Tomatoes can be grown from seed indoors. It can be very satisfying to grow tomatoes in your garden that you started yourself indoors. At harvest time you can feel even more satisfaction when you are picking those tomatoes that you started yourself indoors. You can buy everything you need including seeds, even organic seeds, from many stores. Starting seeds indoors allows gardeners who live in zones where their is shorter growing season to get a head start.

Sowing Tomato Seeds Indoors

Plant tomato seeds indoors at the recommended number of weeks (indicated on the seed packet) prior to transplanting outdoors. For tomatoes, this is usually about 8 weeks prior to the last frost date in your area. Also, follow instructions on packet for light or darkness needs to gerninate and any other special growing requirements.

Supplies you might need for indoor seed sowing include the following: fluorescent or grow lights, disinfested containers with excellent drainage, pasteurized (sterile) seed-starting medium and a location with proper temperature and ventilation.

Growing Media For Starting Seeds

Choose a medium with a loose, uniform, fine texture. A mixture that is 1/3 soil, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 peat moss has the qualities of a good seed-starting medium. Your local nursery and garden center may carry mixes labeled for seed starting.

Container For Starting Seed

Any recycled containers are adequate for seed starting provided they are disinfested, have good drainage and are at least 2 inches deep. You can even use cardboard egg cartons start tomatoes. They work but not as well as the starter plant pots or trays you can buy at the store. Your local nursery should be able to provide you with plastic flats - they might give them to you!

Peat and clay containers tend to dry more quickly than plastic containers because they are very porous.

Whichever type of growing container or flat you use, they should have holes for drainage, and you'll have to have a way to control water that drains from the bottom of the plant pots. An inexpensive water tight flat can be a low box that you cover with plastic so water can not get on the box. The sides of the box should not be above your starter pots. You can also buy a water tight flat that fits your starter pots from a store.