Starting Tomatoes Indoors

It has been the typical on again, off again Spring weather.  One day it is warm and sunny and the next day it is freezing!  It is so tempting to get the seeds planted.  Depending on what source a local gardener consults, the last killing frost of the year in this location happens (on average), on or around May 15th.  It is the words "average" and "on or around" that allows for freezes to happen later than May 15th.  Let's face it, we are talking about predicting the weather.  Not exactly an exact science.  An old saying dictates that there is nothing more changeable than the weather.  However, I once read a newspaper article written by Margaret Lauterbach, a local Master Gardener, in which she said that peas could be planted shortly after St Patricks Day.  

It was raining on St Patricks Day so I couldn't get out and plant in muddy conditions.  I opted to start my tomato seedlings!  

This year, I chose to buy a seed starting flat.  The flat included a bottom tray to facilitate watering, tiny cells made out of  peat, and a "greenhouse" cover.  I also bought some seed starter mix from the local garden center.     

Here's the seed starting flat:  the bottom tray with the little peat cells resting inside, and the greenhouse cover.

I poured in the seed starting mix, and smoothed it into the peat cells with my hand.  

I made labels by cutting strips from an old plastic milk jug and used a waterproof pen to write the name of the variety and the date planted.

I planted three tiny seeds in each cell, and covered them lightly with the seed starting mix.

Three tomato seeds in their cell, waiting to be covered with soil.

As I planted each row, I labeled it with the label that I had made.

Then I poured water into the bottom of the tray, to a depth of about 1 inch.  The soil quickly soaked up the water, wicking it upward into the top layer of the soil.  

Then I put the greenhouse cover on top and set it on my warm seed starting mat.  

I have always used a household heating pad, the kind purchased at a drug store, to provide extra warmth for my seedlings.  It has worked fine for me in the past, but this year I splurged, and bought myself one of the electric seedling heat mats.


 Now all I have to do is wait for the seeds to germinate and come up out of the soil!