How I Start SeedsThis is how I start my tomato and pepper seeds. I did not invent this method. I read lots and lots of books and this is a conglomeration of all the great ideas and a lot of practical experience. I am just passing on the information and the lessons that I have learned from years and years of trial and error. STARTING THE SEEDS: First I presoak my seeds. Tomato and Pepper seeds are soaked 6 hours, no more that because they can suffocate from lack of air. I soak my Pea and Bean seeds overnight. Then I always place my tomatoes, peppers, peas, and other seeds in slightly moist paper towels, placed in ziplock baggies and placed in a WARM safe place. I check them twice a day and when they germinate, I pop them into the potting soil mixture in the egg trays. Tomatoes and Peppers are tropical plants and need a constant heat of at least 80 90 degrees to germinate. This means that a heating pad is fairly useless if your room temperature is 55 degrees, because the minute that seed reaches the room air, it will not survive. Tropical plants must have a constant heat 24 hours a day. To be repetitive that means that you cannot let the room temperature fall each night and not expect it to affect the germination rate of the seeds. I grow very rare seeds and it is worth the trouble to do it correctly the first time. . Tomato and Pepper seeds are planted just deep enough to cover them. If you plant them too deep they cannot make it to the soil surface before they run out of the stored energy in the seed. I put water ONLY in the bottom tray because if the soil needs the water it will soak it up. This keeps the top of the soil dry and retards damping off. Damping off is caused by a fungus that thrive in cool, wet conditions. So do NOT mist the tops or water the tops of the seed trays. The seedlings will sprout in no time because the heated room, (I use a walk-in closet) and the shop lights create a heat inside the plastic bags. I also plug all the shoplights into one multiplug thing and plug this into a timer. Within one or two days of sprouting, I remove the bread bags and make sure that the lights are as close as possible to the tomato leaves without actually touching them. From then on, you make sure that the tray bottoms always have some water in the bottom. If a seedling looks sick, remove it immediately, and wash your hands. Damping off is a fungi and does NOT have to spread, although it can. THE SHELVING: Since the typical seed starting shelves cost a small fortune, I improvise. I buy metal shelving from the hardware stores that has five shelves. I get my oldest son to help me screw them together and give him free reign with his dad's battery operated drill to screw the million and one screws. He thinks it is fun, I am relieved of fussing with all those little screws. Anyways, you may have to do it yourself, but once done it is over. You never have to do it again. I did the first two by myself. Then I set these two shelves side by side. I tie twine (preferably some kind of plastic twine that won't deteriorate and drop your lights RIGHT ABOVE your seedlings) around the two outer ends of the combined shelves. Then I use little metal "S" hooks and bits of chain that come with the shop lights to hang each light from the shelf above on that twine I tied. That gives me four shelves that have light. The top shelf is used for supplies. THE SEED TRAYS: During the month of February, I prepare the styrofoam egg cartons so that I have that done and out of the way. One night, I devote to cutting the lid from the bottom egg cups. The lid will become the tray that holds the water. I prefer the 18 count trays for jumbo eggs. Then I tape up the two holes in each lid with good packaging tape to make it hold water. The next night, I take a knife that has two points on the tip and stab each egg cup in the bottom and twist slightly to open the holes a little (I do this on the carpet, so that I am not stabbing a table). These will allow water to be soaked up from the bottom tray. There, you have basically free seed starting trays in two nights. I do about 80 trays. It takes a solid hour each night. Plus, you can reuse them the next year if you soak them in mild bleach. I have tried the black plastic trays that have nice clear plastic domes, but they do not allow the shop lights to be close enough to the seedlings and the seedlings grow too fast and too thin in order to reach the shop light. I buy new light bulbs at the beginning of each season, and dust them. This year I now hang aluminum foil to reflect the light back onto the seedlings (I did this and it worked great for the seedlings on the side). As soon as the seedlings are big enough, I put them into styrofoam cups, 8 oz or so, label them with the name of the variety, and place them in large numbered trays. Then out they go on the back porch. One week there and they are moved to the front porch. The sun in stronger on the front porch. Then out to the garden they go. If you don't have a drought, you are set WHEN TO START SEEDS : I start the seeds around March 15, because my last frost date is April 26th. Start your tomato seeds at least 6 weeks before your last frost date, and your peppers 8 weeks before your last frost date. I mix regular potting soil with peatmoss 50/50. Then I sift it through a 1/4" screen that I bought by the foot from a hardware store. It is mounted with little U nails (I think that they use them for chicken pens) on 2 x 4's that I scavenged from various building projects. The soil mixture is sifted because the peatmoss and potting soil are full of big chunky things that could hinder a little seedling's efforts to poke through. The peatmoss is used to lighten the soil. Also, the acidic content of the peatmoss really helps to retard damping off. I slip the whole thing, tray and egg cup part, into a plastic bread bag to create a mini greenhouse. WARNING: Do NOT use any Seed Starting or Potting soil products that include fertilizers. Both I and two other Seed producers had 0% germination with products that contained "safe" fertilizers and we all three have years of experience in starting tomato, pepper and eggplant seeds. I have had MANY MANY new gardeners asking about heat and light. Pepper plants must have about 85 degree heat or they simply will not germinate. Tomatoes are a little easier, but at least 75 degrees is preferable. COMMON ERRORS WHEN TRYING TO GERMINATE SEEDS: A) Buying seeds that are not appropriate for your latitude or climate B) Not presprouting them in moist paper towels in plastic bags C) planted too deeply, soil should just barely cover the seed D) too cold (less than 80 degrees), room temp is NOT hot enough, at night the temperature cannot drop below the daytime 80 degrees E) too wet (soaking it and watering from the top) the seeds cannot breathe F) too hot G) too dry POSSIBLE REASONS FOR FAILURE TO THRIVE: A) sitting in a window (too little light) and the temperature varies from day to night B) sitting in a basement (too little light, too cold) C) light more than 1/4 inch away from leaves D) too wet E) too dry F) too cold (encourages damping off) TOMATO VOCABULARY Determinate -- (det.)-- the tomato plant has a pre-determined growth pattern. Determinates usually grow to about 4 ft. in length and tend to set all their fruit within a few weeks. Fruit is formed at the end of its branches. Indeterminate -- (Indet)-- the tomato plant does not have a predetermined length of growth, and continues to grow until it is killed by the frost in the winter. The fruit is set all along its vining branches. Maturity -- This is the number of days from transplanting to the harvesting of the first tomato fruits. Type There are different types of tomatoes. Big juicy sandwich types, dry paste types that cook quickly into thick sauces, little cherry types for popping right into the mouth.
I no longer sell seeds. The information is provided for educational purposes.
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