If you want to know how to grow tomatoes from seeds step-by-step, this is the right article for you.
This step-by-step guide includes many tips and tricks on growing tomatoes from seeds, including everything from germination to harvest.
Before starting your growth, you should know what type of tomatoes you want to grow and how you will be using them.
Table of Contents
Things you need to grow tomatoes from seeds
When you begin growing tomatoes, there are a few things that you must have, including appropriate tomato seeds, fertilizers, and grow lights.
You must grow your tomatoes somewhere warm with proper lighting so they can thrive.
Before growing tomatoes, you must decide on the type of tomato seeds you want to grow.
- Tomato seeds
- Fertilizer
- Grow lights
- Sterile potting soil
- A warm place with natural lighting or grow lights
1. Choose your tomato seeds
Choose your seeds based on the type of tomatoes you want to grow.
Decide on the specific tomatoes you want, like cherry and plum tomatoes, depending on how you want to use them.
For Instance – Cooking them into pizza sauce or using them in your salad.
2. Find a good fertilizer
Find a good fertilizer that can provide your tomato plant with the nutrients it needs to be healthy.
Your fertilizer should be nutrient-rich, packed with magnesium and potassium.
3. Select appropriate grow lights (optional)
If you want to grow your tomatoes indoors, you must choose appropriate grow lights. These grow lights must be mild, imitating direct sunlight.
Tomatoes require at least 8-10 hours of direct sunlight per day.
However, you do not want your grow lights to be too intense or they could cause dehydration and sunspots.
4. Use sterile potting soil for potting
Using sterile potting soil is important for growing tomatoes.
The soil should have never been used before, or else you risk overcrowding, cross-contamination, and other issues.
5. Find a warm place to grow your plant
Tomato plants require a warm place to grow since they cannot grow in cold environments.
The room or outdoor area should remain at a moderate temperature throughout the growing process.
How to grow tomatoes from seeds
Tomatoes take only a short time to germinate and grow.
By roughly sixty days, your tomato fruit should be ready for harvest.
Some tomato seeds can take longer to grow, averaging closer to 90 and 100 days.
During This Time – You must maintain the right temperature, water, and lighting conditions to ensure your tomato plant grows healthy.
Step 1: Germinate your seeds
Germination is important in growing tomatoes from seeds because it ensures they will grow after you plant them.
Roots emerging from the side of your seed are a sign that it is ready to be planted in the soil.
Step 2: Bury your seed
Bury your germinated seed in healthy, nutrient-rich fertilizer packed with liquid fertilizer.
Plant them only a quarter-inch deep and use liquid fertilizer to give your tomato plant a boost of much-needed nutrients.
Liquid fertilizer is essential when planting new tomatoes, especially at the bottom of the soil, since the roots will run deep.
Step 3: Check your room temperature
Check the room temperature to ensure it is warm enough for your tomato plants.
Tomato plants thrive best at a room temperature of roughly 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Adjust the temperature accordingly.
Step 4: Turn on your grow lights (optional)
If you are growing your plants indoors, you must turn on your grow lights.
Growing your plant outdoors will not require a grow light, but some type of mesh covering will prevent direct sunlight for some parts of the day.
Step 5: Water your tomato plant
Water your tomato plant from the bottom up, soaking the roots in water, so they get the best moisture retention possible.
The soil should be pre-moistened, so the roots get the most water possible. However, you never want to overwater your plant, or you might rot the roots.
Find a healthy balance between the two, so your plant gets the moisture it needs without oversaturating it.
Step 6: Repot your tomato plant
Once your tomato plant becomes too large, you must repot it in a larger pot.
Ensure the pot is large in depth and width to accommodate the massive roots that will grow from your tomato plant.
Step 7: Harvest your tomato fruits
Harvest your tomato fruits when they are bulbous and red.
The tomato fruits should be hard to the touch with a little give. If they are too mushy, this could signify that your tomato fruits are over-ripened.
Tips for growing tomatoes from seeds
Keep a few simple tips in mind to grow healthy tomatoes from seeds, like burying them shallow or watering your plant from the bottom up.
Adequate plant care is always important, especially when growing a harvestable crop like the tomato.
Use an egg carton
Egg cartons are a great alternative for small pots while germinating your seeds.
These recyclable options help you reduce waste and are good for evenly distributing tomato plants.
After your plants have sprung roots you can transfer your sprouted tomato plant into larger pots to let their roots expand.
Use large pots
Using a large pot is critical for growing tomatoes because of how deep the roots will grow.
Find a large, deep pot and plant your germinated seed or sprouted tomato plant.
Bury your seeds shallow
Bury your tomato seeds roughly ¼ inch deep in sustainable soil.
Burying them deeper than a quarter-inch deep will not allow the roots to expand as deep as they need to.
Anything shallower will be too shallow for the tomato seed.
Plant tomatoes during the summer
Tomato plants love warm weather, which makes summer the perfect season for growing outdoor tomatoes.
The average tomato plant will die in cold weather, so it is essential to grow them indoors with artificial grow lights if you intend to raise tomato plants during the wintertime.
Water from the bottom up
Water your tomatoes from the roots upward to give your plant the best chance of retaining moisture.
Tomato plants have thick roots that expand deeply into the bottom of your pot. If you pour your water from the top down, the roots will not soak up the water.
Briefly soaking the dry plant in water will adequately hydrate your plant.
Final Thoughts
Before starting to grow your tomato plants there are a few things to consider, Like;
- Tomato seeds
- Fertilizer
- Grow lights
- Sterile potting soil
- A warm place with natural lighting or grow lights
Keep a few simple tips in mind to grow healthy tomatoes from seeds, like burying them shallow or watering your plant from the bottom up.
Adequate plant care is always important, especially when growing a harvestable crop like the tomato.
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