| Start tomato seeds 6-8 weeks before the expected outside planting date; you will have to check with your Cooperative Extension office for that date in your area. Since tomatoes are warm season plants in order to start them you’ll need an indoor set up or greenhouse with heat mats. I start mine indoors on a 5 shelf metal metro rack purchased at Lowes. Each 4 foot shelf is equipped with 2, 4 foot shop light fixtures equipped with full spectrum daylight or 2 warm & 2 cool spectrum 4 foot T-12 bulbs, and 2, 2 flat seedling heat mats equipped with thermostats plugged into a power strip. Now…when starting seeds I plant them in community pots or individual cell packs filled with moistened seed starting mix (prepackaged, sterile, without fertilizer). After the seeds (2 per cell or ½ inch apart in community pots) are planted ¼ inch deep and lightly pressing them in to maintain good soil to seed contact, I cover them then a dusting of fine vermiculite and mist the cells to ensure enough moisture is present to carry them through germination. The last step is covering the cell packs or community pots (with a clear plastic bag or flat cover) to retain moisture and heat. The heat mat is set at 75 degrees and the lights are set 3 inches above the trays and turned on 14 hours per day. The cover is removed as soon as most of the seeds have germinated – now light becomes the most important factor. If moisture is needed the flats/cell packs/community pots are set in 1 inch of warm water – in other words, watered from the bottom. You can tell when the surface of the soil changes color or glistens that water has been absorbed. Take out of the water and drain before placing back on the shelf under the lights. I have a very small fan that I turn on low for about an hour daily and set a distance that will produce a slight breeze flowing across the seedlings to prevent damping off and to strengthen cell structure of the stems. Reduce bottom heat to 65 degrees and start fertilizing when the first set of true leaves appears – ¼ strength of a balanced (N-P-K are same numbers) liquid fertilizer. Transplant seedlings when 2nd set of true leaves appear, remove cotyledons and transplant to just below the first set of tree leaves – this allows the plant to set roots all along the buried stem. I use large Styrofoam coffee cups with 4 holes poked in the bottom. After about 10-14 days I transplant them to the garden. Cage and wrap them with a light weight floating row cover that will protect them until they get over transplant shock. Tips: Check flats/cell packs/community pots TWICE DAILY – those seeds can germinate in half the time under bottom heat and will stretch beyond saving if you forget to check them. Use a fresh quality sterile media – once opened pathogens can invade – store leftover media in a heavy zip-lock bag for future use. Use fresh seed and don’t plant too deeply; check with Cooperative Extension office for recommended varieties. If you have water quality problems, use bottled mineral water to moisten media and water seedlings. Fertilizer isn’t needed until the seedlings have a root system and true leaves; use a very mild liquid fertilizer (fish emulsion or liquid plant food) ¼ strength when true leaves are fully expanded. Keep lights 2" above seedlings as they grow taller. If seedlings appear overall pale or leaves loose color its an indication they need nitrogen fertilizer. Now its time to harden off transplants over a 10 day period before planting in the garden; move them into ever increasing sunlight during the 10 day period. Keep a journal with varieties, media used, planted how, using what, results, problems, etc; its just as important to find out what doesn't work as what does - experience is the best teacher, don't get discouraged, keep trying! TJ in Zone 8b Texas | 
