How To Grow Tomatoes Part 1 - Seed Starting And Germination

Start Your Tomato Seeds Now To Get A Head Start On Spring! Part 1 of 3. Tomatoes are the most popular garden crop of all time. They are easy to grow, transplant well, come in a zillion different varieties, and are delicious. Everyone loves growing them!

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere however, your growing season is finite, and often too short to properly ripen tomatoes that are directly seeded into the garden. Starter plants are expensive, so you need a plan! The plan is simple, start your own tomato seeds indoors, now during the winter, to get a head start on spring planting!

In this video, I show you from start to finish how to plant your own tomato seeds, at scale, so that you can be ready for spring, and have as many tomato starter plants as your garden can handle. The method works for any variety, and the strategies mentioned here are useful to beginners and veteran green thumbs alike!

Tomato Growing Series

Part 1 - Seed Starting: You are here!

If you're just starting out gardening in 2020, this inexpensive set of tools from Amazon can get you and your Tomatoes up and running this spring! I know there is a fevered and renewed interest in gardening and many of you are seasoned vets. But remember that there's a whole population out there that hasn't gardened before. Let's help them out and encourage as much as possible! Affiliate links below:

The 10x20 nursery trays are a gardener's NECESSITY. Use the Amazon Afilliate links below to find the right ones!

[TheRipeTomatoFarms]

If you're just starting out gardening in 2020, this inexpensive set of tools from Amazon can get you and your Tomatoes up and running this spring! I know there is a fevered and renewed interest in gardening and many of you are seasoned vets. But remember that there's a whole population out there that hasn't gardened before. Let's help them out and encourage as much as possible! Affiliate links below:


The 10x20 nursery trays are a gardener's NECESSITY. Use the Amazon Afilliate links below to find the right ones!

[luisapizarro]

Thanks Jeff, i love how clear you explain your videos, very easy to understand, no confusion at all God bless you 😊

[PacificArcTigWelding]

Awesome man! Makin me wish this stinkin winter would be DONE with! Great vid man!

[sylviayvette]

So happy to see you do this step by step...I've started indoors

[denisetaylor]

Thanks so much, for your help ❤
Much appreciated ❤

[OakKnobFarm]

My wife and I were discussing starting our tomatoes just before I fired up YouTube! Very timely Jeff, thanks as always!
Oh! and instead of packing each cell with my fingers, I use a second tray to pack all the cells down at once

[aida]

Thank you so much for sharing Jeff!! I live in an apartment and I've been dying to try growing fruits and vegetables indoors and you gave great, concise and clear directions!!🤗🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[DayswithKath]

Hi! I love your videos. I just want to know if i can simply use the fresh seeds from fruit without fermenting and drying?

[taylortullmann]

I love your videos! I’m a beginner gardener and very confused.

[ZeliardFTW]

I grow tomatoes too, but never tried the potted plant method. Growing really well too right now (Australia so not winter hah!) . But im loving your channel, the ginger growing video is something I plan on doing, plus many other things. Thanks for the content!

[HopeThisWorksOurHomestead]

Great tips friend!!
I am getting ready to start my seeds this week so this video was very timely!
I have a 1000 watt grow light coming this week and I am setting up my indoor grow environment too.
I gave you a mention in my sunday video too, so maybe you have a few new friends because of it :)

[robynmize]

I just... JUST.... moved my seedling from the mini greenhouse outside. They were getting so leggy and i was just trying to see if my store bought cherry tomato seeds would sprout. I am so excited to see if i get the yellow ones to come to fruit. Investment Level: ZERO. lol I believe we are past last frost (San Diego)... but will protect them from heavy rain. Getting ready to start another crop... to keep tomatoes on the patio.. i hope... thru Fall. :)

[rtechromancer]

Awesome thanks. Tomatoes are mostly what we grow. I have a video on my channel of how I’m growing them over the winter in a $250 greenhouse I built. They are starting to bloom in February!

[shivaprasad]

Do you need to water it again after the initial soaking of the soil from below?

[earthladyadventures]

I use the bottom of my worm bed. Should i be doing anything different? I’m new to all this.

[fallmax]

Hello we love watching this man...
We are starting to grow strawberries and only learned from your videos but we noticed our strawberries have white flowers on them should we pinch them off or leave them on we have them in one of your strawberry garden beds you made😊

[k.p.]

Hey there! I'm in Central Fl. I have 200 cell plug trays-I know these are for lettuces, etc. I need to start around 1000 tomatoes and pepper plants. I also have the 2" x 2.25" x 3.25" deep- insert trays. Can I start the seeds in the 200 and transfer to the insert trays, or will it be best to just start them in the insert cells and let them go at that? The day time temps are running in the 70's to low 80's but, we have been dipping at night from 49 to 60. I thought for the sake of room I could start them inside in the 200, and then move them outside under cover. We can plant outside mid march. Your thoughts? Thanks!!

[harpsmarshallnichols]

I have started to grow my tomatoes in a propagator in my green house is that ok for the tomatoes

[Donna_G]

I have grown tomatoes from seed. I don't know what kind of tomatoes they were. The seed packet was small and clipped onto a card which was fastened in a magazine that I had subscribed to. The seed packet was just labeled as tomato seeds.

Usually, I just buy a plant instead of seeds. When I was able to garden at the community garden, bought two plants. Last year, I gardened in fabric pots right outside my front door. I just bought one tomato plant. I'm not sure if I will be able to garden outdoors this year. So, I'm looking for options to grow entirely indoors and still control access to the plants; because, I do not want my cat or dog to get into them.

[richardmanjo]

I have a major question
If a thaw a frozen tomato and harvest the seeds... can it still grow