by Susan Klatz Beal

Created on: January 11, 2009   Last Updated: January 25, 2009

One of the greatest advantages of growing tomatoes from seed is that it affords the gardener the opportunity to grow a far greater variety of tomatoes than they could otherwise grow. It also enables the gardener to grow heirloom varieties that aren't traditionally available in garden centers. If you plan to grow your tomatoes in containers, be sure to check out

Container Seeds.

When considering seeds, you need to know that a tomato variety that is determinate is one that will produce a large crop at one time, and will not produce much if anything after the large crop. Indeterminate varieties are those that produce an even supply of tomatoes throughout the growing season.

Determinate varieties may be a better choice for people in very warm climates. If night time low temperatures don't go below 70 degrees, even though a plant may have many flowers on its branches, those flowers may not yield actual fruits.

When planning to start your tomato plants from seeds, it is vital that you do so ten weeks before you plan to plant them in the ground. The reason I recommend ten weeks is because that gives you eight weeks during which the seeds will sprout and grow, and you have an extra week if some of the seeds are slower to germinate. The tenth week will be used for hardening off the plants prior to planting them in pots outdoors or in the ground.

To harden the plants off, simply take the flats outside during the day and bring them back inside at night. If the seeds germinate quickly and the plants have reached a decent size by week nine, then you can use that week to keep them outdoors during the day and bring them in at night. The following week, you can leave them outside all the time, and that may keep them from suffering from transplant shock when you do plant them in the ground or in pots.

To grow your own tomato plants from seed, you will need your seeds of course. You will also need containers to plant in. I prefer to use peat pellets because they are completely self contained. You simply soak the pellets in warm water and they expand. Once they have expanded, they look like a little sack that is filled with peat moss or dirt.

Peat pots are also very useful, but they can be more expensive. They are made of compressed peat moss and will decompose in the ground or in the pot. They add organic matter to the soil while adding a substance that will help allow air to circulate in the soil. If your soil is thick like clay or isn't loose enough to breathe well, using peat pots,

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