transplanting tomato seedlings into larger pots

Transplanting tomato seedlings into larger pots how to#

Flavor is often sacrificed, though there is still no comparison between a homegrown tomato and one from the store! Fruit that has been allowed to slowly ripen on the vine is so much worth the effort it takes in caring for the plants. Most tomato plants and seeds available at stores and nurseries these days (as well as supermarket tomatoes) are hybrid varieties, which means they have been specially grown and bred to create disease resistant and hardy plants and fruit. I would not let size be the determining factor (no pun intended) when choosing seeds or plants unless space was a true problem. I have grown both determinate and indeterminate plants on my deck and in ground without a problem. However, they will grow only one crop of tomatoes that will all ripen at about the same time, great for canning season but not if you want tomatoes all summer long. They usually do not require staking as they will stay more compact, perfect for a patio. Sometimes determinate plants can be more manageable as they grow to a certain size and then stop. A grape tomato plant that I gave to my father-in-law grew high up into a nearby tree! When in pots though, they will not necessarily grow much beyond 4-5 feet. If they are in ground and conditions are right, some will grow to be 8 feet tall or more, requiring heavy staking, unless you want it sprawling on the ground catching diseases and not get enough sun for a good harvest. Indeterminate plants will continue to grow and produce fruit all season long until the plants die from hard frost in the fall. Some plants are determinate, others are indeterminate. However, there are some other things to keep in mind as well, when selecting seeds: Which type of tomato you will want, and how large you prefer the tomatoes to be, will of course be one of the first things to think about. It took years before I decided to try again, this time to find that I do, indeed, have it in me! And most likely, so do you! Now that I keep my sprouting little seedlings where I see them daily, and tend to them carefully, I have grown countless tomato sprouts into huge, beautiful, lush plants, many of which were transplanted into my own garden, and still more that I have had the pleasure of sharing with others. I did not believe I had it in me to grow anything from seed! The poor little plants didn’t stand a chance and quickly gave up. When I did water, I didn’t realize just how fragile these tiny plants were, and knocked them over while watering from a watering can that was far too forceful for them. The problem was that since I didn’t see them, I forgot about them (the trays, not my toddlers! Ha!) and didn’t water the seedlings often enough. My absolute biggest mistake in the very beginning was to put the newly seeded trays away from where I could see them, in order to also keep them away from my cute little toddlers. Since then, I have learned just how easy it can be and have grown to really love seeding my own plants. The first time I seeded anything at all, more than a decade ago, was a complete flop.

Transplanting tomato seedlings into larger pots how to#

And, of course, lots of tomatoes! In this post I will use pictures to show you what to do to plant tomato seeds, how to care for the tiny seedlings, and also how to transplant them when the time is right. I have seeded everything from broccoli, peppers, and watermelon, to beans and much more. Growing plants from seed can be a very rewarding and fun experience when you start with just a few, basic know-how’s.