered “hardened” and ready to plant directly into the garden.

TIPS FOR GROWING TOMATOES FROM SEED

Although growing tomatoes from seed is fairly easy, there are a few tips that can help you along the way. Here are a few that come to mind.

PLANT TOMATO SEEDS DRY

Tomato seeds are covered with a furry coating (naturally occuring) which help the seed adhere to soil. This coating also naturally releases chemicals into the soil that promote healthy growing conditions. When tomato seeds get wet, they soften & become “gummy”, & these naturally occuring actions are inhibited.

TEST YOUR SEED FOR VIABILITY

There is nothing worse than going through the steps to plant your seed & then, well, nothing. Nada. No emerging green. Testing your seeds for viability will boost your chances of successful germination.

CAN YOU MAKE YOUR TOMATOES GROW FASTER

Can you make your tomato plants grow faster? Well, no. But you can choose faster growing or maturing varieties if your goal is to harvest early! Some varieties such as “Bloody Butcher” (what a name!) has been known to mature in as little as 45 to 55 days, or “Stupice” at a maturity rate of 60 days.

DON’T RUSH HARDENING OFF

This bears repeating. Don’t rush hardening off your tomato plants. Speaking from experience, placing these tender seedlings directly into your garden from their cushy growing environment (indoors), is asking for disaster. Take the steps listed above for hardening off your tomato plants slowly.

STAKE YOUR PLANTS EARLY

Plan on staking your transplants immediately after you plant into the garden, or better yet, BEFORE you actually plant! This will ensure that the root system of your plant remains undisturbed & intact.

TROUBLESHOOTING GROWING TOMATOES FROM SEED

Inevitably there are always common issue’s to deal when growing your plants from seed. Here are a few that I’ve experienced.

WHY ARE MY TOMATO SEEDLINGS LEGGY

A “leggy” tomato seedling is one where the stem of the tomato plant has little foliage, has grown long in length, and is weak and spindly. Typically, the issue stems (pun intended 😅) from too little light or indirect light, too much heat (not removing those heat mats!) or too much fertilizer.

All is not lost, however, should your tomato seedlings get a bit leggy. Simply transplant into a deeper pot, submerging the seedling right up to its little green tops. Be sure to utilize a fan on low to mimic natural wind conditions.

Should you want to conserve energy and not use a fan, consider giving your plants a gentle pat to strengthen the stem.

WHY ARE MY TOMATO PLANTS SLOW TO GROW

Growing anything takes time and patience. Growing tomatoes from seed are no different. It may seem like its taking forever for the seedling to grow, but they are growing.

You can double check and make sure you have proper temperatures for the stage of which your seedling is in and that the tomatoes watering needs are being met. Once your seedlings have emerged and are growing green, allow them to dry out completely before watering again.

WHY ARE MY SEEDLING TOMATO PLANTS DYING

Should your tomato seedlings look as though they are dying by wilting or drooping it could be a watering issue.

Too much water, where the soil feels soggy or is holding too much moisture will not allow the roots to have sufficient air which will basically suffocate the plant. Let them breath by allowing the soil to dry in between waterings!

However, just the opposite can occur as well. Should your plants get too little water, the roots will begin to dehydrate & not be able to receive any water or nutrients offered. Thus drooping, wilting, and eventually dying.

WHY IS MY SEEDLINGS NOT GROWING LEAVES

Light. Too much light or not enough light. Basically back to the leggy issues. If you are using grow lights, be sure your light is placed close enough to the plant, down to the very top of plant growth without touching the plant itself.

Growing tomatoes from seed is not hard. By following these simple steps, you too will be enjoying a warm, fresh from the garden tomato in no time.

Do you grow your own from seed? If not, why? Join us in the conversation below, we love to hear from you!

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