How to Grow Your Own Tomatoes from Seeds

Growing your own tomatoes has many advantages. You will always have the freshest tomatoes to eat, and you have complete control of what pesticides, fungicides, and other chemicals are used on your tomatoes. Unlike tomato's found at your local market, you will know exactly what you are putting in your body when you eat home grown tomatoes. Growing your own tomatoes isn't as tricky as you might think, actually it's very simple.

Step One: Seeds

You will first need to select the seeds of the tomato in which you wish to grow. There are several different types of tomato seeds available. You can choose a tomato such as the beef master or you might select a hybrid such as the jelly bean tomato. You can find these seeds in most stores in which has a garden department. You can plant tomato seeds anytime outdoors except for in the winter. Tomato plants freeze easy, so you want to make sure you have at least 4 months of warm weather ahead before planting your seeds.

Once you have your seeds picked out, you will need cells or small flower pots in which to grow your seeds. You will also need a bag of potting soil for your seeds which can also be found in the garden department. Keep in mind that most packs of tomato seeds has around 20 or more seeds per pack, so unless your planting a full crop you don't need 20 packs of seeds.

Now that you have every thing you need it's time to get started. First you will need to fill your cells or small pots (2" X 2") with potting soil. Make sure that the soil is packed fairly tight, and that you fill the containers 1/2 inch from the top. Next slightly moisten your potting spoil in the filled containers. Once the soil is moist, and not soaked , make a 1/4 inch hole in the center of the soil. This is where your going to place the seed. Finally, place your seed in the whole and cover. You can put one seed per cell, or you can put 2 or 3 seeds. If you put more then one seed you will need to thin them when the plant reaches 1 to 2 inches tall. Once the seed(s) are in place, cover them with soil. You only want the seed(s) to be covered with 1/4 inch of soil. You must keep the soil moist even though it looks like nothing but dirt. Be careful when watering your seeds, it's easy to wash them out of the soil. The best way to keep the soil moist is by misting the seeds with water once in the morning, and again in the late afternoon. If you live where it is very hot, such as Florida you will need to keep your seeds in the shade. Tomatoes grow great in the sun, but if it's too hot they'll grow better under a tree.

Step Two: Little plants

In 7 to 14 days you will start to notice your tomato plants breaking through the soil. If you only have one plant per cell or pot come up, then there is no need to mess with it. However if you have 2 or more small plants together, you will need to choose which one looks the best. You will need to remove one of them to allow the other one room to grow. In about 3 weeks your plants will need a larger container, or they need to be put in the ground. Your tomato plants will grow faster in larger containers, or the ground because they have room for their roots. Example: If you put a tomato plant that's only 4 inches tall in a gallon container, it will look lost. However, in a few weeks that 4 inch plant will be over a foot tall.

Step Three: Watering and Waiting

Be sure to keep your plants watered. In about 2 months after planting the seeds you will have a large tomato plant. Your plant will start to develop small blooms or flowers which will turn into tomato's. Try not to scare off any butterflies of bees from your plant, they are just to their part to make sure you have delicious tomatoes to enjoy by pollinating the blooms.

Step Four: Enjoy

In 60 to 100 days after first planting a tiny seed you will start having tomatoes to eat. You will find that a small seed can make a plant that produces plenty of tomatoes for your enjoyment. The best part about it is, you grew the plant, and you know the tomatoes are 100% chemical free.

TIP* If it stays between 65 - 80 degrees F then your seeds and plants will do great in full sun. If it gets over 80 degrees then your seeds will do much better in the shade. Use natural shade such as a large tree, so that the seeds and small plants still get some sun. Larger tomato plants can handle full sun over 90 degrees.