Starting Tomato Seeds Indoors – Step By Step To Starting Tomato Seeds

• Tomato Seeds of choice
• Containers to start seeds in
• Sterile Potting Soil for seeds
• A warm area with lots of sunlight or grow lights
• Newspaper, felt marker, tape or labels

 Choosing Tomato Seeds To Start Indoors

When choosing tomato seeds to start indoors be sure to ask other local gardeners or where you buy your tomato seeds from what variety does best for your growing zone.  You will want to read the back of the seed package and see how long of a growing season is needed for that tomato variety and if it fits into your growing zone.  You will also pick the variety of tomato for your specific need of cooking and eating.  Are you looking for a small cherry variety to throw into salads or larger ones for slicing and sandwiches or a canning variety.  Those are things to keep in mind when looking at choosing tomato seeds to buy and start indoors.

Choosing Soil For Starting Your Seeds In

You will want to choose a sterile soil preferably one that states it’s for starting seeds.  The soil that is for starting seeds has no big clumps or pieces of what kinda looks like sticks.  It is a very nice porous mix for starting seeds in. I have used regular sterile potting soil which works but since I have tried the one for starting seeds I prefer using that one.

Choosing Containers To Plant Your Tomato Seeds In

I like to use the 6 pack cell containers to plant my tomato seeds in but really anything will work as long as you have drainage holes in the bottom.  When it’s time to transplant your tomato seedlings into bigger pots I like to use the 4 inch round ones pictured below or you can the 6 inch ones.  I highly recommend getting the plastic trays to hold all your potted containers in as it makes handling and moving your pots so much easier and will catch your extra water.

5 Pack of Durable Black Plastic9GreenBox – Seedling StarterKINGLAKE 100 Pcs 4

Where To Place Your Tomatoes – Warmth and Light

You will need to decide where the best place is to have your tomatoes stay for the next 6 – 8 weeks in your house where they won’t get in the way.  You will need to see if you have a window that provides enough bright light so your plants won’t get leggy on you, grow real fast and fall over.  I don’t get enough sunlight in my house as we tend to have a lot of afternoon cloud so my husband built me a growing table with grow lights that I can move up and down with on chains.  I have my grow table out in my sun/porch area where it is out of the way.

Step By Step To Starting Your Tomato Seeds Indoors

• Gather all your supplies that you have all ready bought and find an area where you will have space to spread out your supplies.  A work table or the floor are good choices.  I like to put newspaper down or a large piece of cardboard that will catch will the dirt that will spill out.
• Some people like to dampen the soil with warm water before placing it into the containers.  If you would like to try that then you will need a large container to mix the soil in.  You can also water after you have planted.  I have done both ways and either way works fine.
• Next you are going to fill your containers of choice with your soil.  I fill the containers up and then I gently press the soil down.  You may find that you may have to add more soil to take it almost to the top.
• Make a little holes in the dirt not to deep about 1/2 an inch and place your seed inside and cover dirt over the hole.
• Now you will water your soil.  If you have already dampened your soil in the beginning and it feels pretty moist you won’t need to add anymore water otherwise water your soiled filled containers till damp.
• Your planted tomato seeds will not need light to germinate but more warmth.  I placed my seeded containers on top of my grow table with the lights off and placed plastic over them to help keep the moisture and heat in.
• Check your containers daily to check on moisture levels and to see when they seeds start to sprout up.  If they start to dry out give them a bit of water but not to much to saturate them.  You don’t want to risk them rotting before they sprout up.  As soon as you see them sprouting up remove the plastic and turn on your grow lights if you are using them to prevent them getting leggy which can happen very quickly.

And there you go everything you need to know about starting your tomato seeds indoors!