Question:
I've saved some of the seeds from some wonderful tomatoes I had last year. When would it be a good time to germinate the seeds to transplant them in May?Answer:
- You should allow six to eight weeks between sowing the seed and planting in the open ground. So, I'd plan on planting the seed in March.
- Before starting the process, you need to ask yourself whether the saved seed is worth the time and effort. The obvious answer is yes. But if you saved the seed from a hybrid variety flower or vegetable, you're going to be disappointed with the results.
- Hybrid seed varieties are unpredictable in the next generation. Ace, Early Girl, Champion, Big Boy, and Beefsteak are examples of hybrid tomatoes. The next year's plants and tomatoes will be dissimilar to their parents. Genetics is the culprit.
- The seed saved from open-pollinated, or heirloom varieties will mirror the parent plant in the next generation. If you're not sure which you have, google 'heirloom or hybrid tomato varieties and see if you locate your variety from the list.
- If you don't know the name, then lower your expectations, and plant a few named varieties, so the season isn't a total loss. Before sowing the seed, check to see if the seed is viable.
- Viable seed means, it is capable of germinating. This is easily accomplished by pouring the seed into a glass of water or a larger receptacle. You discard the seed that floats on the surface and plant those that sink. The viable seed is dried out by spreading it over a paper towel and covering it with a second sheet.
- The seed is sowed into a flat of pre-moistened potting soil, moist like a wrung-out sponge. With a pen or pencil, you make furrows in the soil, sow the seed in the rows, and then cover the seed with soil. The flat is then covered with plastic to trap the moisture and heat.
- Once the seedling starts to emerge from the soil, remove the sheeting and place the flat in an area that gets morning sun. The seedlings are transferred to individual pots when they get two sets of true leaves. Some gardeners prefer to sow seed directly into individual pots, and there is nothing wrong with that. But I prefer the other method as it allows me to select and cultivate the most vigorous seedlings to grow on.
- May is an excellent time to plant tomatoes. They're a warm-season fruit/vegetable that requires even temperatures, andor fruit set, the nighttime temperatures need to be over fifty-five degrees. Many gardeners are anxious and plant early. The early planted tomatoes struggle with cool, damp weather and below-average temperatures in March and April. You avoid the early season struggles by planting late. In most years, the late-planted tomatoes produce just as soon as the early ones without the seasonal risk.