Seed Garden Store

By Cheryl Wheeler

The least expensive method of growing tomatoes is to grow them from seed. Growing tomatoes from seed has the added benefit of allowing you to get a jump start on the growing season. This can be very important if you live in an area with a short growing season.
Start your seeds indoors about five or six weeks before the last frost.

You can get started propagating your tomatoes from seed for very little money. In fact, a lot of the supplies you probably already have. There is one supply however that I wouldn't skimp on and that is a quality potting mix.

You will need several containers approximately 2 inches wide and 2 or 3 inches deep at the minimum. Finding suitable containers is not hard. Milk cartons with the tops cut off make great containers as do plastic 2 litter pop bottles, also with the tops cut off, margarine tubs and yogurt cups.

Once you've poked some drainage holes in the bottoms all of these will work just fine.
You will also need something to cover your plants with like plastic wrap, clear bread bags, or sandwich or freezer bags. If you are using plastic pop bottles as containers then you can use the top part that you cut off to cover the plants.

Place two or three tomato seeds in each container. I tend to place the seed in the potting mix then poke it down and smooth the soil over it.

Some people like to poke the hole first then place the seed in the hole and pinch the soil over it.

Use whatever method feels right and easy for you.
Labeling your containers with type, variety and date planted will make it easier on you to tell what sprout is what later down the road.

When you are done planting water the seeds and cover them.

Place the seeds in a warm location.

Don't put them in direct sunlight till after they have sprouted.

Check on them each day and give them water if they need it. You want to keep the soil moist.

Once the danger of freezing is past, you can harden your little plants off. Hardening them simply means getting them used to the environment outside. Do this by placing them outside for several hours a day the week before you plan to leave them out.

For more information pertinent to gardening visit http://www.pluckygardener.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cheryl_Wheeler