Tomatoes still top the list in our salad selection. Ready plants are available from local gardeners, and all you need is space prepared to host this fantastic plant.
However, tomatoes do well in a warm climate. Many gardeners lack time to grow the vine from its initial stage (seeds).
Seasons play a role in the tomato seed germination process. The erratic changes prevent their growth, thus requiring controlled germination and, after that, its transfer outside. Let us learn how to grow the seeds, take care of seedlings, and later transplant your backyard or kitchen garden.
Essential tools:
- Farming gloves
- Trowel
- Air Blower, not a must-have
- Growing lights, not a must-have
- Seeds
- Drainage equipped planting pots
- Soil or growth mix
- Smaller growing pots approximately 3-4 inches in size
- Fertilizer (liquid)
Table of Contents
Directions
Step one: Get a seed variety of your choice.
Growing from the initial stage by using seeds is not only convenient but also inexpensive. Start your tests on available seeds and select one that works well for you. When trying to accomplish the task, be sure to put the following elements into consideration.
Understand the diseases prone to your area, and chose a more resistant variety
Preservation is essential and requires immediate and determinate harvesting; therefore, pick this variety for that specific purpose. The indeterminate ones take longer to mature, and the level is different for every fruit.
The two varieties differ in size and weight during maturity. Determinates are relatively small, while others grow into huge plants with many fruits. Small species come with a patio or the relative pixie denotation. You cannot confuse the two, saving you time, effort, and money.
Preparing the planting jars
Pick the jars (pots) you have set aside for planting. Fill them with a pre-prepared dirt mixture. The mixture contains compost or manure, some water to moisturize but not to soak the soil.
To your touch, the soil should be light and break apart into small particles without applying much pressure. Pat the mix to make it steady. Don’t fill the pot; retain an inch for watering.
Planting Session
Start planting your seeds by making small troughs of about a quarter of an inch. Separate the dirt using a stick or a finger and use the same hands to spread the seeds through space. Plant 3 or 2 in every space for maximum utilization of the available space.
Open seeds are prone to pests and losing their health status. Therefore. Conceal them with little amounts of the soil mix and press a bit to ensure the seed comes into contact with the soil. Moisturize the surface for ideal seed germination.
For about ten days, keep your pot at a considerably warm place and make sure you sprinkle some water to avoid dryness during the germination period.
Seedlings maintenance and care
Once your seeds sprout, keep them watered and warm. Also, ensure they have sufficient lighting for their growth and development. Sometimes seedlings tend to follow the direction of light by bending towards it. Keep rotating the container to protect and prevent the plant from bending.
For the seedlings to be healthier, simulate the wind by blowing air towards them using a blower or fan for about sixty minutes every day or regularly touching them with your hands. The tomato plant becomes more robust and firm when it gets blown side to side by wind or any other disturbance that happens along its stem.
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Transplanting to larger containers
When the shoot reaches a length of two to three inches, they are then transferred to a larger jar full of the same mixture as the first container. Keep it moist. The new container size should be about three to four inches, enough for that particular purpose. In case you prefer growing your potatoes outdoors but still in the container, you may need a much bigger one.
For a successful transfer of the seedlings to new pots, ensure the potting mixture is precisely in the same condition as the one you used during germination. Take the seedlings from the current planting jars and carefully separate them. Some of the seedlings tend to stick together and grow in the same growing space. Be careful not to damage the roots or trunk.
Now transfer the sprouts to anew pot and create a more in-depth and more massive planting hole and plant it. Use your index finger or similar object to dig the ideal hole to the required length.
Replanting the tomatoes outside
The time has come when you need to transfer your tomato sprouts from indoors to the external garden. The weather should be favorably cold and moist, preferably during dawn than in daylight or late in the evening.
Ensure the garden is ready and furrowed. Use an outdoor pot, ensure it’s much bigger than the one you used before.
Plant the seedlings deeper than before to ensure it is well-rooted and robust. Plant the seedling in the channel at an angle and cover using the potting mixture to fill the trough to the plant’s leafy neck. The plant will follow the sunlight and grow upwards.
Indoor growth process for these seeds
Most varieties of tomato seeds last for approximately ten days before sprouting out of the soil. The waiting time can be shorter or longer, depending on the conditions set for the germination process. These seedlings develop much faster in a warm and humid condition. The lighting must also be sufficient as the amount of light determines the plant growth rate.
When is the transplant period
Take ample precautions to prepare your land and homes for the season. These plants develop and mature faster in warm weather. Avoid transplanting before the due date, or too early due to the cold temperatures. The low degrees can damage and kill the seedling due to shock or result in stunted growth.
Tomatoes planted during the cold weather take longer in your garden, and the yields are lower than expected.
Keep monitoring the temperature at night. If you get a constant temperature of about fifty degrees Fahrenheit, you can now start preparing your plants for outdoor life. It is recommended that you start taking the seedlings outside. Let them rest for about an hour to begin adapting to the weather outside. It should take 7 to ten days. Meanwhile, as you do that, you can begin preparing the garden.
Tips
It is recommended to stake the plant immediately after transferring. When you do it later, you risk disturbing the root system and killing your plant. When you start recording higher temperatures, be sure that your plants will start blossoming
Conclusion
Tomato farming is very rewarding. Whether you do it for domestic consumption or commercial, ensure your timing is right. Wait for the right conditions and move seedlings from indoors to outdoors. There are different varieties of seeds. The choice of your variety should be informed by many factors, as discussed in this article.
Staking your tomatoes ensures your plant develops branches quickly without coming into contact with the soil surface and protects the fruits from diseases and pest infestation. Therefore as you enjoy a good harvest, you can be sure of healthy fruit and a delicious meal for the entire family.
Andrew Wright here, I created Akgardenexpert.com to give people a better product insight before they make that all-important purchase.
My mom starts planting seedlings in small cups on the windowsill of the veranda every March. And fragrant greens bloom there, including tomatoes. It always seemed to me that I would never learn the same!
What sort of tomatoes does anybody use? I like Cheree, but not sure I can grow them with myself
My tomatoes haven’t sprouted for more than two months. I thought it was already useless to wait, but no, as soon as I poured in a means for growing roots, stems appeared after a couple of days)