Growing tomatoes from seed is really not that difficult. However, the variety of tomato seeds available from specialists, with hundreds of varieties, is incomparable to that of purchased tomato plants or seed packets from the garden center — and so is their flavor. In general, growing tomatoes is worthwhile everywhere, even or especially in container gardens. Here are some tips for selecting tomato seeds and a simple guide to sowing tomatoes from early to mid-February until about early April – although latecomers can certainly try their luck even later, until the end of April. You can also buy seeds online Pakistan to access a wide range of high-quality varieties. Also included: why you should “annoy” them and how to properly prepare them for a perfect season. Growing your own tomatoes from seed isn’t difficult at all, and even beginners can succeed on a bright, warm windowsill. A simple guide and a few tricks will help your homegrown tomatoes thrive, resulting in a bountiful harvest almost effortlessly.

Choosing the right tomatoes, whether for a garden bed, pots, or a balcony garden

I don’t usually like to praise online shopping, but unfortunately, it’s the easiest way to get decent tomato seeds. Passionate growers here really do have hundreds of tomato varieties to choose from. They propagate them lovingly, some even organically. There are large, small, thick, thin, green (even when ripe), almost pink, purple, almost black, very early to very late tomatoes, three-gram cocktail tomatoes, and beefsteak tomatoes weighing up to a kilo, all of which you can grow from seed. Just take a look around the shops like Plant Mart. A few more varieties are currently planned for the garden/balcony/potted garden. If they all work out, we’ll be giving them away again.

The light problem in tomato cultivation

To grow your own tomatoes, all you need now is a warm, bright spot by a window. The temperature should be at least 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) for the seeds to germinate well and quickly. Unfortunately, most apartments and houses lack sufficient light during the cold growing season. This is detrimental to the results, leading to legginess. As they search for light, they often develop long, thin seedlings that, in the worst case, die. 

Here are a few more new, recommended models that will greatly help you with growing your plants:

Sowing tomatoes: The instructions

To sow tomatoes yourself: Fill the containers or seedling pots with soil to no more than one centimeter below the rim. Press down firmly and then water. Watering before placing the tomato seeds on the soil prevents the tiny seeds from floating around haphazardly in the pots when watering later. They usually get washed to the sides of the pots and grow poorly because they lack support. The soil should be moist, but not soggy.

Using seedling pots for growing your own tomatoes

When using seedling pots for growing your own tomatoes, place one seed in each five- or six-centimeter pot. If using a larger container for sowing on a surface, a little space, about two or three centimeters between the tomato seeds, is helpful for later transplanting. My tip for keeping track of what you’ve sown later: Sow the tomato varieties one by one and label them with plant markers. Cutting strips from old yogurt containers works just as well as buying plant markers. I use a pencil for labeling, which, in my experience, stays legible the longest, even in direct sunlight. Waterproof markers, on the other hand, fade eventually. After the season, you can simply rub off the pencil marks (tip: a damp microfiber cloth) or erase them, and reuse the markers the following year.

Once the tomato seeds are sown

Once the tomato seeds are sown, cover them with just a few millimeters of potting soil, press down again, water thoroughly (and then only water when necessary), and then place them on the windowsill. After about 10 days, depending on the temperature and variety, the first homegrown tomatoes will appear. If conditions are optimal, they will appear even sooner. The germination temperature should definitely be above 20 degrees Celsius.

Repotting tomato seedlings

Once the tomato seedlings have grown a bit, developed their first true leaves, and formed root systems, the next step is to plant them in larger pots. Specifically, plant them deeper than they were previously growing. I use 9cm or 10cm plastic pots that I’ve been collecting for years. Fill them with good potting soil – flower, vegetable, or garden soil – and place the tomato seedlings a few centimeters deeper than before. Fill the pots with soil and water them. Planting them deeper helps prevent or even eliminate legginess, and, more importantly, it encourages the tomato plants to develop shallow roots. These roots emerge directly from the main stem of the tomato plants, which is now surrounded by soil. This ensures an optimal supply of water and nutrients. As a result, they grow much, much better – a fundamental requirement for a bountiful harvest. This deepening of homegrown tomato plants is done a second time, around mid-May, when they are planted out. This does not apply to purchased, grafted plants, whose graft union must always be above the soil.

Growing your own tomatoes and repotting seedlings

One more tip about the windowsill. Just touch it. Is it made of stone and cold? That could be a thermal bridge from the outside. If so, I’d recommend placing something insulating underneath it when growing your own tomatoes. An old newspaper works perfectly for this. Once the plants are a bit bigger, this thermal bridge won’t matter anymore. Oh, and: The water you use for watering shouldn’t be as cold as if it came from a mountain stream. I always keep my watering can handy on the windowsill. That way, it’s slightly warmed up.

Illuminated growing stations

Even my good windowsills and illuminated growing stations eventually all get full. The trick: If you have a bright windowsill that isn’t too warm, place the tomatoes there once they’ve germinated. Due to the lack of warmth, they’ll grow a bit slower, but they’ll be healthy and strong. An east- or west-facing window with room temperatures of around 14-17 degrees Celsius is ideal, for example, in a not-too-cold stairwell, an unheated bedroom, a conservatory, a sparsely heated attic with a large window, etc. “Annoying” the plants, watering them, and so on, after the tomato seeds have germinated

Growing tomatoes from seed: the right way to handle the seedlings – a guide.

Same variety and sowing date. The “annoyed” tomato is the significantly stronger one in the brown pot.

The first rule for anyone growing tomatoes

The first rule for anyone growing tomatoes on their windowsill: never let the soil dry out completely. Check it daily. If the seed is germinating and dries out even once, it’s game over, and the seedling will die. It’s not quite as critical once the tomato seeds have already germinated. However, even then, the soil should never dry out completely if possible. Careful watering is essential. The best way to do this is with a water bottle, holding your thumb over the top. Even easier is a special, high-quality watering nozzle designed for seedlings, which delivers a precise, fine stream of water. Alternatively, you can use the nozzle from an empty dish soap bottle. This fits perfectly on a plastic bottle. Plastic is recommended because you’ll need to squeeze it slightly to get the water out.

Conclusion

So, the homegrown tomatoes have germinated, are growing, and are quickly developing their first leaves. These are the cotyledons, through which they obtain their “first nourishment” via photosynthesis. From now on, the potting soil comes into play. Because it’s so low in nutrients, the roots grow optimally. You’ll soon see them poking out of the bottom of the seedling pots. This isn’t a problem until they’re transplanted into larger pots. But that brings us back to watering. If the pots get really dry, the roots will dry out too. And the little tomato plants definitely don’t like that. Incidentally, this is one of the many arguments for indoor greenhouses with lids. They retain moisture perfectly inside. For those looking to expand their garden or try new varieties, you can also find quality seeds and seedlings from a reliable online plant nursery Pakistan.