How to Plant Tomatoes from Seeds Indoors

If you're itching to start your own vegetable garden but it's still too cold outside, starting your tomatoes from seeds indoors is a great way to get a head-start on the growing season. Not only will it ensure you have healthy, strong tomato plants come planting time, but it's also a cost-effective way to grow your own produce. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to plant tomatoes from seeds indoors.

Choose Your Seeds

First things first, choose which type of tomato you want to grow. There are two main types of tomatoes – determinate and indeterminate. Determinate tomatoes grow to a specific height before stopping, while indeterminate tomatoes keep growing tall and producing fruit all season long. Decide which one is right for your needs and preferences. Then, select a variety that suits your taste and the climate in which you will be growing them.

Gather Your Supplies

To start your seeds indoors, you'll need a few supplies. You'll need a seedling tray or pots, potting soil, a seed-starting mix, fertilizer, and seedlings of your chosen tomato variety, along with a watering can, garden gloves or a trowel.

Plant Your Seeds

Using a seedling tray or individual pots, fill them with your potting soil and seed-starting mix, then water them. Follow the instructions on the package to get the right soil to seed ratio, place one to two seeds in each container, and cover the seeds with a thin layer of mix. Pat lightly and spritz with water. Cover the tray or pots with a plastic bag and place them in a warm, sunny spot. Keep the soil moist and your seeds should pop in five to ten days.

Grow Your Seedlings

After your seeds have sprouted, take the bag off and transfer the seedlings to a sunny windowsill or a grow light. Give them plenty of space to grow and place them into the soil roughly half an inch deep. Keep the soil moist and fertilize with a weak fertilizer solution every two weeks. If you see any leggy seedlings (ones that are tall and spindly), move them closer to the grow light or window, since this usually means they aren't getting enough light.

Transplant Into Larger Containers

Once your seedlings are about 3-4 inches tall, transplant them into larger containers. Use biodegradable pots or make sure you use pots with drainage holes drilled in the bottom. Fill the pot with potting soil and add the seedling. Water well and keep in a sunny windowsill or under your grow light. Continue to fertilize and keep the soil moist.

Acclimate Your Seedlings

About a week before planting your seedlings outside, start hardening them off. This means putting them outside for a few hours each day to get used to the temperature and wind. Bring them back inside at night, and gradually increase their time outside over the week.

Plant Outside

When the threat of frost has passed, plant your seedlings outside in a sunny, well-drained spot. Space them about 18-24 inches apart and plant them deep, burying the stem up to the first set of leaves. This will encourage a strong root system. Water well and keep the soil moist while your plants establish themselves. Now sit back and watch your tomato plants grow and produce a bountiful harvest!