I am in Z5, the past few years we have had relatively good snow cover, in the fall I put on as many chopped leaves as I can get, sometimes almost a foot. My question is, if these tropical seeds can survive our winters, couldn't I direct seed in mid-May and get the same results as starting them under lights a month earlier? Even if the soil was cool, they would germinate when the time was right, and I wouldn't be that far behind. Maybe these seeds aren't as tender as we think!

Is direct seeding for Tomatoes a viable option, or are there problems that I'm not seeing? TYIA.

Steve

Much lower germination rates so more seeds wasted.
Much lower survival rates - primarily due to inconsistent spring weather but also pest damage.
Much higher incidence of damp-off.
6-8 week delay in fruit set and production (that is the primary advantage of starting them indoors - gaining that 6 -8 weeks).

See previous discussion linked below.

Consider Wintersowing as a much more viable and controlled alternative. All detailed on the Wintersowing forum here.

Dave

Steve