Tomato plants from seeds?

[jimlj]

I purchased some tomato seeds that are supposed to be more cold tolerant than the tomato varieties that are available every spring in this area. I know the frost will kill these as quick as the others, but they are supposed to tolerate the cool night temperatures better.

So, if I want to transplant around the first week of June, how soon should I plant the seeds?

[Hannibal]

I'm not sure where you live, but in north-Missouri, you should have started those seeds inside about 2 months ago if you wanted tomatoes in late July.

[Hossfly]

We plant tomato seed here in Louisiana by Jan.30, that’s 3 months before transplanting outside
Also after they get started good you set them out side, weather permitting to harden off and not get spindly. Here we set our tomatoes out no earlier than Good Friday.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

In southern MN, I will start my tomatoes next week (third week of March), for transplanting in the 3rd week of May.

I would wonder what the fruit of "cold tolerant" tomato plants would taste like?
I grow heirloom varieties for the taste, I find commercial/hybrid varieties have poor taste.

[trails4u]

Where you live will play a huge role in figuring this out.... We're in SC, and just started our seeds inside a couple weeks ago. That's OK for us, as our growing season goes deep into Sept., sometimes Oct. It's only happened once in 10 years, but we did have fresh tomatoes with Thanksgiving dinner....once.

The tomato you're trying to grow will also make a difference. Is it determinate or indeterminate? Meaning....do all the fruit ripen at once, or does it continue to flower and fruit as long as conditions allow. How many days to maturity? This varies quite a bit.....and our experience is that the heirloom varieties we like best usually take the longest. We don't push for the earliest tomatoes we can get....we don't have to, as our season is so long. If we were trying for June/July tomatoes, we would start much earlier.

OK...I'm guessing none of that has helped you, or answered your question. . Regardless of where you live, I'd say at this point in the year you could start your seeds inside and still be OK. Very good advice above about getting them outside when you can, and letting them harden some to the cold. Makes a HUGE difference in time to maturity and productivity!

[Iowa Fox]

We will be starting our tomato seeds next week for transplanting into the garden Mid Mayish and will transplant twice before setting out in the garden. I use a spade to dig the hole in the garden, the main thing is don't get them root bound. Last year we planted over twenty different varieties, ya we're slowing down in our old age as compared to what we planted just 10 years ago. We always have tomatos until the first hard frost. We pick all the green ones the day or night before the frost and bring them inside where they fully ripen. Garden season is right around the corner.

[iomskp]

I am in the tropics I have just planted my seedlings out, I put them in large pots, in this area if you plant them in the ground everything that stings, bites or chews will destroy them in no time.

[farmerjim]

I grow and sell tomatoes and other vegetables. I start my tomato seed Between Christmas and New years day. I put my flats ( 200 cell starter trays) in a germination chamber at 85 deg. and germination starts in 3 days. I move the flats that are starting to germinate under grow lights. (4 8 foot florescent bulbs under a bench) The flats are put 2 inches under the lights and this way the soil is kept at about 80 till all are germinated. They are then put in a greenhouse that is kept at 85 during the day. They are watered and fertilized, with a weak solution of 15-15-30, daily. When the plants are about 4 inches tall they are transplanted to 36 cell trays in the standard 1020 flats. They are kept in the greenhouse till I do not see any predicted night temps below 30. This day occurs about Feb 15. This year due to rain and not temps it was Feb 17. I stake and tie (using the Florida weave method) the tomatoes after planting and then cover them with a spun polypropylene cover that weighs 0.9 oz per sq yard. (Agribon ag-30) This is called a low tunnel. It will add 10 to 15 degrees to the temp under the cover on a sunny day. The cover does not have to come off, as it is porous and breaths and lets some rain through. It gives frost protection down to about 27 degrees. I have been doing tomatoes this way for about 16 years and have only lost my first planting twice.

Standard tomato blossoms need the night temps to be above 50 and the day temps to be below 90 to be fertile. There are varieties that will set fruit a few degrees outside of this range. I believe this is what you are using. I plant Heat set varieties down here after May to stretch my season through July.

To answer your question about time from seed to planting for tomatoes.
If everything is done for maximum growth as I have outlined above:
6 weeks Any thing else will add time.
You can grow transplants in a southern facing window, but it is not as good as a greenhouse or cold frame and will take more time. Peppers and eggplant are slower and take 12 weeks optimum.
I am in the deep South now, but I lived in Canada for 12 years and grew tomatoes up there. If you want any clarification on this or any more information, just PM me.

[Hickory]

I am in the tropics I have just planted my seedlings out, I put them in large pots, in this area if you plant them in the ground everything that stings, bites or chews will destroy them in no time.

My son lives in Brisbane and has never had a successful garden outside of potted plants.

[MaryB]

I start mine 6 weeks before I want them in the garden, usually around April 7th. I made a mini greenhouse that sits in my bay window so they get tons of sun and heat from the vent right above them.

[bdicki]

We've been eating chocolate tomatoes for a month now. They started on there own from last years plants.

[farmerjim]

We've been eating chocolate tomatoes for a month now. They started on there own from last years plants.

Is that the chocolate cherry tomato?
My planting of cherry tomatoes Is 3 sweet million plants, 20 Sunsugar, and 20 Chocolate cherry. Once most people taste the Sunsugar and Chocolate cherry, they will not eat the red ones if they can get the others.

[bdicki]

Is that the chocolate cherry tomato?
My planting of cherry tomatoes Is 3 sweet million plants, 20 Sunsugar, and 20 Chocolate cherry. Once most people taste the Sunsugar and Chocolate cherry, they will not eat the red ones if they can get the others.

No not a cherry. This ones not as dark as the others, it was picked before fully ripe.

[MT Gianni]

To save your seeds pick a nice looking heirloom tomato and squish it on a paper plate. Pick the pulp out and check for mature looking evenly sized seeds. Do it again if you need more. Then leave it on a window sill until it is covered with mold. Wash the mold off in a strainer and let them dry then package for the next year. For some reason the mold removes the protective coatings and improves sprouting rates.

[DerekP Houston]

From seed, add 6-8 weeks to when you want them outdoors. I typically was starting mine in January for Texas since by March we can put them in the ground outside.

[Pigboat]

For the last two years, I've grown mine in straw bales. One of the benefits is that as the bales decompose, they produce heat. By hanging plastic sheeting on the wires over them (between the poles) you create a greenhouse right where they are going to grow so you can start them weeks earlier. The procedure is covered in detail in a book called Straw Bale gardens.
Over the years, I've probably tried 50 different varieties until I found a couple that were the most crack resistant and now they are the only ones I plant.


In the picture, the boards at the top are 7 foot high and the tomatoes went up and over, then back almost to the ground.

[jimlj]

Thanks for the information! Looks like I need to get mine started in the next few days.

[.45Cole]

In Colorado it's best to put them in little containers in the window in Feb for planting in may/june