| This year I bought seeds for my tomatoe plants. When I should plant the seeds and how? |
| You can sow your seeds now so you can set your tomato plants outdoors at the end of May. Here's how: To start seeds indoors, use a tray or container filled with well moistened, sterile seed-starting mix, and make shallow furrows with a pencil or chopstick about 1/4 in. deep. Sow seeds by dropping them along the bottom of the furrows 1/2 in. apart. Gently pinch together soil to cover each furrow, covering seeds 1/4 in. deep. Water gently and label each variety. Put container in a warm place, 75-80?? F. As soon as seed begin germinating and stems start to show above the soil, it's critical to provide a strong light source such as fluorescent bulbs or a very sunny window. When spring weather has warmed up and night temperatures are regularly in the 55 degree range, it's time to plant well rooted, established seedlings outdoors. First plan to acclimate your plants: move them outside into the sun, first for a few hours , then gradually increasing over a weeks' time until they are in full sun all day. this process is called "hardening off" and it avoids transplant shock. |
