GETTING STARTED INDOORS (transplanting)

Plant your tomato seeds in flats ¼” deep and 1″ apart
Tomato seeds germinate best in the dark at 85°F, but will germinate with temperatures as low as 60°F; it will just take longer
Once seedlings emerge, keep the room temperature no higher than 70°F and soil consistently moist but not soggy
Transplant seedlings at least once to a larger flat or container before planting outside. Plant deeper than they grew before (especially if they have gotten leggy). Allow 2” spacing between plants

Jenny’s Tip: Apply a liquid organic leaf spray fertilizer once a week until bloom; this will increase the number of blooms on your plants
Discard sick or spindly plants that could potentially be disease carriers
With newly transplanted indoor seedlings, increase exposure to light and cut back slightly on the watering but do not allow soil to completely dry out
Daily, brush your hand gently over the tops of the tomatoes to simulate a slight breeze. This releases a hormone in the tomato plants that encourages thicker, bushier growth
One to two weeks before transplanting your tomatoes from indoors to your garden, we recommend you “harden off” your tomato plants
Hardening off means to set them outside during the day-light hours, then bring them back indoors before sunset. This helps them slowly absorb the climate change and prevent transplant shock