How to Grow Tomatoes Indoors: Inside Secret
If you have ever wanted to grow delicious tomatoes indoors because you cannot get enough of that decadent homegrown tomato flavor – then your search is over.
I have perfected the method to grow them inside all throughout the year. In this article, I will be sharing my method of how to grow tomatoes indoors.
Can You Grow Tomatoes Indoors All Year Round?
Yes, you can grow tomatoes indoors all year round if you have the correct setup for the plants. You will need to choose the best tomato varieties to grow indoors, you will also need plenty of light either from an artificial grow light or from a window. With the proper light, a good feed and watering schedule, and the best tomato variety you can grow tomatoes indoors all year and have a delicious harvest.
What is The Easiest Tomato To Grow?
The easiest tomatoes to grow are cherry tomatoes as they are small, round, and prolific on the plant which makes them everyone’s favorite. Cherry tomatoes grow big and produce a lot of tasty tomatoes. Micro-Tom, Red Robin, and Tiny Tim are among the best cherry tomatoes to grow indoors as they are tasty, and produce a decent amount of tomatoes in a small space.
What is The Best Tomato To Grow Indoors?
The best tomato to grow indoors is a cherry-type tomato such as Micro-Tom and Tiny Tim are best suited for growing tomatoes indoors all year round. The plants stall small and produce delicious cherry tomatoes.
Once you have selected the tomatoes that you want to grow indoors and have purchased the seeds, you will want to gather some supplies.
- Starting trays (If you don’t want to spring for actual seed starting trays, you can always repurpose things like yogurt containers, plastic cups or even egg cartons in a pinch)
- Seed Starting Mix (There are no chunks or bits of wood in seed starting mix. It is also sterile
- Heat mat (These can help seeds germinating faster and improve the number of seeds that sprout)
- LED grow light (In order to grow tomatoes indoors you will need a grow light to provide them with adequate light)
- A pot with good drainage
- Fertilizer
- Plant supports (For bigger plants, upgrade to a cage or trellis.)
How To Grow Tomatoes Indoors
- Pre-moisten your potting mix to the point where you can form a clump in your hands without water running out when you squeeze your hand.
- Fill your pot with your potting mix. Tap the pot on the table gently to make sure the potting mix fills up the pot. This will lightly pack the potting mix down to remove air pockets.
- Open your seed packet and place the number of seeds onto the top of the potting mix. Space them out if you are planting in the final pot.
- Gently press the seeds into the potting mix to about 1/4 inch. Gently close the soil in over your seeds.
- Water them lightly with a misting bottle.
- Place the pot into a windowsill that gets a good amount of south facing sun or on a heat mat until the seeds sprout. Once the seeds have sprouted, make sure to get your baby tomato plants under a good light source so that they do not get leggy.
- Water them regularly when the soil starts to dry out. You can tell when they need water when the pot starts to feel lighter. Dry soil weighs less than wet soil.
- Once they have a set of true leaves you can start watering them with half strength liquid fertilizer such as compost tea, worm tea, or even hydroponic nutrients to give them the food they need to grow big and produce.
When should I start planting tomato seeds indoors?
If you are wanting to grow tomatoes indoors throughout the year then you can plant tomato seeds indoors at any time during the year. If you start seeds and grow them up to a few inches tall, then start more seeds and let them grow into plants you will prolong your harvest.
You generally want to give your tomato seeds about a week to sprout and another 7-9 weeks to get to a good size before planting them in their final pot to grow. So, you should start your seeds roughly 7-10 weeks before your planting date.
Should I Soak Tomato Seeds Before Planting?
No, there is no need to soak tomato seeds before planting them into your pots. Tomato seeds are one of the easier seeds to plant, germinate, and ultimately grow. The only reason you would have to soak tomato seeds is if you have been experiencing germination issues with a particular seed.
Then you would want to soak your tomato seeds for a few hours which will help with the germination issues.
How Long Does It Take To Grow Tomatoes Indoors?
It will generally take anywhere 50-70 days to grow small cherry tomatoes indoors until the first fruits are harvested. This is just an estimate because all varieties are different. There are some “early” varieties that claim you can begin harvesting fresh tomatoes just 42 days after transplant.
How long does it take tomatoes to grow from seed?
It takes roughly 50-90 days to grow tomatoes indoors from seed to harvest. To break this down some: 1 week to allow time for the seed to sprout, 3-6 weeks to grow the tomato plant to transplant size, and then another 30-50 days depending on variety for the plant to grow big enough to set and support fruit.
Watch my video on How to Grow Tomatoes Indoors
I show my progress and results from growing cherry tomatoes indoors.
In Conclusion
If you’ve been wanting to try your hand at indoor tomato gardening, now is the perfect time to start. With a little bit of preparation and our easy guide, you can be enjoying your own homegrown tomatoes no matter what the weather is like outside.
So what are you waiting for? Get started today!
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Also, check out our article on the sweetest tomato or this article on the best cherry tomatoes.
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