Buying and planting a packet of tomato seeds and watching it grow into a tomato plant is both surprisingly easy and enjoyable. There are an immense amount of tomato seed varieties to select from, so finding the best one to grow and enjoy is pretty easy.
We begin by planting and growing the tomato seeds indoors for about six to eight weeks. To ensure the seedlings are ready to move outdoors when the weather is right, this would normally commence in early spring.
The seeds should be scattered thinly over potting compost placed in a planting tray. The seeds can also be planted in a pot that can be placed in the sunlight. The tomato seeds prefer warm conditions so it’s best to keep your planting tray in a warm area or on a windowsill. A greenhouse is an ideal environment for this.
To keep the seeds from drying out, a widespread trick is to place a layer of cling film over the planting tray. Once the seedlings begin to appear, the cling film must be removed. Moist soil is preferred by tomato plants but you must ensure they are not over watered.
Tomato plants also love being in sunlight. If you are growing your seedlings in a tray on a windowsill, make sure that you turn the tray every day or two, to ensure that all of the plants gain access to the light, allowing them to grow evenly. If the seedlings and plants do not receive enough light whilst indoors, they may become bent as they strain for the light or grow thin and leggy.
Being careful not to harm the roots, transplant the seedlings from the planting tray to their individual pots when they reach a height of about 3-5cm (1-2 inches). Lifting the seedlings by the leaves and not the stem should avoid harming them at this young age.
In the new soil, make a hole big enough to take the seedling’s roots. Back fill the hole with compost and without delay water the seedling. Apply light pressure to the compost to make sure the roots make good contact with the soil that is it’s new home.
Keep the seedlings in the sunlight and turn regularly to ensure even growth. When the seedlings have reached a height of about 20cm (8 inches) tall, they should be transplanted again into larger containers or pots.
Before relocating the seedlings into the outdoor garden, they need to be left outside in the sun for a few hours each day to harden them off. This will help with a smooth acclimatisation to the outdoor temperatures.
By the time the outside temperature is warm enough for the plants to be transferred outside, the seedling plant should have grown about six leaves. Ensure that only the topmost four leaves remain above the surface when burying the seedlings.
Bury the stems deep in the ground to ensure that the plant develops a sturdy root system, assisted by the fact that tomato plants grow roots all along it’s stem. A stronger plant will develop, better able to carry the weight of the fruit and so avoiding rotting fruit from ground contact. The stronger and healthier the plant, the better the output.
Tom Brown is a longstanding tomato grower and loves to share his knowledge with others. To receive more useful information on Uk marriage visa growing tomatoes, visit his website and sign up for his free mini-course or, for a more expansive guide to growing tomatoes, be sure to look at Tom’s fantastic e-book Uk marriage visa Guide to Growing Big Red Juicy Tomatoes.