Tomatoes are one of the most popular home garden crops. They’re easy to grow, do well in containers and in the ground, and produce a bountiful harvest. Plus, there’s nothing quite like the taste of a freshly picked tomato! Trust me; once you taste a tomato you grew at home, you’ll never want to buy one from the store again.
If you want to get started growing tomatoes, you’ll need to learn how to germinate tomato seeds. This is the process of getting the seedlings started, so they can be transplanted into your garden later on.
Germinating tomato seeds is actually very easy – even if you’ve never done it before. In this article, we’ll show you how to do it in the fastest way possible!
What do you need before starting tomatoes from seed?
1. Quality seeds
When growing tomatoes from seed, it is important to choose quality seeds from a trusted supplier with good reviews. Quality seeds will provide better germination rates, better flavor, and higher yields than random seeds you get from Amazon or the Dollar Store. I have a whole article dedicated to my favorite seed companies that you can check out here so you know you are ordering quality tomato seeds!
Additionally, choosing heirloom varieties or local varieties will ensure that you are helping to preserve their unique traits for future generations. Many heirloom tomatoes have unusual and fun shapes and flavors that you don’t get with production varieties.
2. Seedling containers
The types of seedling containers you can use for growing tomatoes from seed include:
1. Plastic Solo cups – These can be easily found at most grocery stores and are ideal for starting small numbers of seeds. They provide adequate drainage once you drill a hole in them and provide enough space for growth, but may need to be replaced after several uses. These are a budget option but if you can afford to use supplies that aren’t single-use plastics, definitely do that instead.
2. Commercial 5×5 or 1020 Trays and Cells – I like the products from Bootstrap Farmer for this because they are heavy-duty and won’t rip or bend. They are more of an investment to start with but will last indefinitely with proper care. Plus, you can get them in cool colors!
3. Reused plastic containers – You can always reuse plastic containers like milk jugs, takeout containers, and food packaging. You need to add drainage holes and make sure you pay attention to soil depth and up-potting since many upcycled containers that lend themselves to seed starting are shallow.
3. Soil
To grow tomatoes from seed, ideally, you would have two types of soil mixes. When seed starting, a seed starting mix has minimal nutrients, which can help prevent mold. Seeds have everything they need inside of them to germinate properly, and it’s only when they get bigger that they need to pull nutrients from the soil. An excess of nutrients in the soil can lead to issues with mold, gnats, and viruses.
When you go to up-pot your tomatoes, you would then switch to a more nutrient-rich soil. I prefer something like Moo Mix, which has compost as a main ingredient and is made locally to me.
4. Watering Can and Spray Bottle
Spray bottles or misters are great for young seedlings because they provide water and some “wind” to help strengthen the seedlings as they grow.
As the plants get bigger, you can switch to a watering can. My favorite way to water seedlings is through bottom watering, so using a watering can comes in handy so that you don’t spill water every time you water.
5. Heating mat
A heating mat provides heat for plants to help regulate their temperature. It can be used to warm the soil of young plants during germination, or to maintain the right temperature for growing tomatoes.
While heating mats aren’t absolutely necessary to have, they’re very beneficial when germinating in cold climates, especially with warm-loving plants like tomatoes and peppers. You can remove the heating mat after the first set of true leaves appears.
6. Grow lights
When growing tomatoes from seed indoors, I highly recommend using grow lights. Grow lights are types of artificial light sources used to provide light for plants during the germination and growth stages and can be purchased from Amazon. As an alternative option, you can get shop lights from a hardware store although they may be more finicky to find the right height for your plants.
If you have struggled with growing transplants indoors before, adding in grow lights that have the proper wattage is going to change the game for you completely. You’ll want to get mid-range lights for the best results. The cheap lights won’t have enough power to make a difference, and the strongest lights are intended for commercial grow operations with dedicated electrical systems – essentially, overkill and unnecessarily expensive for a home gardener.
Grow lights have a marked advantage compared to natural sunlight when growing indoors. They can be placed just a few inches above the growing plants, encouraging them to grow stockier and bushier compared to their growth next to a window or outdoors. They also encourage plants to grow straight up towards the overhead light source instead of leaning sideways towards natural sunlight or other sources of light. Window light is not strong enough so you will end up with leaning, leggy plants, even in your brightest window.
7. Pots for Up-Potting
If you’re growing in cell trays to start with, you’ll want to ensure you have pots on hand that are ready to go when your plants need to get moved up to more space.
I like 5″ pots for tomatoes because they can grow strong root systems before transplanting. If you’re looking for a sustainable and biodegradable option, CowPots are a great option and made locally to us by fellow farmers.
8. Fertilizer
For seedlings, I prefer water-soluble fertilizers that provide nutrients quickly. I like FoxFarm’s Grow Big applied using the specific instructions for seedlings. It’s important to add fertilizer once the plants start developing their true leaves to ensure they get adequate nutrition as they grow. This is especially important if you’re using a nutrient-poor seed starting soil.
How to germinate tomato seeds – The fastest way!
Step 1: Know when to sow your seeds
You should sow tomato seeds in the early spring or late winter, depending on your growing zone. A quick Google search can help you find your exact growing zone and then you can use that to find your last frost date.
I like to plant my tomato seeds 8-10 weeks before my last frost date because I’m in the northern part of the USA, and my growing season is pretty short. If I don’t start my tomatoes early enough, I won’t get ripe fruits until late September or October. This is a good rule of thumb for any grower though because the earlier you plant indoors, the sooner you’ll get ripe fruits when they’re in the ground.
Step 2: Use clean containers
It is important to use clean containers when germinating tomato seeds because old, dirty containers can contain harmful bacteria and leftover fertilizer salts that can damage or kill your seeds. This is an essential step if you’re re-using supplies from prior years.
Wash the containers in warm, soapy water, followed by a vinegar and water rinse. You could also sterilize older plastic containers with a light bleach solution.
Step 3: Germinate the Tomato Seeds
My two favorite methods to germinate seeds are the paper towel method and the pick method.
The Paper Towel Method to Germinate Tomato Seeds
The paper towel method is great because it saves you space in your grow trays by germinating the seeds before you plant them in your trays so that only seeds that successfully germinated actually take up space in the cells.
To do the paper towel method, you need to saturate a paper towel with clean water, preferably filtered. Set your seeds on one half of the paper towel and then fold the other half over it so that both sides of the seed are covered.
Then, write the seed variety on a quart-sized plastic bag and place the damp paper towel inside. Move the bag to a warm space to help encourage germination and check on it regularly! Once you see the seeds have sprouted, you can plant them in your seed trays. Make sure you keep the paper towel damp so that the seeds don’t dry out and die.
The Pick Method to Germinate Tomato Seeds
The Pick Method is great when space is less of a concern in your grow area. Get a 5×5 tray or an old, cleaned takeout container with drainage holes. Add soil and pre-moisten thoroughly. Add additional soil if the level lowers too much after moistening.
Next, thickly sow your tomato seeds in rows. You can sow one variety per tray or multiple varieties with seed markers. You don’t need to worry so much about the distance between seeds, but make sure you’re planting them at the correct depth. For most seeds, that’s 2-3x the depth of the seed.
Make sure all of the seeds are covered and give them another mist to make sure the soil is saturated. Put your tray on a drainage tray to capture any excess water, and then set it in a warm place or on a heating mat if you have one.
When the seeds germinate and sprout above the surface of the soil, you can take a dibber or a skewer to pull out the healthiest seedlings and then plant them into your cell tray. This is called “picking.” You will want to do this gently so you don’t break the roots or the tops, but other than that, your plants will do just fine with this move.
This method is nice because it saves space over germinating directly into cell trays, but is more forgiving than the paper towel method. If your paper towels dry out or if the sprouted seeds don’t get planted soon enough, they will die off and not be viable. The Pick Method gives you some more flexibility because the roots are able to pull nutrients from the soil they’re in until you’re ready to plant in cell trays.
FAQs
What is the fastest way to germinate tomato seeds?
When you add supplemental heat to the process, I’ve found that the paper towel method to germinate tomato seeds worked the fasted overall.
What type of soil should I use when planting tomato seeds?
When planting tomato seeds, it’s ideal to start with a seed-starting soil mix and then use potting soil whenever you’re up-potting. The seed-starting soil mix has minimal nutrients which can help prevent mold in the early stages of germination.
If you only want to get one type of soil for planting your tomato seeds, you can go with a potting mix from the start but be extra vigilant about not overwatering and stay on top of air circulation and any mold that arises.
What is the ideal temperature for germinating tomato seeds?
The ideal temperature for germinating tomato seeds is between 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 degrees Celsius) and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29.4 degrees Celsius). This will ensure high germination rates and optimal growth for the seedlings once they have sprouted.
The minimum temperature requirement is 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius), while the maximum is 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). Remember that these temperatures refer to soil temperature, not air temperature, which can be determined using a probe-type thermometer.
Usually if you’re germinating indoors, you don’t have to worry about the “right” temperature because room temperature falls in the right range. If you’re having slow germination or finding that you have a lot of issues with successful germination, it might be worthwhile to check the soil temp and move your germination station to a new location.
What is the best container for germinating tomato seeds?
The best container for germinating tomato seeds is one that provides sufficient moisture, warmth, and drainage and fits into your growing space. My two favorite containers for germinating tomato seeds is a paper towel in a plastic bag and a 5×5 tray. However, you can also successfully germinate tomato seeds directly in your cell tray if you have plenty of space in your grow room.
How much water do tomato seeds need to germinate?
Tomato seeds need adequate water to germinate. The soil should be damp but not soaking wet. It should clump when preparing to plant the seeds, and some air must also reach the seed for it to absorb oxygen.
Ideally, the seeds should be kept at a temperature range of 65-80F (21-27C). The lower the temperature, the slower germination will be; but on the flip side, temperatures above 95F (35C) or below 50F (10C) are also poor for germination.
What tomato varieties are best for germination?
If you’re looking for the maximum germination rate, tomato varieties that are bred for commercial production are going to be the most efficient. They will germinate at the highest rate and produce abundant, uniform fruits.
If you’re into heirlooms tomatoes, the germination rate, in general, will be lower than their commercial counterparts, but you’re making up for it in color, flavor, and shape.
In the US, there is a minimum germination threshold that has to be met for all seeds sold by reputable businesses. As long as you’re getting your seeds from reputable seed companies, you don’t have to worry about the germination rate for your tomato seeds – get the varieties that excite you the most.
Do I need to remove the seed coat before planting tomato seeds?
Tomatoes have a mucilaginous seed coat on them when they are pulled directly from the fruit. If you’re saving your own seeds, you’ll need to dissolve this coating in water for a few days before drying your seeds for storage.
When you plant tomato seeds from a seed packet, you can germinate the seeds immediately without doing any extra preparation. The mucilaginous seed coating was removed from the seed before it was packed.
Are there any special techniques for successfully germinating tomato seeds?
The key to successfully germinating tomato seeds is to use a method that works for your grow space, add supplemental heat when possible, and make sure your soil stays moist but not soaking.
