I can only give very vague advice on the choice of tomato varieties: it largely depends on what you’re looking for. Whatever the date is, once you’ve found it, count back 6 to 8 weeks and-bingo!-that’s when to sow your tomatoes. It could be mid-May, late May, early June, etc. Obviously, this “safe planting date” will vary according to where you live. This will likely be a week to 10 days after the “last frost date” (add your zip code/postal code here to obtain the last frost date). So, you need to try to calculate when in your area there is not only no more risk of frost, but the soil and air will be warm enough not to stunt the growth of young plants, that is, when nights are likely to remain above 50 ☏ (10 ☌). Here’s the general rule: sow them 6 to 8 weeks before you’ll be transplanting into the garden. To produce young tomato plants that are ready to transplant outdoors, yet not too advanced, you have to be careful not to sow the seeds too early. A teapot can even replace the traditional watering can! When to Sow Just clean and punch a hole in the bottom of any suitably sized container (margarine dish, mushroom tray, bottom half of a milk carton, etc.) while the transparent flip-top plastic containers in which pastries, fruit and roast chicken are sold in supermarkets make excellent mini-greenhouses: the bottom can serve as a tray the top, as a dome.Īs for tools, you’ll likely find everything you need in the kitchen: a spoon (use it as a mini-shovel!), knife, pencil, spray bottle, etc. You’ll have to buy the seeds and potting mix (never use soil taken from the garden, as it is usually contaminated with diseases and pests), but you’ll probably already find all the containers you could possibly need just by recycling ordinary everyday products. You’ll need seed-starting mix (houseplant or potting mixes are also fine), preferably a blend that already contains mycorrhizal fungi (beneficial fungi), plus pots, a matching tray and dome, and, of course, tomato seeds. If you can find it, a seed-starter mix that already includes mycorrhizal fungi will give your tomatoes a good boost. But, except in the mildest climates, it does have to be started indoors otherwise you’d have to wait until fall for the first fruits. The tomato is doubly interesting as a first gardening experience in that it’s particularly easy to grow from seed. So, if you hesitated last year, it might be just the moment to take the plunge … starting with that “basic homegrown vegetable”: the tomato. In backyard gardens, sure, but also on balconies and rooftops, plus in community gardens. And this was gardeners of all ages, from teens to nonagenarians. Yes, last summer, gardeners all over the world, concerned about the consequences of the COVID-19 lockdown on food availability and quality and largely confined to their own backyards, grew vegetables in record numbers. If you’ve never planted a single seed, why not start this year with the plant the most widely grown from seed in home gardens around the world: the tomato? And growing tomatoes has never been so popular.
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