When do you plant tomato seeds?

Every year I grow annuals and vegetables from seeds under lights. When do you plant your tomato seeds inside? I'm in McLean, VA. If I start them too early, they can be leggy. Also, tomato plants don't do much in cold soil and low outdoor temperatures, even if we are past the frost date. It's a tough decision.

Wellll- I've already got my beefsteaks growing. I am probably going to regret that. What was I thinking??

They usually say six weeks? Mid April gets you to end of May to plant out.

Mid April sounds right to me. Guess it's hard to wait!

Hi Biker. I don't start tomato seeds as I have a great local source for organic heirloom starts. Sometimes, however, thos starts are a bit leggy/tall, but it doesn't matter to me because I plant my 'maters deep. burying the stem at least a foot. Also, "wall of Water" is a great way to be able to plant out tomatoes around here when we are ready (within reason) even if conditions are not.

In the past I have started them in stages, starting in late March and going to April 1. The best looking specimens were the ones started April 1. My zone is 7A also.

Have you considered trying winter sowing a few tomato plants? (See the sticky at the top of the Winter Sowing forum.) Last year I put outside some containers of tomato seeds in early March. They germinated at the beginning of April and remained very stocky because the outdoor light is so bright. I transplanted them into individual pots the last week in April and they were incredibly sturdy, stocky plants ready to go into the ground in mid May. There were two other benefits: 1) it freed up some space under my indoor lights for other things and 2) there was no "hardening off" necessary. These are some WS containers on my steps. I use Denny's take out containers because the bottom is a styrofoam-like substance that is easily punched for drainage, and the top is a clear plastic pre-punched dome. Also, I love those Grand Slams.

That's great Nisi. Those containers look ideal and strong with the holes already in them. What kind of tomato seeds did you start that way?

This is what they looked like just before I transplanted them into pots. I hesitate to show this picture, as it doesn't do them justice. The stems were thicker than they seem, and certainly thicker than the ones on my indoor plants. Plus the leaves were thick and accustomed to the sun. I planted this container too densely.

I am behind on my WS this year--just put out some containers yesterday. We'll see how quickly they germinate in their little "greenhouses." And, in answer to your original question, I sowed one indoor flat at the beginning of this past week (just couldn't stand to wait any longer!!!). They are just breaking through the surface now. I am sowing another one today, and will try a third in a few days. So April 1 is my suggestion, but that's just by trial and error (mostly error); I'm not an expert.

By the way, I have a friend who grew up in McLean.

Looks like we cross posted.

Coleup, I don't really know because I sow many different kinds. (I sell plants at an outdoor market in May and don't own a greenhouse.) Considering how thickly that one flat was planted, they were probably Beefsteak. It seems that the customers (especially the men) are drawn to anything with the word "beef" in the title! So I would have wanted a lot of them.

If you are interested in using the Denny's containers--they are the ones they give you when you call in an order and pick it up. They're not the "doggie bag" take home containers.

The most popular container for winter sowing seems to be the gallon milk jug, though.

Nisi, in your picture of seedlings (they look sturdy to me) will the lid of the Grand Slams still fit over them? Or do you remove the tops once they get to touching it and transplant asap?

I think that the bottom of container being styrofoam may give a bit of insulation form colder soil underneath which milk jog doesn't. Since tomatoes don't need the WS freeze/thaw treatment to germinate your choice for a mini green house might be better for tomatoes.

coleup, there have been times when the tops hit the dome. Then at night I did put them inside or in my portable greenhouse--the three-shelf kind you can buy locally (got mine at Big Lots)

Not a single tomato plant has germinated in my WS containers yet. I'm hoping that will change with this series of relatively warm days upcoming.

But, to address the original poster's question, I am starting to transplant the inside flats into individual containers now.

What did you decide to do, Biker1?