HOW TO GROW TOMATOES FROM SEED
Nothing tastes better than your own freshly home-grown fruit and veg, and late February into March is the perfect time to start sowing your tomato seeds
It’s quick, easy, and you don’t need tons of space – a warm sunny windowsill is ideal for germination, and smaller tomatoes can even be grown in pots and hanging baskets once ready to plant out in the garden
With our guide on how to grow tomatoes from seed you'll soon have ripe and tasty tomatoes ready to add straight into all your favourite summer recipes
KNOW BEFORE YOU GROW
Tomatoes are tender plants and need warm, sunny, sheltered spaces to grow in. They grow particularly well in a greenhouse or grow house, which can produce an earlier and larger crop
Make sure your tomato plants are properly protected from the cold and frost with fleece jackets
A heated propagator works best to sow tomato seeds, but you can grow on a warm windowsill instead if you don’t have one. Make your seed propagator is covered with a plastic lid or a clear plastic bag to retain heat and moisture
There’s a huge range of tomato varieties to choose from, each with different sizes, colours and tastes. Small varieties are the easiest and fastest to grow - we recommend Gardener’s Delight cherry tomatoes, as they’re one of the easiest to grow and go great in salads or eaten as a healthy snack
WHEN TO SOW TOMATO SEEDS
Sow tomato seeds from late February to March in a greenhouse or warm windowsill
Tomatoes are also available as young plants from early March if you don’t have the time or space to sow seeds
HOW LONG DO TOMATO SEEDS TAKE TO GROW?
Tomato seeds germinate within 2 weeks and will be ready to plant out in your garden from May after the risk of frost has passed, or you can grow in a greenhouse or growhouse for the best crops. Fully grown tomatoes should be ready to harvest in July, all the way into late summer
YOU WILL NEED:
Tomato seeds – check seed packets before buying to ensure you choose the tomatoes that best suit your growing space indoors or outdoors
Peat free seed sowing compost and multi-purpose peat-free compost
Seed propagator
Individual pots (around 7.5cm)
Vermiculite (optional)
HOW TO SOW TOMATO SEEDS: STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
STEP 1: Fill your propagator with free draining, damp seed sowing compost. Sprinkle seeds thinly and evenly over the surface and cover with a sprinkling of vermiculite or more compost and water well
STEP 2: Keep your propagator inside at a temperature of around 18°C. Make sure the soil is kept damp, but not wet
STEP 3: As soon as seedlings appear - usually within 2 weeks – remove the cover from your propagator and place them in as much light as possible
STEP 4: When each tomato seedling is about 10cm tall and has grown a couple of leaves, carefully remove them from the propagator and move them into individual pots filled with multi-purpose peat free compost and keep them in a bright location and water regularly
STEP 5: Once all risk of frost has passed, harden off your plants before moving them outdoors into a bed or a container in greenhouse - Read our guide on how to grow tomatoes from plants
PLANTING OUT TOMATO PLANTS IN THE GARDEN
Around May, once your young tomato plants are established, you can plant them in their final position into your beds, tomato bags, or containers in a greenhouse or outdoors (depending on the variety). Make sure to harden off your young plants before planting them outside to help them adjust to the new environment - read our guide on how to plant out young plants
If planting outside, choose the warmest, sunniest, space, sheltered from wind. Check the seed packets for how to correctly space your tomato plants in your beds
TOP TIP: Tomatoes do well in large containers or tomato grow bags in a greenhouse
EXPERT’S TOP TIPS
Water your tomato plants regularly, keeping the soil evenly moist – if the leaves are curling, this could be a sign that your tomato plants need more water
Feed your plants every 10-14 days with tomato feed once the first fruits start to show to keep them strong and healthy