We all like to enjoy the taste of a fresh and juicy tomato. Nothing tastes better than a vegetable grown by ourselves, so it is always convenient to take advantage of the garden, orchard or even a good pot to be able to grow your own fruits and vegetables.
Thus, if you are wondering how to sow tomato seeds to grow them for your consumption, keep reading because in this EcologíaVerde article we will teach you how to germinate tomato seeds, plant them and care for them, as they are fast growing and very easy to care for. For this reason, it is also an ideal activity for the little ones in the house to learn to enjoy plants.
How to germinate tomato seeds step by step
Follow these tips and steps to germinate tomato seeds:
- To start, and of course, you will need tomato seeds. You can use tomatoes from the supermarket without any problem, of the variety you prefer, although you will always have much better results with tomatoes from organic crops.
- The next thing will be to prepare the seedbed or container pot. Tomato seeds germinate much more easily in a controlled environment, so it is best to do it indoors, and later, if necessary, transplant them. It is necessary that the container has drainage holes: if it does not have them, make them.
- The substrate is very important: the ideal is to prepare a mixture with one part of peat, another part of earthworm humus and a third part of coconut fiber. Then add vermiculite and perlite to the mixture and stir well. This results in a very light substrate, with excellent drainage and very nutritious, as well as good moisture retention properties. Water to add moisture after mixing.
- When sowing, you can carefully scoop out the seeds from the tomato itself with a teaspoon, or use an even more natural method and cut the tomato into a few slices, leaving the outermost one on each side aside (don’t throw them away! They’re delicious!) and sow, instead of the seeds, the tomato slices themselves with these inside. In either case, don’t plant too deep, as the small tomato seeds will have a hard time reaching the surface then; tripling the thickness of the seed itself in the substrate is more than enough.
- After sowing, water again with a sprayer so that the water does not drag the seeds, and put the seedbed or pot in a warm and shaded place until the tomato seedlings begin to emerge, at which time you should move it to a lighted area .
Y when to germinate tomato seeds? Indoors you can do it throughout the year if you control the temperature at which you expose them, since the seeds and seedlings cannot withstand temperatures below 15ºC. However, the best time to do this is between late winter and early spring.
How to germinate tomato seeds in a napkin
It is also possible to germinate tomato seeds on a simple paper napkin. This is called pre-germinated and consists in making the first roots before even sowing in a seedbed or pot.
- Prepare an absorbent paper and fold it in half, leaving the seeds inside. You can give two or more layers, using more papers instead of one.
- Put it in a container or tupper.
- Moisten the paper by spraying water on it, taking care that it is completely wet, but not dripping water: it should not drip. Remove excess water if any.
- Keep the container in an area between 16ºC and 28ºC and in the dark. It is important to open it once a day for a few minutes so that the air is renewed and the seeds receive oxygen, as well as to check, by carefully lifting the paper, that the seeds are fine and that no fungus or other problems have appeared.
How long do tomato seeds take to germinate?
Tomato seeds are very fast germination, although their specific times depend on the variety and specific type. Still, most of them will grow in a time of between 1 and 2 weeksmaking some in even less.
Meet +30 types of tomato in this other EcologíaVerde article.
Caring for sprouted tomato seeds
Once the seedlings have germinated, it will be necessary to transfer them to a warm and sunny location, although if the sun is intense it is better to opt for abundant but indirect light. keep the slightly moist substrate and keep them away from excessively close sources of cold or heat.
If you have pre-germinated them, once they have their small white roots, you must transfer them to the substrate, placing them very carefully with the roots underground and the rest of the plant on the surface. Also, keep in mind that if you have used the substrate mix that we have recommended, they will not need fertilizer at the moment.
How to plant tomatoes in pot and soil
When the seedlings are at least 12 cm tall, you can transplant them to their final location in a pot or soil. Take this into account the following tips for planting tomatoes in pot and soil:
- The pot should have a volume of between 15 and 20 liters unless they are small varieties.
- Use a nutrient rich substrate like our recommended mix.
- In soil, look for an area with good drainage and add organic matter.
- Aerate the soil to loosen it.
- Use fertilizer, if possible organic, in both cases.
Here we tell you when to plant tomatoes and also how to plant tomatoes.
tomato care
To finish we indicate some of the tomato plant care:
- Irrigation: abundant and frequent, but without flooding.
- Sun: abundant, direct once the plant grows.
- Climate: 15 or 28ºC.
- Pruning: when axillary buds begin to appear, if the variety produces them. Learn how to prune tomatoes by entering here.
- Subscriber: regularly every 15 days.
- Tutored: necessary so that the fruits are not on the ground.
Learn more in these other articles on How to grow organic tomatoes and Tomato diseases.
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