Grow Tomatoes from Seed

I have been a tomato grower since 2008 when I grew my first tomatoes from seed.

Growing tomatoes from seed takes time and care, but ultimately it is not hard and the results are well worth it.

You will need either a grow light setup (cheap shop lights) or a south-facing window that gets plenty of sun (if you live in the southern hemisphere, you will need a north-facing window).

Use this instructable as a guide to growing your own tomatoes from seed.

UPDATE: Check out my new Web site on growing tomatoes. Grow Your Tomatoes

Step 1 Get the seeds

First, you need to get your seeds from a good source. I prefer online seed stores that accept PayPal, but this is just my personal preference. You can find tomato seeds in the garden center at places like Wal-Mart and Lowes. I buy mine from Tomatobob.com, who sells only heirloom seeds.

Research the seed company you are buying from to make sure they are reputable and that you will get good seeds from them.

I'm an heirloom grower, but you can choose to grow either heirlooms, hybrids, or some of each.

Comments

[davee52uk]

...and when you have got some tomatoes, leave one or two to get over ripe. Then cut them open and scrape out the seeds onto some tissue paper. Leave to dry and you have seeds for the next year.

[Cristiano Ronaldo]

I did not have to wait. I took them right dry for 30seconds and planted and it's as big the plant On step8.

[catman529]

Yes, I should have mentioned that. Thanks for bringing it up. They don't necessarily need to be overripe, just at least fully ripe, when you might normally eat them. The preferred way of saving seeds is to scoop the seeds and gel into a container, and add some water so it doesn't dry out. Put it in an out-of-the-way area where mold can grow and the seeds can ferment. This removes the gel which is a natural germination inhibitor. When there is a good layer of mold on the surface of the seed/juice mixture, scrape it off and strain the seeds, rinse them and let them dry completely before storing them in an airtight container.

[katuah]

That could almost be another Instructable on its own....

[catman529]

Yeah good idea...lol I might just go and do that one sometime.

[xtremd]

Please do. its my first year growing tomatoes in my back yard and i am still a rookie (green as my tomatoes) and i would love to know how to save seeds.

[catman529]

Before I make an instructable on seed saving, check out my web page because I already have detailed instructions available... http://www.growyourtomatoes.com/saveseed.html

[xtremd]

Also. Does anybody know what is the ideal soil moisture level for tomatoes? i made a Arduino controlled watering system that monitors soil moisture levels and adds water to keep the soil at the same level day after day. Its based off of the Garduino instructable. I'm just worried that i might be over watering or under watering.

[catman529]

They say tomatoes need the equivalent of at least 1 inch of rain per week...not sure how that would work out with your Arduino system. Of course you don't want it to overwater either.

[xtremd]

Thanks, I am going to add a LCD to my Arduino and a potentiometer so I can adjust the water level on the fly. Trial and error... Not the best but...

[hcold]

One assumes you also choose the biggest and best tasting ones for thing. You know, artificial selection and all that.

[catman529]

Yes, it's recommended to choose the best fruit from the best plant for seeds with good genes. No guarantee that the plants they produce will be as good as their parent, but at least they have the genes for it so you have better chances of better plants.

[mantishunter]

hi i was growing cherry tomato seeds, and once they germinated there were no true leaves, just seed leaves. No leaf bud either. How to make the plant grow again?

[Cristiano Ronaldo]

Give it more.time. Or plant more

[Ronyon]

I also like the trenching.Our raised bed was filled with tomatoes plants, with vines growing willy-nilly, but not producing much on each vine.
Next season,I will bury those runners, cleaning up my grow space and hopefully boosting yield.
I am checking out your web site as well.

[Cristiano Ronaldo]

Tomatoes do not vine.

[Cristiano Ronaldo]

My tomatoes look the same as yours!

[iminthebathroom]

Why not the paper ones?  Curious... leaching chemical nasties or...

[catman529]

This year I used one 30-egg paper carton, but to avoid soaking the paper when watering, I painted it with hot wax which soaked into the paper and cooled to make it waterproof. When paper egg cartons get soaked with water, the paper softens and roots can grow through the paper, which can cause damage (planting the whole paper cup in a new pot does not make it decompose fast enough for root growth). Also, water soaking through the paper gives it more than twice as much surface area to allow for evaporation, which means you'd have to water a heck of a lot more often. I don't think there is enough outgassing of the plastic to make it a concern; after all, your plants will only be potted for a few weeks before going into the ground.

[VidDroog]

To not waste containers and space while experimenting with a stack of old seed packets (1990's on), as well as expectations of meager sun and heat in the NW, I used the 24-egg Styrofoam carton, placed in the oven with a CFL in place of the oven light...and it made a useful amount of germination heat, keeping the temperature in the 80's. It is also handy to write the data on the while lid and borders (and as well the lid can add reflective light, +/- foil to the oven surfaces). Then a spoon can simply make the transplantation hole in the new soil and then scoop out the hatch-lings from the egg carton to then fit the spoon-made new hole. Nicely, all 24 spaces had germination: basil varieties, pepper varieties, Korean radish and twisty peppers, various tomatoes esp heirlooms.. Of course for bigger seeds, not so useful...still stick the mango in a cup of water..attractive for the kitchen window sill...

[abhishek727]

Can't we use the seeds from the tomato itself? Are there any disadvantages to this particular approach? It just feels a bit weird to me to go and buy the seeds when we already have the tomato. Maybe the hybrid varieties you guys are talking about are seedless but...

[rosemary gillespie]

I was just thinking the same thing. I don't see why not. As a child I used to let lemon and grapefruit seeds germinate and they came right from the lemon. If you want a special type of tomatoe then you kneed to buy the seeds if you have not been able to get the vegetable or fruit that you want to plant. Also I think that "bought" seeds are treated with a substance that helps them grow roots faster ..

[Mojo_JoJo]

I don't know of any seed suppliers in my area so plan to use seeds from the actual fruit itself. I usually throw seeds of fruits I've eaten into a flower pot and some do germinate however they usually just die off once the seedling has used up the seed. any idea how I can get the seeds (any) to start growing into a full plant?

[shawn_allen]

Many times, especially with plants that reproduce sexually (as most do), the seeds that are retrieved from the fruits are not as good as the seeds from a supplier. The seeds from the supplier are grown specifically for harvesting the seeds to produce fruit-bearing plants. Seeds from the fruit may have a different mix of parentage from the seeds used to grow the plant.

[ManyuX95]

Oh man, :) I love how they look so hairy xD

[CraTyr]

Will this technique also work for peppers? I know they are totally different plants, but if it worked it would make a nice healthier seedling.

[TheBlackSharpie]

I dont have any shop light but I do have some old lamps. I need to know if a compact flourescent light buld (CFL) would do.

Thanks,

[lordzion]

Yes

[drbill]

You Live The Tomatoe Electric !

I too am a tomatoe grower and have been for about 40 years.
I was forced into it when I was young. Boy am I glad.

I have grown tomatoes well into winter, indoors. (cherrys)
I make the best  Spaghetti Gravey, its to die for.
But you! You have all kinds of other recepies and for that I thank you.
Well Done.

[Don,t try this at home]

Did you use grow lights and if you grow them inside do you need the lights on them the hole time there alive.I'm growing them inside droning winter.

[Whales]

O_O Middle Tennessee? thats weird so do I, I start my tomatos in April or MAy... but they are usually from little plants, I tried seeds this year, and I did it in March(late i know) but my whole garden flopped this year, so next year I'm going with just pots.

[blueyes48]

Each year, we just throw our seeds ( from the tomatoes the ones we eat and the ones we order) into a semi-prepared, mostly neglected bed starting after the first frost. At the first hint of spring they starting sprouting, and the ones that survive are very hardy. We just transplant them into the garden. This year we have 250 plants! We just let them sprawl, and always have just tons of tomatoes to eat and process! It feeds our turtle visitors also, lol.

[fearless1]

I notice that you tie the plant with a figure 8 to the support stake. Using a wide soft cloth as you do helps prevent the stems from breaking at the supported area. Nice help for my tomatoes to come.

[hickarus]

I have grown tomatoes for several years and one year tried the "upside-down" (now marketed as the "topsy-turvy") tomatoes along with the usual in-the-ground kind. I had to build a sturdy rack to hold them up there and they grew just fine. But I won't do them again and here's why: when the sun beat on the containers the root systems got really hot and I don't think they liked that. The stalks became much more cracked and the stress of the heat just made the plants look tired! Plus, they required much more water for the same reason. I used 5-gallon buckets and filled them up with compost and soil to within an inch of the top. Of all my plants ( I had about a dozen plants in all) four of them were hanging and only those four ultimately became victims of the dreaded tomato hornworm caterpillar. They ended up with very low yield, ravaged by the horn worm and dried out stalks in the end. I think part of the reason for this was that I couldn't get in there and be seen by the critters with the buckets hanging up so high above. If it has worked for you, I'd be interested in hearing what you did different. Otherwise, I'll just keep mine in old Mother Earth. She gives them the life they need. Alternately, buckets or containers on the ground work well. In the end, good planning and foresight will get you the best results. Good luck, gardeners!

[LuminousObject]

Awesome. I'll have to try this so I can put more stuff in my greenhouse.

[awang8]

Nice tutorial! I grow beefsteak tomatoes (which beefsteak I have no idea) which are BIG! Just onethink slice is enough to cover an entire sandwich! I buy all my vegetable seeds from Eden Seeds (www.edenseeds.com.au)which only sells organic seeds. All hybrids are determinate which means despite being a hybrid, it will still grow true to type. I made a kind of climbing frame thing out of chickenwire supported on 2 metal stakes. I use this to grow all my climbing vegetables. Other than that, I think you should mention that cardboard egg cartons are just as good (and are biodegradable) and you should actually start the seeds outside, with full sunlight so you don't need to worry about hardening them off.

[magnoliasouth]

Cardboard egg containers do not always degrade. It depends on the zone you're in. I lived in Alaska for six years and that's the #1 gardening rule there... NO cardboard egg containers.

[catman529]

Thanks for the input.

Let me say that all hybrids are not deterimate; many if not most of them are indeterminate. Look at Sungold, for example, a hybrid that supposedly produced 65ft indeterminate vines.

Also, cardboard egg cartons can be a pain to use because the roots may actually grow through the paper, but when planted in a bigger pot, the paper will not biodegrade fast enough to let the roots continue to grow underground. Thus, you would have to remove the seedlings from the cardboard trays, and tear a lot of roots in the process. Otherwise, your seedlings would get terribly root-bound and stunt the plant.

I would not start seeds outdoors without a heated greenhouse because I start them in mid-winter when temps are way too cold for tomatoes. Hardening off isn't a problem for me; it takes 1 to 2 weeks and then the plants are ready for the real world.

[awang8]

I disagree with your second paragraph. The tomatoes I have grown are strong enough to rip apart the soggy cardboard when the roots are nearly rootbound, but not rootbound enough to make the plants unhealthy. Also, for your third paragraph, I think it really depends on your area and climate.

[catman529]

I think the roots' ability to penetrate paper cartons depends on growing conditions, variety, health of plant, etc. It seems like the roots get stuck often enough to say it's usually not a good idea to use egg cartons. But there are always exceptions to that. As for my third paragraph, of course it depends on where you live. People in Florida can even get two growing seasons in a year.