Steps to grow tomatoes from seeds How to grow tomatoes from seeds

Gardening is a great way to spend time, save money and grow healthy crops for cooking. If you're a tomato lover and want to expand your cooking repertoire to include homegrown tomatoes, try growing tomatoes from seed. The process is very simple, giving you a sense of accomplishment while harvesting sweet and fragrant fruits.

Steps to grow tomatoes from seeds, this DIY tutorial includes: getting the best tomatoes, drying the seeds from fresh fruits, starting seeds indoors, transplanting them to the yard, and thinking To learn how to grow tomatoes from seeds, read this article from the Production Department to learn the steps of growing tomatoes from seeds!

Get the best tomatoes

1Research your area. Tomatoes, like any plant, need ideal environmental conditions to grow the strongest plants and the most delicious fruits. Certain tomato varieties can only grow natively in their original regions and cannot be transplanted to other countries in the world. Contact your local agricultural extension office to research which tomatoes are suitable for your specific environment and location. There may be new, unique, and unheard-of varieties that are suitable for the soil and weather in your area.
2Select a tomato type. There are many different varieties of tomatoes, each with its own unique color, size and flavor. Tomatoes can produce fruits as small as grapes or as large as softballs, and come in every color except blue. How you want to cook the fruit, the flavor you want, and how the plant will grow are all things you should consider when choosing which tomato seeds to grow.
- Tomatoes grow in two different ways: clumping (limited growth) and vine (unlimited growth). Cluster tomatoes grow upward but have a limited height (usually below 120 meters). They bloom and bear fruit in a short period of time, but they no longer bear fruit after one harvest. Vine-type tomatoes are in the shape of vines and need supportIt is supported by a frame, but has a long growth cycle and can bloom and bear fruit one after another.
- The red globe or beefsteak tomato is a traditional tomato variety that is often eaten whole or sliced ??into sandwiches. Pear-shaped or Roma tomato varieties are used for cooking, canning, or making sauces. Small cherry or grape tomatoes are filled with seeds and juice and are used whole or halved in salads or pasta dishes.
- The color of a tomato determines its flavor. If you want a traditional flavor, choose tomatoes that are red and large. Purple or brown tomatoes have a strong flavor, while yellow and orange tomatoes are sweeter. Green tomatoes are suitable for cooking delicious dishes.
3Select your preferred torrent. You can grow tomatoes from packaged dry seeds, fresh seeds saved from cutting tomatoes, or by purchasing seedlings at your local garden center. Dried vs. fresh seeds take a lot of work to grow but give you the most satisfaction. Seedlings are the simplest method of planting.
4Understand planting time. Tomatoes must be grown at a specific time of year to produce the best fruit. Tomatoes are sun-loving plants and are strongest when grown in late spring and summer. Plant tomatoes at least two weeks after the recent severe freeze, or when night temperatures do not fall below 10 degrees Celsius and daytime temperatures fall below 32 degrees Celsius.
- If you are starting seeds indoors, start 6 to 8 weeks before your expected transplant date outside.
- If you want, you can also purchase a soil thermometer to check the soil in your garden to determine the best time to plant tomatoes. Soil at about 10 degrees Celsius is suitable for planting, but the weather may be bad, so test your garden soil to err on the side of caution.
- The Farming Almanac is a convenient tool for finding the best time to plant seeds. You can look up agricultural almanacs online, or buy an almanac for your area.

Dry the seeds from fresh fruits

1Select tomatoes. The seeds in a given tomato usually produce fruit that is nearly identical to its parent plant. If you have a particularly tasty or juicy fruit that you want to preserve, cut it open and save the seeds.
- Make sure the fruit you choose is healthy. Unhealthy tomatoes will produce equally unhealthy fruit.
- Wait until the fruit is at its ripest before cutting it open to save the seeds.
2Cut the fruit in half. Use a sharp knife to cut in half the fruit at its midline (through the stem). This step can be done on a cutting board or in a bowl to easily collect the fruit seeds and their juicy centers to preserve.
3Scoop out the inside of the fruit. Use a spoon to scoop out all the small seeds, juice, and soft, slimy pulp from the tomatoes. Place these into a small bowl or cup.
4Add water. The seeds need to go through a fermentation process before they can be dried. You can put it in the sun with a little water. Add a few tablespoons of water to the seeds and pulp and cover with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the plastic wrap to allow air to circulate.
5Place the seeds in the sun. Now these seeds need some time to ferment. Place the bowl covered with plastic wrap in a warm place, preferably on a sunny windowsill. Leave the seeds for two or three days.
6Rinse the seeds. After a few days, you will notice that the juice and pulp have formed a scum on the water and the seeds have sunk to the bottom of the bowl. At this point you can scoop out the scum and sift the seeds and water. Rinse with warm water to make sure the seeds are completely clean.
7Air-dried seeds. After rinsing, shake the seeds in the sieve to remove as much excess water as possible. Then place them on a tray lined with coffee filters or wax paper. Place them somewhere where they won't be bumped or exposed, and where the temperature is around 21 degrees Celsius. Use your fingers to move the seeds around slightly once a day so they don't stick to each other or to the paper.
8Check the torrent. When the seeds are completely dry to the touch and not sticking to each other, they are ready to be used. Be careful not to pull the seeds up too early, however, because if they are still slightly moist, mold or fungus can develop and the seeds will be destroyed.
9Disinfect seeds. Disinfecting seeds helps By eliminating any diseases and bacteria that may grow, the plants will be stronger and produce more fruit when transplanted outdoors. Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with about 946 ml of water and soak the seeds in this liquid for 15 minutes.
- You can also do this with store-bought prepackaged seeds to ensure they are free of bacteria and disease.
10Dry the seeds again. Follow the previous air-drying step, lay the seeds on the tray for a few days to ensure that the seeds are air-dried. Use your fingers to separate clusters of seeds and turn them so they don't stick to each other.
11Storage seeds. After drying, store your seeds in a paper envelope until you need them. Do not store seeds in plastic bags or boxes because these places are not ventilated and may cause the seeds to breed bacteria and mold.

Start sowing seeds indoors

1Prepare the seeding tray. You can purchase seeding trays at your local garden center and fill them with sterile garden soil. Use garden soil labeled as rooting soil to ensure best results.
2Plant the seeds. Divide the soil into rows and sow the seeds. There should be 5 cm between each seed. Pinch a little soil together to lightly cover the planted seeds, then water lightly.
- If you are planting more than one type of seed, each type should be planted in a separate row of soil and labeled for each row, otherwise it will be difficult to identify the type when the plants begin to sprout.
3Give the seeds some heat. Seeds need light and heat to germinate. Put them in a south-facing window, use a heater or put a fluorescent lamp a few centimeters high. Seeds will need at least 6 to 8 hours of light and heat a day to germinate.
4Observe the seeds. Water them every day to make sure they get enough light and heat. Put them in a place where the minimum temperature is no less than 21 degrees Celsius. When the seeds germinate and form true leaves, they can be dug out. Young leaves will appear from the seeds in a week, but it will take a month after germination to turn into real leaves.
5Dig out the seedlings. Transplant them into their own containers to give them enough room to grow fully. Use a fork to dig out the soil under the seedlings and gently pull them out of the seeding tray with your fingertips.
6Transplant the seedlings.Place the seedlings into individual containers of approximately 1 liter of potting soil. In addition to daily watering, these plants still require approximately 8 hours of light and heat per day. li>
7Make the seedlings gradually become cold-resistant. After two months, the tomato seedlings should be mature and look like fully formed small plants. Before they are moved to the garden, they need to be hardened to the weather outdoors. At first, you can put the plant outside in the sun for 2 to 3 hours before moving it back indoors. Continue this procedure daily and for longer periods of time until after a week they can stay outdoors all day.
8Ready to transplant outdoors. When the plants become cold-hardy and can be transplanted outdoors, you can begin preparations. Plants over 15cm tall need to be pruned. Use garden shears to cut off the lowest branches of the plant. If your plant is shorter than 15cm, it can be transplanted immediately without pruning.

Transplant to the yard

1Select land. Finding the best land in your yard to grow tomatoes is an important part of the transplanting process. Tomatoes love sunlight and need to be exposed directly to the sun for 5 to 8 hours a day. exhaustMaybe look for a location with good drainage, as standing water will make the tomatoes less flavorful and produce brittle fruit.
2Prepare the soil. Create the best soil conditions for the initial growth of tomatoes. Test the soil pH to determine if any additives should be mixed in. Tomatoes prefer a pH of 6 to 6.8. Add compost and manure to improve soil nutrients and break up large soil clumps. The soil should be evenly mixed, loose, and 15 to 20 cm deep.
- If you know you will be growing tomatoes a few months ago, you can put in compost and adjust the soil pH a few months in advance. This will give the soil enough time to absorb everything.
3Dig a hole. Space the plants according to your preference for caring for them. If you want to enclose the plants with tomato cages or tie the plants to stakes, each pit should be 60 to 90 centimeters apart. If you prefer to keep your plants sprawling, the spacing should be wider, nearly 120 centimeters apart. Dig a hole 20 cm deep so that the entire root mass and the base of the stem can be buried in the soil.
4Add more nutrients. Sprinkle a tablespoon of Epsom salt in the bottom of each hole to boost the magnesium content, which helps plants grow healthier. You can also spread a little more compost at this time.
5Grow tomatoes. Transplant each tomato plant from the container into the hole you dug. Squeeze the container to loosen the soil and root mass, hold the container upside down in your hands, and gently lift the plant. Plant each tomato plant in the soil, simply pressing the soil to remove any air bubbles. Cover the plant with soil, covering the stems under the first row of branches.
6Place the cage. If you plan to enclose your plants in a tomato cage, do this step at this time. Make the cage from concrete-paved wire or similar widely spaced wire grid. Only tie the plant to a cage or stake after it blooms.
7Water. Water every day to keep your plants growing healthily. But don't use too much water, lest you drown the plant. Tomatoes receiving more than 1 to 2 tablespoons of water per day will dilute the flavor of the fruit. If you don’t have time to water every day, consider installing a sprinkler or dripper system in your yard.
8Care for tomatoes. Keep your plants healthy by pruning them frequently and harvesting their fruits as they grow. Use pruners to remove side branches (small branches that branch out from the main branches) and any branches that are hiding near or under the shade of the tree.
< spanclass="step">9Harvest tomatoes. When the fruit starts to grow, you’re ready to harvest! Harvest the fruit when it is close to ripeness, usually on a daily basis. If you predict bad weather or too many fruits, harvest the fruits early and let them continue to ripen indoors in the sun. You can eat fresh tomatoes while you're at it, or you can can or freeze them for later enjoyment.

Tips

Tomatoes are easy to grow but are very fragile, so be careful not to break or bend the stems or accidentally drop the leaves when moving them. These can choke tomato plants.
Sow 20% more seeds than you predict will bear fruit. This will improve your chances of harvesting healthy plants and delicious tomatoes.

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