Whether you grow pole or bush tomatoes, you need to give them a head start just like peppers so I don’t recommend sowing the seeds outside.
Indoor Sowing Tips:
In order to germinate, tomato seeds prefer a temperature between 70°F and 90°F. Based on this, start the seeds under grow lights and with a seed heat mat underneath the seed tray. I find that tomato seeds aren’t as sensitive as pepper seeds so I don’t always use a heat mat.
Tomato seeds should be planted 1/8″ deep around 2 months before the last average spring frost under grow lights.
While I initially water the seeds from above until the seeds germinate, I switch to water from below in the seed tray. Another option is to saturate the soil before you sow the seeds in the seed tray and then water from below. With this method you can avoid, having the seeds move from one cell to another.
Transplant the tomato seedlings to a 4 inch pot in the grow room once there are a few sets of true leaves and continue to water them from below in the seed tray.
Don’t forget to harden off the seedlings before transplanting in late spring or early summer. Keep in mind that tomatoes love warm days and nights which is why they are considered a warm season annual.
Space bush tomato seedlings about 1 1/2 to 2 feet apart and pole tomatoes 1 foot apart.
Growing Tips:
If you plant your tomato seedlings too early, you might want to consider using pvc or powder coated flexible steel wire hoop tunnels and some garden fabric for crazy temperature swings. Just like peppers, tomatoes prefer warm weather.
Provide compost when planting and plant food that is higher in calcium and phosphorus once a month or as needed. If you don’t satisfy tomatoes with calcium and you have a lot of rain, the tomatoes may get blossom end rot – yuck!
Keep tomato seedlings and plants moist but not soggy by using a drip system. In addition to blossom end rot, too much water will cause the tomatoes to crack.
Support bush tomato plants with stakes and reusable stretch ties like Vigoro or Velcro garden ties in case it gets too windy and pole tomatoes with a strong trellis like cattle fencing, 8 foot stakes, or tomato ladders.
Don’t be afraid to prune the suckers (the shoot between the main stem and another stem) and lower branches that are not fruiting. It helps with focusing the plant energy on fruiting and for bettwer air circulation.
Tomatoes fruit best when the temperature is between 70°F and 85°F.Â
Keep in mind that once the plants get bigger and start bearing fruit, tomato hornworms may attack the plants.
