Growing Tomatoes From Seeds
Growing tomatoes seeds is an activity that can be great fun and rewarding at the same time. There are assortments of tomato plant seeds that can be experimented with.
Growing tomatoes from seeds is easy. When your seedlings grow about six leaves and the temperature outside is decidedly warmer you can now transplant them in a garden. Bury the tomato seedlings inside the soil, with only the four top leaves protruding.
Tomato plants have the ability to sprout strong roots down the stem, so burying them deep will help them develop tough root systems. In turn this will produce a stronger plant capable of supporting the weight of the tomato fruit thus ensuring a better crop and bumper harvest.
Adding a cling film to the tray helps the soil retain water and as soon as the seedlings begin to germinate you can remove it. Tomato plants are known to like humid soil, but caution must be taken to ensure that the seedlings are not over watered.
Tomatoes are also known to thrive in a place with abundant sunlight. When growing your seeds on a tray, you have to ensure that the tray placed at a windowsill, is constantly turned to ensure that all the plants have equal access to sunlight. Failure to do this results in the plants uneven growth due to them bending towards the light. These plants, furthermore, grow thin if they are subjected to little sunlight when indoors.
Once the seedlings grow to nearly one and a half inches high, you can now transplant into individual pots. Utmost care is to be taken during this time as the roots are usually still tender and may easily get damaged. The seedlings should not be lifted by their stems, which are still fragile, but by their leaves.
You should put the seedlings inside a hole big enough to contain its roots, and then fill up the hole using potting compost then water the plant right away. Press the compost gently around the roots, this ensures good contact between the roots and the soil. The seedlings should be continuously exposed to sunlight.
Once the seedlings grow to around six to eight inches, you can further transplant them into larger vessels. Hardening of the seedlings usually occurs at this stage, where the seedlings are slowly exposed to the outdoor climate, which is tougher to control then the indoor one. This hardening is achieved by gradually placing the seedlings outdoors in the sun for some hours every day.
Whenever you intend to plant your tomatoes, you should first plant the seeds indoors. This should be between six to eight weeks before replanting
