Seed Starting - What to do next

By Canny Cahn Hello, Seedling Parents-

Now that your cherry tomato seeds have gotten past their infancy, it’s time to help them go from crawling to tentative walking.

That means that they need to strettttch. “Plant them up” to the next size cell - preferably in a square at least 3” deep - when at least one good pair of true (serrated) leaves appear. Don’t let the plants become crowded if you have more than one baby popping up per cell.

Unlike most seedlings, tomatoes thrive on being buried up to their necks. To move them safely, lift each start carefully with a small spoon from its current cell, handle the stem as little as possible, and gently hold a leaf to guide the plant fairly deeply into good organic potting soil (a little seed starter soil will keep the potting mix light).

Every bit of the buried stem will sprout roots; they will both nourish the fruit to come and anchor the plant firmly into a strong root base. Don’t worry about your tomato plants looking short. In the long run, they will be well-anchored producers.

From this point on, every time you “plant a seedling up,” dig it down deep. Expect to do at least one more round of transplanting.

When to plant outdoors?

First of all, most plants need to "harden off" for a few days. I suggest you read about this if you've never done it before. A simple version of the process s to put the plants out in a sheltered (not too sunny!)  spot during the daytime, bring them in at night, and then gradually ease them outside overnight as the evenings are gentle. Do not rush this.

Memorial Day is a reliable marker in this area for permanent outdoor planting, but earlier or later can be at your discretion, given weather patterns and your ability to protect plants at night should a frost be on the offing.

NOTE: Many farmers actually trench their tomatoes sideways into the ground, covering the roots and tipping up the top few inches of the plant skyward to maximize the root systems’ ability to feed the fruit.

ANOTHER NOTE: I will plant ALL of my tomatoes in big pots this year. 

Firm the soil around each seedling, add tepid water, and put the plants to a sunny spot if you don’t have lights on them.

Rotate the plants daily if they’re leaning. 

Most tomato plants yield after 55-70 days and will test your patience.  But once they start producing - WOW.