by Annie M Manzi

Created on: July 03, 2008   Last Updated: August 27, 2011

It all starts in the winter months of my discontent. I get the rumblings of desire to have dirt under my nails again, I want to garden. On the Internet I go to search for the perfect tomato seeds to buy. I want ones that will yield me the best crop of tomatoes. As I sort through the plethora of varieties available, I start to dream of the luscious tomato sauces and salsas that I will be making in August and September. The problem is that there is there is seems to be hundreds of tomato varieties available and each one looks to be the best to buy for my needs and desires. However, I settle on what I think is the superior varieties and order them out.

The big day comes when the brown truck pulls into my driveway and the small package is placed into my eager hands. I nervously open the package to view the contents. I am rarely disappointed as the flashy packaging of each type of tomato seed speaks to my inner farmer. Come March I gather all the necessary materials needed to start my seeds and get ready to plant them.

ITEMS NEEDED FOR PLANTING:

• Plastic trays

• Domed clear tops

• Multi-celled inserts to put into the trays with deeper cups

• Organic seed starter medium

• Two big spoons

• Squirt bottle full of tepid water

• Popsicle type sticks for marking each plant with each variety

• Old newspaper to work over to catch the dirt and mess

I have used peat pots and jiffy cubes in the past and I am not a fan as they dry out fast and there seems to be no benefit using them to start seeds in. They are also more expensive to buy. Popsicle type sticks for marking each plant with each variety is a must and cost pennies. It is important to note that if you reuse the flats and grow cells from previous years, they must be washed thoroughly with hot water and biodegradable soap.

PLANTING THE SEEDS:

• Start planting the seeds six to eight weeks before the last frost date in your area

• Prepare the flats by washing and setting them up.

• Fill each cell of the way with the seeding mix of soil and water thoroughly. Let sit to absorb the water. Check to see if all the soil is evenly moist. Water again if needed.

• Place two seeds of one variety on top of the soil in each cell. Cover with more soil and moistened it down. Repeat with each cell.

• Mark each variety clearly on the Popsicle sticks and place in each cell.

• Cover with a clear plastic wrap or clear plastic dome and put each flat in the warmest and

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