tomato aregreat produce to growin your home garden . you could have them fresh as a snack , make them into a red sauce , slice them for sandwiches , total them to your salads , and even use them to make homemade salsa . For tomato lovers , these veggie / fruit ( and yes , technically , they really are considered afruit , even though they ’re commonly used like vegetable ) , they ’re a must — and there are tons of varieties to opt from ! Between larger varieties that are arrant for outside garden beds and gnome varieties suitable for containers , there ’s a Lycopersicon esculentum for everyone . Most of the time , you ’ll purchase tomato plant from a nursery . But have you ever thought about growing your own tomatoes from seeds ?
Why grow tomatoes from seeds?
Aside from the rewarding process of develop a healthy flora from seed to maturity , growing your tomato plant from come can be price - effectual if it ’s a crop you spring up time of year after time of year . purchase seed packs from a store cost much less for a larger amount than if you were to grease one’s palms that amount of tomato seedlings , even when you take into consideration needing to embed a few seeds per starter motor to increase the chance of developing a viable plant . With just one love apple , you could potentially get multiple young plants just from the seeded player !
Can I plant seeds straight from a tomato?
Sort of , but not exactly . As with any other crop , you ’ll demand to let the seeds you harvest teetotal out right before attempting to constitute them . That said , it ’s possible to glean the germ from your Lycopersicon esculentum , dry out them out , and save them for the next season !
When your tomato plant harvest is ready , take however many tomato you need to use for their seed , slice up them open , and put the seeds by for drying . Spread them on a juiceless paper towel that can engross moisture , and keep the seeds in a warm , dry field to help prevent moulding . Once they ’re teetotal , store them in an aura - crocked trash shock in a dark ( and dry ! ) location to prevent other germination . If done successfully , your harvested seeds will be ready for you fare springtime .
Keep in thinker that forhybrid varieties , the tomatoes you grow from their seeds may not be an accurate mates to the parent you harvested the seeds from because they ’ve been developed for specific qualities .
How to grow tomatoes from seeds
grow tomatoes from seeds often involve part the seed indoors , which is usually done around belated March for an former - May planting , depending on your climate . Transplant timing largely depends on the date of your last frost , so you ’ll want to keep an eye on the weather and the temperature patterns to ensure you rest on running .
Most tomato come , if workable , will germinate within 10 days of planting as long as theircare needsare satisfy . Tomatoes are warmth- and sunlight - loving harvest that should be give tons of light and quad to rise into hard seedlings — and continue to grow into secure , healthy flora . Once the seedling sprout and are around 2 to 3 inches grandiloquent with a few true leave , you should repot them into 3- or 4 - column inch container that can aid foster growth until the baby plants are ready to be planted out of doors .
What to do when your new tomato plants are in the ground
Aftertransplantingyour seedlings outside , you could start out slowly clip the bottom leaves from your tomato plant as they farm . Because these are the previous , you may notice them part to droop or soften over time . This is natural due to age , but they should be remove to help prevent fungous or pest infestations . commend : a strong works is less appealing to pests and other problems .
And perhaps most important : water deeply and often . Tomatoes love water and should get at least an inch of water per week . Depending on how warm and dry it is outside , they may need more — but the last thing you need is inconsistent tearing that top to calcium deficiency . Diligent maintenance is the best way to secure you grow strong seedlings into mature plants and get a upright harvest .
How long does it take to grow tomatoes from seed?
The duration of time it takes your tomatoes to grow will vary count on which variety you ’re working with . In general , a tomato ’s growing season from seed to maturity and harvest is anywhere between60 to 100 days . This is a with child part of why tomato plant are typically buy as seedlings from nurseries , as they ’ve already grow a bit and are ready to be planted direct in the garden .
Chances are , though , that since you ’re here , you ’re growing your tomato from ejaculate . It ’s of import to do it that you ca n’t plant Lycopersicon esculentum seeds outdoors at the same time of year as you would baby’s room seedling . So when is the in effect prison term ?
When to transplant your tomato seedlings outdoors
Tomatoes are known to be high temperature - loving plants , and most of the time , the growing season is n’t long enough to set out them from seed outdoors . Gardeners who grow their tomatoes from seed start them in a warm indoor environment , waiting until the temperatures warm up and there ’s enough day-by-day sunlight out of doors to sustain the love apple plants .
Transplanting love apple plants outdoors too soon when there ’s a risk of frost or colder weather could stunt outgrowth — or worse , stamp out the plants . The salutary metre to transfer your growing seedlings alfresco is when temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night and the plants are several inch tall .
What else you need to know about growing healthy tomato plants
One of the best affair you may do to foster strong tomato works growth is tostake the plantsor use a tomato trellis . This should be done right after engraft so that the plants have something to grow up along and can be supported by as they ripen without risk of damaging their develop root systems . As they grow , you may help them stay upright by tying them to the interest or trellis , which will not only keep your plants stand tall but will prevent them from be given onto the stain , where pest can easily reach the Lycopersicon esculentum and leaves .
Something to note is that you may not get it right the first clip around . Some of your seeds may not develop , and some of your seedlings may not survive transplant . Like any other new task or hobby , growing a plant from seed has a learning curve and is a process that you ’ll only get beneficial with over time . So do the unspoiled you could , learn along the way of life , and you ’ll have a beautiful tomato harvest in no time .
