There are many blogs and videos online that give instructions on how to start tomato plants from seed. The opinions on how to give the baby plants the very best start at life are all over the map and open to various interpretations. Even I have an opinion as to how I feel works best. If you keep at it for a few years, you will also come up with your very own method that makes your plants thrive in your growing conditions. I’ve also had the rotten, frozen tomatoes fall off the vines as I’m ripping out old plants the fall before, only to come back as beautiful and productive plants the following year with no coddling at all. It all depends on conditions and the seedlings taking hold in their environment. So I am going to demonstrate how I do it….and encourage you to try a way that uses the supplies you have around you.
First things first, one of the most important nutrients tomatoes need to thrive is nitrogen. There are many different types of fertilizer available (usually, although this year I have found supplies alittle scarce) and this fertilizer can either come as a combination of nutrients or just one. Most are listed in the format demonstrated below, that I found on WORSTROOM.COM:
The format of xx-xx-xx mean the amount listed in this order. This is also a good demonstration
Now with my baby plants so young, and no fruit on the vine, it’s always been my belief that nitrogen gets baby tomato plants going strong. However, you must be careful when applying and not overdo it, because they are very delicate and to give them too much would send a clear signal to grow nothing but vines in their lifetime. So I give them only what I would consider a taste of nitrogen, in natural form, to give them a healthy kickstart. This is how….
This was my tomato plants, outgrowing the nursery pots and clearly needing some support.You’ll need some bigger pots, I chose peat pots so as they get bigger, I will not have to disturb their roots in the future. The Jiffy-Strips are for replanting some bean and pea seeds in the face of last week’s disaster. You will need a small butter knife-type device for prying the baby plants out of the nursery pots. You want to avoid pulling on the plant itself at all costs. You’ll need to bring back the good ole Sharpie for marking on pots, so you know what everything is. A beverage, to stay hydrated. Poke some holes in the bottom of any cups that won’t allow drainage, such as solo cups, and they will work just fine. All these little fuzzies along the stalk have the potential to grow out as roots if you cover and nurture them with nutrients like water and minerals. After you work your tiny root ball loose from the baby pot, place it in the bottom of your slightly larger pot. Gently does it, as these plants are very young and fragile. Secure the plant in as upright of a position as possible and fill with dirt around stalk, being extremely careful. Gently pack down the loose soil. You can always add more soil in the next few days, so don’t feel the packing has to be done to finality at the moment. I took a little fertilizer and sprinkled the smallest pinch around the top of the baby plant once I filled it with dirt, then I watered it in really well. I’ll discuss what I used in a moment.Once they were all done and I had sprinkled some fertilizer on them all, I used a water bottle with a few tiny holes poked in the top to gently water all the pots. I wanted to give them all a really good drink to get them started in their new homes, since I had just put them through the ringer. I start my tomatoes off with blood meal, a nitrogen-only fertilizer. I find it really helps them grow big and tall and is a natural fertilizer, so there are no chemicals. Now, it is what it sounds like, dried blood, and I am not sure from what, but someone on Wikihow asked if they were Vegan, could they use human blood, and someone else answered yes, so any dried red blood is good for this, I guess. Just remember, a small pinch goes a very long way, so go easy.
The goal of this transplanting is to promote deep roots early on, so the tomato plants have the best chance possible. You don’t have to do this with yours, you could start in bigger pots or pots that are only half full, but I like to start many seeds so I can pick the best of the best to continue going forward with strong plants. There are many different schools of thought in this department, so no matter what yours is, trying is better than not trying so keep on filling up the earth and growing together 💜🌱💜
Let’s Grow Together 